Politics
Politics

Columbus-area seat in Georgia House heading to a Republican runoff

A voter puts on his sticker after casting his ballot at the Evergreen Baptist Church during the Georgia presidential primary elections on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Miguel Martinez /miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

A voter puts on his sticker after casting his ballot at the Evergreen Baptist Church during the Georgia presidential primary elections on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Miguel Martinez /miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com
By Mark Niesse
April 10, 2024

The race for the Columbus-area seat in the Georgia House previously held by Rules Chairman Richard Smith will be decided in a runoff between two Republicans.

A special election Tuesday narrowed the field to Sean Knox, the president of a pest control company, and Carmen Rice, the chairwoman of the Muscogee County Republican Party. The runoff will be held May 7.

Smith, who had served in the House since 2004 and led the powerful Rules Committee since 2020, died in January at age 78.

The winner of the runoff will represent the district for the rest of the year but will have to run for election again in November for a full two-year term.

Knox and Rice received the most votes among four candidates in the special election, but neither received a majority of the votes needed to avoid a runoff. House District 139 covers parts of Harris and Muscogee counties.

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

Ja'Quon Stembridge — pictured speaking at the monthly Henry County Republican Party meeting in July — was elected over the summer as the assistant secretary of the Georgia GOP. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Teen GOP activist steps down from party leadership post

Greene County native and University of North Georgia student Ja’Quon Stembridge, 19, had run on boosting youth involvement in the party.

Special election for state House seat in Cherokee County set for Dec. 9

Five Republicans and one Democrat are competing for House District 23, which covers Canton and unincorporated parts of Cherokee County.

It’s ‘deepfake’ season. Here’s how to spot AI in political ads.

Review sources with skepticism, and consider whether a particular image or video confirms preexisting — potentially controversial — beliefs, experts advise.

The Latest

Polling workers and voters are observed inside Canton City Hall during the special election for the state senate seat in Cherokee on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, to fill the remainder of former state Sen. Brandon Beach’s term, which runs through January 2027. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Special election for state House seat in Cherokee County set for Dec. 9

Teen GOP activist steps down from party leadership post

LISTEN

He came close to making history in Marietta mayor’s race. He may run again.

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo

A 30-year-old’s overdose sparked a new law. Now courts are testing how far it can go.

Austin’s Law, passed in 2024, is leading to convictions of fentanyl dealers after a father’s fight for justice following his son’s overdose death.

Jared Curtis isn’t the only Georgia football storyline to watch on signing day

What will National Signing Day look like? It is starting to materialize significant storylines.

Search for inmate who escaped from Grady hospital enters second day

Timothy Shane is accused of stealing an SUV and then crashing it during the getaway, according to authorities.