State Rep. Emory Dunahoo, a Republican from near Gainesville, said he is not running for reelection next year, citing personal health concerns.
Dunahoo, an eight-term member of the state House, told conservative radio host Martha Zoller on Wednesday he prayed about his decision and ultimately decided against running next year. He will complete the remainder of his term before leaving office.
“It’s time to let somebody else step up and run for my seat,” he said.
Dunahoo has served in the Georgia General Assembly for 15 years. He said he had shoulder surgery recently and has further procedures in a few months.
He also said politics under the Gold Dome can be opportunistic and frustrating.
“Some of my colleagues do very little,” he said. “We have hard workers that take this serious, and then we have people that want to move to the next level. That’s all they want to do, and it’s a pathway to get there.
“I’m sharing that because I’m tired of it,” he said.
Dunahoo has focused on conservative Christian issues during his time in office.
In recent years, he sponsored legislation that would mandate public schools display the Ten Commandments in three locations on campus. He also wrote a bill that would have augmented the state’s 2019 abortion statute by getting rid of exceptions for rape and incest. Neither bill made it to a floor vote in the House.
Zoller said Dunahoo was “tireless” in his push for a “Fair Tax,” which would abolish all the federal personal and corporate income tax system and replace it with a federal retail sales tax.
“I mean, we didn’t get all the way there, but I think we’re making progress,” she said.
Dunahoo was also an early advocate against including transgender girls in girls’ sports.
“I would stand up at our caucus meetings and say, ‘Do we not understand the difference between boys and girls?’ It was crickets. Nobody else stood with me,” he said. “Then all of the sudden, it changed. Now everybody’s on the front line. They’re all shouting.”
Zoller applauded his work.
“You never did what people expected you to do. You did what you thought was right,” she said.
Georgia House District 31 covers parts of Jackson County, including Jefferson and the edges of Commerce. The area is heavily Republican, supporting President Donald Trump with about 80% of the vote last year, and Dunahoo ran unopposed.
In his last session next year, Dunahoo vowed to work hard for his causes.
“I will push the envelope a little bit more this session. I fear nobody,” he said.
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