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.