A runoff for a state Senate seat representing parts of DeKalb, Rockdale and Newton counties will be held Dec. 1, with former Rockdale Commissioner JaNice Van Ness competing against former state Rep. Tonya Anderson.

Van Ness, a Republican from Conyers, received the most votes among eight candidates in a Nov. 3 special election seeking to fill the term of former Sen. Ronald Ramsey, D-Lithonia. Anderson, a Democrat from Lithonia, came in second.

The winner will represent Senate District 43, which covers about 173,000 residents.

The seat became vacant in July when Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Ramsey to become a judge in DeKalb State Court's Traffic Division.

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People join a rally in support for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees on Tuesday afternoon, April 1, 2025, at the Atlanta headquarters after federal cuts triggered significant layoffs. (Photo: Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Jenni Girtman