Politics
Politics

More elections scheduled for January to fill state Senate and House seats

By Mark Niesse
Dec 5, 2017

Two special elections will be held Jan. 9 to fill the seats in the Georgia General Assembly left vacant by former Sen. Rick Jeffares and former Rep. Brian Strickland.

Jeffares, R-McDonough, resigned to compete in a crowded field for Georgia lieutenant governor to replace Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who is running for governor. Besides Jeffares, other Republican candidates for lieutenant governor include Senate President Pro Tem David Shafer, R-Duluth, and state Rep. Geoff Duncan, R-Cumming. Democrats considering running include former state Rep. Ronnie Mabra, D-Fayetteville, and former state Sen. Doug Stoner, D-Smyrna.

Strickland, R-McDonough, is running to replace Jeffares in the state Senate. Gov. Nathan Deal called for the elections Monday.

Senate District 17 seat covers parts of Henry, Newton and Rockdale counties. House District 111 is in Henry County. The field of candidates will be set by the end of this week. Candidates can file to run for office from Wednesday to Friday.

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.

Follow Mark Niesse on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, shown here being interviewed for the “Politically Georgia” podcast in February, has emerged as one of the most forceful GOP critics of President Donald Trump and his allies. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Trump-Greene split: A MAGA divorce with Georgia implications

The messy public breakup between President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene marks the collapse of an alliance that has helped define MAGA politics.

Prosecutor takes helm of Georgia case against Trump. But will he move forward?

A veteran Georgia prosecutor will decide the fate of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.

OPINION

Jon Ossoff warned about deepfakes. Now he is one.

A Mike Collins campaign video uses AI to make Sen. Jon Ossoff say outlandish things. A proposed state law would rein in such uses of AI in campaigns.

The Latest

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, shown here being interviewed for the “Politically Georgia” podcast in February, has emerged as one of the most forceful GOP critics of President Donald Trump and his allies. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Trump-Greene split: A MAGA divorce with Georgia implications

Georgia’s election interference case against Trump: How we got here

Prosecutor takes helm of Georgia case against Trump. But will he move forward?

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Prosecutor takes helm of Georgia case against Trump. But will he move forward?

A veteran Georgia prosecutor will decide the fate of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.

With some solar power tax breaks expiring, Georgians rush to catch the sun

Georgia solar installers say they’re seeing a surge of customers trying to install rooftop solar systems before federal tax credits go away at the end of the year.

‘Automatic for the People’: Weaver D’s still bonds Athens as era nears end

After feeding everyone from R.E.M. to Brian Kemp, and coining a phrase that went global, Dexter Weaver is preparing to close his storied Athens soul food restaurant.