After all, I have spent the better part of my adult life insisting that government be open... that government be accessible... and that government be held accountable to people who voted us into office.

His nickname "King Roy" was an affectionate term accorded him by supporters because he knew how to pull the levers and make things happen in the legislature. Barnes’ campaign Roy 2010 emphasized growing jobs securing water sources improving education and expanding transportation options. 1990 gubernatorial election
After eight terms in the Georgia Senate Barnes entered the 1990 gubernatorial election.

Barnes was also a candidate for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election. Kennedy Library for his success while governor of minimizing the Confederate battle emblem on the Georgia state flag despite the political fallout. In 2003 Barnes was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F.