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Georgia Capitol. (Credit: Beau Evans)
Key Points
- The mix of new lawmakers is eclectic
- Many newcomers are replacing retiring incumbents
- The legislature reconvenes Jan. 13
When lawmakers reconvene at the state Capitol on Jan. 13, there’ll be a cadre of new faces in the 236-member Georgia General Assembly, one of the nation’s largest state legislatures.
All 236 statehouse seats were up for election this year. Most candidates ran unopposed. Incumbents in contested races easily kept their seats, with the exception of a few in the House. Many of the new faces are replacing people who are retiring.
Over half the seats in the legislature — 113 of 180 — were contested in the Nov. 5 election. Most incumbents in those races easily held on to their positions. In the Senate, 23 of the 56 seats were contested, while 90 of the 180 House seats were up for grabs.
Sixteen of the contested Statehouse seats were in play due to retiring legislators, including the minority leaders in both chambers. Other seats opened up as a result of court-ordered redistricting, which combined or reshuffled districts.
As of Friday, Republicans maintained their dominance in the Senate, 33-23. Before the election, Republicans held 102 House seats to the Democrats’ 78.
Here’s a look at 20 newcomers who will join the House and Senate when the new legislative session begins.
In the Senate
Kenya Wicks
Senate District 34: Forest Park and Riverdale in Clayton County and parts of Fayetteville in Fayette County. The seat is held by Sen. Valencia Seay, D-Riverdale, who is retiring.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Fayette County
Job: 30-year Army veteran
Platform: Seniors’ rights, including access to affordable health care, Medicare and mental health; economic development; reproductive freedom.
Rashaun Kemp
Senate District 38: Parts of Atlanta and Fulton County. Kemp ran in an uncontested race to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Horacena Tate, D-Atlanta.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Atlanta
Job: Senior director at a national nonprofit, former educator and former government official
Platform: Quality education, voting rights protections, a fair living wage, rent control legislation, paid family leave, affordable housing, renewal of the school tax holiday.
Drew Echols
Senate District 49: Hall County. Echols is filling the seat vacated by his wife, Rep. Shelly Echols, R-Gainesville, who is retiring.
Party affiliation: Republican
Residence: Hall County
Job: Co-owns Jaemor Farms
Platform: Improve transportation, defend law enforcement, protect the Second Amendment, give parents more say in their children’s education
Randal Mangham
Senate District 55: Parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. Mangham won in a contested race to fill the seat held by Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, who is retiring.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Stone Mountain
Job: President of Metropolitan Management Corp., lawyer, ordained minister and former state House member.
Platform: Fully funding public education, protecting patients’ rights, expanding Medicaid, developing policies that increase property values.
In the House
House District 42: Cobb County. This district was originally represented by Rep. Doug Stoner, D-Smyrna, who stepped down in January rather than run against his peer Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna, when they were pitted against each other after last year’s redistricting. Anulewicz lost to Sanchez in the May primary and Sanchez went on to defeat Smyrna businesswoman Diane Jackson.
Party affiliation: Democratic socialist
Residence: Smyrna
Job: Server at an Atlanta restaurant
Platform: Housing, health care, the economy, workers’ rights, establishing a living wage of $20 an hour.
House District 56: West Atlanta
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Atlanta
Job: Middle school teacher in Atlanta Public Schools system
Platform: Affordable housing, education reform, Medicaid expansion, addressing gentrification, raising the age to buy assault rifles.
Mekyah McQueen
House District 61: Smyrna and Vinings in Cobb County, Sandtown in Fulton County and southwest Atlanta’s Ben Hill community
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Smyrna
Job: High school teacher
Platform: Expand Medicaid, prioritize funding for public schools, restore reproductive rights.
Sylvia Wayfer Baker
House District 64: Parts of Douglas and Paulding counties. Under redistricting changes, incumbent Rep. Kimberly New, R-Villa Rica, was moved to District 40, where she was reelected in a contested race to represent that district. Baker was elected this week to represent the newly redrawn District 64.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Douglas County
Job: Criminal defense and immigration attorney
Platform: Environmental protection, gun control, expanded access to health care, increased taxes on the wealthy to fund vital programs. Defender of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, unemployment and welfare programs.
Robert Dawson
House District 65: As a result of redistricting, this district now includes East Point, Union City, Chattahoochee Hills, Palmetto and parts of Atlanta as well as South Fulton and Coweta counties. Dawson faced a contested race to fill the seat vacated by Mandisha Thomas, who left earlier this year to run for Congress.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Not available
Job: Information technology professional with a background in financial technology and cybersecurity
Platform: Affordable health care, including expanding Medicaid; economic development; improving education; standing “against attacks on civil rights and voting rights in Georgia.”
Justin “Jutt” Howard
House District 71: Parts of Carroll County. Howard ran against Democrat Kwasi Hudson for the seat held by Rep. James Collins, R-Villa Rica, who is retiring.
Party affiliation: Republican
Residence: Carroll County
Job: Vice president of NG Turf, a family-owned-and-run sod supplier
Platform: Bolster the state’s agriculture by strengthening farmers’ rights, enhance workforce development.
Noelle Kahaian
House District 81: New district created as a result of last year’s redistricting. It covers parts of Henry County.
Party affiliation: Republican
Residence: Henry County
Job: Small-business owner
Platform: Eliminate the state income tax, defend election integrity, uphold Second Amendment rights, “eradicate the woke agenda in Georgia.”
Arlene Beckles
House District 96: Parts of Gwinnett County. Beckles is filling the seat held by Rep. Pedro Marin, D-Duluth, who is retiring.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Norcross
Job: IT cybersecurity professional
Platform: Health care access, education equity, economic revitalization.
Sandy Donatucci
House District 105: Gwinnett County. Donatucci appears to have defeated incumbent Farooq Mughal, D-Dacula, by fewer than 100 votes.
Party affiliation: Republican
Residence: Buford
Job: Small-business owner, Gwinnett County planning commissioner
Platform: Strengthen Georgia’s economy, promote student excellence, fight human trafficking, address traffic congestion.
L.C. Myles Jr.
House District 126: Augusta and Richmond, Jenkins and Burke counties. Myles will fill the seat of Rep. Gloria Frazier, D-Hephzibah, who will retire in December.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Unavailable
Job: Former IT manager
Platform: Unavailable
Robert Clifton
House District 131: Columbia County in east central Georgia. Clifton is filling the seat vacated by Rep. Jodi Lott, R-Evans, who is retiring.
Party affiliation: Republican
Residence: Columbia County
Job: CEO of Clifton Construction
Platform: Anti-abortion, Second Amendment defender, constitutional conservative.
Dr. Anissa Jones
House District 143: Newly redrawn district in middle Georgia that extends from Macon to Warner Robins. Redistricting prompted the departure of House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, who announced his retirement in March. Jones was elected to fill the seat.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Macon
Job: Chiropractor
Platform: Public safety, economic development, more investment in infrastructure.
Tangie Herring
House District 145: This new majority-Black district created under last December’s redistricting covers Macon-Bibb and Monroe County. Herring defeated Republican Noah Redding Harbuck.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Macon
Job: Teacher and small-business owner
Platform: Public safety, quality public education that involves parents and values teachers, strengthening voting rights, affordable quality health care, affordable housing.
Floyd Griffin
House District 149: East Macon and parts of Baldwin, Jones and Bibb counties. The central Georgia district was redrawn last year to create a majority-Black district as ordered by a federal judge. Griffin defeated incumbent Ken Vance, a Republican from Milledgeville.
Party affiliation: Democrat
Residence: Milledgeville
Job: Retired Army colonel, former state senator and former mayor of Milledgeville. He has helped run his family’s funeral business.
Platform: Not available
Angie O’Steen
House District 169: Irwin and Turner counties and parts of Coffee and Tift counties. The seat is held by Rep. Clay Pirkle, R-Ashburn, who is retiring.
Party affiliation: Republican
Residence: Coffee County
Job: Registered nurse and farmer
Platform: Lowering costs, improving rural health care, strengthening public safety, investing in education.
Jaclyn Dixon Ford
House District 170: This south central Georgia seat is held by Rep. Penny Houston, R-Nashville, who is retiring after three decades.
Party affiliation: Republican
Residence: Alapaha
Job: Vice president and chief operating officer of Dixon Gin Co.
Platform: Investing in rural communities, championing farmers and producers and fighting for pro-family conservative values.
Have questions, comments or tips? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
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