Georgia’s long 2018 election season finally ended over the holidays when Republican Mitchell Scoggins won a seat in the General Assembly.
Scoggins, a retired Bartow County probate judge, defeated three other Republicans with 65 percent of the vote during a Dec. 18 special election. No Democrats ran in the election, and Scoggins will take office on the first day of the 2019 legislative session Jan. 14.
He will replace former state Rep. Christian Coomer, whom Gov. Nathan Deal appointed in September to serve as a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals. House District 14 covers parts of Bartow and Floyd counties, including the city of Cartersville.
Scoggins said during his campaign he supports gun rights and religious freedoms while opposing abortion rights.
He said Wednesday he’ll seek mental health funding and education tax breaks for senior citizens.
“I have a goal of working hard for my district,” Scoggins said.
Ken Coomer, Christian Coomer’s father and a pastor, finished in second place. The other two candidates were small business owners Nickie Leighly and Nathan Wilson.