Democrats vie for a metro-Atlanta state House seat in a March 10 election

Voters in a Democratic-leaning state House district in metro Atlanta will choose a new representative in a special election next week triggered when the incumbent resigned from her seat before a criminal indictment.

Four Democrats are locked in a race to fill a vacant General Assembly seat for the remainder of 2026 and the chance to immediately run for reelection as an incumbent in the district that spans parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.

State Rep. Karen Bennett resigned in January before being charged in a federal investigation into pandemic-era unemployment insurance fraud. The Stone Mountain Democrat pleaded guilty to a felony charge of lying to investigators.

Whoever wins the March 10 special election will enter office with just days left during the 2026 legislative session, meaning the victor could vote on some crucial legislation but won’t have an opportunity to introduce any new bills this year.

Candidates Kelly Kautz, Audrey Lux, Venola Mason and Ikenna Ugwumadu are on the ballot, but it is likely the vote will head to an April 7 runoff given the number of candidates and the majority support required to win outright.

The one buzzword across all the House District 94 candidates’ campaigns is “affordability.”

The 24-year-old Ugwumadu said he wants to bring fresh perspectives to the Statehouse with new ideas and younger representation.

“This is a time for change,” he said. “We’ve voted the same way for the same people for so long and we expect a different result.”

The District 94 native is a former chief of staff for state Sen. Randal Mangham, D-Stone Mountain, which he said would give him an edge over some of his opponents without legislative experience.

Ugwumadu said he wants to expand access to affordable housing and bring down the cost of child care.

Lux, the founder of a local chapter of the liberal group Indivisible, said she aims to raise the state minimum wage, fully expand Medicaid, protect civil rights and extend MARTA rail service into Gwinnett. She said her experience as a legislative assistant to state Rep. Jasmin Clark, D-Lilburn, will allow her to hit the ground running if elected.

The 25-year-old Gwinnett native has racked up a number of endorsements, including from Democratic state Rep. Ruwa Romman, the Human Rights Campaign and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Lux would be the first openly transgender state lawmaker if elected.

Former Snellville Mayor Kautz aims to leverage her relationships and experience in local government to pursue her priorities.

Kautz, an attorney, said she’s focused on bringing more jobs to the district and affordable housing through eliminating sales tax on building materials. She also said she wants to update the decades-old education funding formula and expand access to Medicaid.

“I think that there are steps that need to be taken so that families can stay rooted in the community because right now that’s not happening,” Kautz said.

She also said state agencies should be fully funded before handing out tax rebates, pointing to the Division of Family and Children Services’ $85.7 million budget deficit.

Mason, an education consultant, said she’s focused on schools, economic opportunity in the district, and expanding access to affordable health care.