Politics
Politics

Republican John LaHood elected to south Georgia House seat

John Lahood, pictured with his wife, Crystal, won a special election Tuesday to represent House District 175 in south Georgia. Photo credit: John LaHood for State House: http://www.lahoodforgeorgia.com/
John Lahood, pictured with his wife, Crystal, won a special election Tuesday to represent House District 175 in south Georgia. Photo credit: John LaHood for State House: http://www.lahoodforgeorgia.com/
By Mark Niesse
Feb 14, 2018

John LaHood won a special election Tuesday for a south Georgia seat in the state House of Representatives.

LaHood, a Republican and the CEO of Fellowship Senior Living, defeated three opponents to represent House District 175 on the Georgia-Florida border.

LaHood received about 71 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. He will replace former Rep. Amy Carter, R-Valdosta, who resigned in November to take a position with the Technical College System of Georgia.

LaHood was trailed by Treva Gear, a Democrat and educator; Coy Reaves, a Republican who is self-employed; and Bruce Phelps, a Republican emergency medical technician.

Stacey Abrams is running for governor.

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

A judge rebuked the Catoosa County GOP. (Miguel Martinez/AJC/TNS)

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Georgia judge rejects ‘mysterious’ GOP loyalty tests

Republican activists in rural Catoosa County wanted would-be GOP candidates to pass an ideological test before they could appear on the ballot. A judge said no.

How Georgia’s PSC races are already changing the midterm landscape

Georgia Democrats relied on a message of affordability to win two PSC seats. Could the same strategy work in the midterm elections?

OPINION

Ballrooms and Great Gatsby lose to high power bills in Georgia

Republicans in 2025 traded places with the Democrats of 2024, putting social issues and identity politics ahead of voters' top issue: the economy.

The Latest

A judge rebuked the Catoosa County GOP. (Miguel Martinez/AJC/TNS)

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Georgia judge rejects ‘mysterious’ GOP loyalty tests

OPINION

Ballrooms and Great Gatsby lose to high power bills in Georgia

How Georgia’s PSC races are already changing the midterm landscape

Featured

Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. It was the first day the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Prolonged shutdown could force 20% flight cuts, U.S. officials warn

The Federal Aviation Administration started reducing flights Friday at 40 major airports, which includes Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

With SNAP benefits in limbo, Atlanta residents step up to help

With SNAP benefits in limbo after a late-Friday Supreme Court decision, many metro Atlanta residents are putting their own money toward supporting those affected.

Study: Rents for low-wage Atlantans rose 9 times faster than for high earners

Rents for suburban workforce housing in the metro Atlanta region increased by almost 20%, while rents for luxury units increased by 2%, a study said.