A little cemetery humor for you, courtesy of the apocryphal funeral home advertisement: "I'll be the last one to let you down."

That might as well be the slogan for both rivals competing for the seat of state Rep. Rusty Kidd, the Legislature's lone independent. The Milledgeville lawmaker's decision to drop out of the race leaves two candidates undertaking a race for the seat.

Both Democrat Floyd Griffin Jr., a former state senator and ex-mayor of Milledgeville, and Republican Rick Williams, an ex-Baldwin County commissioner, are funeral home directors. Their Milledgeville businesses are less than two miles from each other.

Who will bury whom? It’s been a Republican-leaning district in off years, and Democratic in presidential ones. Our gut says the contest is a dead heat.

Insider's note: This item was ripped from the Morning Jolt, which you can find here.

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Instructor Daniel Jean-Baptiste reminds students to "measure twice, cut once" while using a hand saw at the Construction Ready accelerated summer program at Westside Works in Atlanta on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The program provides training for careers in construction and the skilled trades. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com