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.

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Students in Jeremy Lowe's fourth grade class at Parkside Elementary read "warm-up plays" they wrote on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Atlanta Public Schools saw significant improvement in fourth grade math and reading scores on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez