Election set for vacant House seat

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Veteran Clayton County legislator Ron Dodson decided to come out of retirement and run for a fifth term to fill a vacant House seat.

Dodson, a Democrat, announced this week that he will run for the vacant House District 75 seat in November. He will compete against Republican Henry Shawn James, a political newcomer.

A special election is scheduled for Nov. 3, the day of the municipal elections.

The seat has been vacant since last month when Rep. Celeste Johnson (D-Jonesboro) abruptly resigned. Johnson, a former Clayton teacher and wife of ex-Clayton school board member Rod Johnson, moved to Florida.

"I decided since it was half a term left, I would go ahead and run," Dodson said Friday. "It would be crazy for someone with no experience to go down there for just one year."

Dodson, a general contractor from Lake City, served in the State House from 1998-2006. He decided not to run in 2006, saying he wanted to devote more time to his family and construction business.

Dodson, a former Clayton County commissioner, serves as chairman of the board of directors at Southern Regional Health System in Riverdale. If elected, he said he plans to continue to focus on healthcare.

Depending on the outcome of the special election, Dodson said he may run again in 2010 for the full term.

"Maybe I'm not done, just overcooked," Dodson joked.

James, a real estate investor from College Park, said this is his first time running for office.

"Supporters asked me to run and I thought I could do a great service for the county," James said Friday.

James said he was in a meeting Friday night and would call a reporter later to talk about his background.