Anderson unseats Van Ness for Georgia Senate
Former state Rep. Tonya Anderson won a rematch election against Sen. JaNice Van Ness on Tuesday.
Anderson, a Democrat, defeated Van Ness, a Republican, for Senate District 43, which covers parts of DeKalb, Newton and Rockdale counties.
Van Ness had narrowly won a special election against Anderson last year in a seat that has historically been held by Democrats. Her victory was reversed Tuesday in the higher-turnout general election.
Anderson served in the House from 2013 to 2015. She won a Democratic primary election in May against Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who was also seeking the Senate seat.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
