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8 candidates file to run for vacant Ga. House and Senate seats

Candidates filed to run in special elections to fill seats in Senate District 17 and House District 111. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Credit: Photo: WSB-TV

Credit: Photo: WSB-TV

Candidates filed to run in special elections to fill seats in Senate District 17 and House District 111. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
By Mark Niesse
Dec 11, 2017

Four candidates are running in each of the two special elections Jan. 9 to fill vacancies in the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives.

The elections are being held to fill the seats of former Sen. Rick Jeffares and former Rep. Brian Strickland. Jeffares, R-McDonough, resigned to run for lieutenant governor, and Strickland, R-McDonough, stepped down to seek Jeffares' Senate position.

Candidates filed papers to run in the special elections last week. Runoff elections will be held Feb. 6 if needed.

The candidates seeking the Senate seat are Ed Toney, a Republican retired civil engineer; Nelva Lee, a Republican business owner, Phyllis Hatcher, a Democratic pastor; and Strickland. Senate District 17 seat covers parts of Henry, Newton and Rockdale counties.

For the House seat, the candidates are El-Mahdi Holly, a Democratic substitute teacher; Geoffrey Cauble, a Republican general contractor; Larry Morey, a Republican real estate developer; and Tarji Dunn, a Democratic real estate broker. House District 111 is in Henry County.

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.

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