A monster special election day, Fern’s session freeze and more

There are now four special elections set for March 10 in Georgia. The most closely watched will be the race to fill former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat in northwest Georgia. Nearly two dozen candidates signed up to run in what is known as a jungle primary, which is when all the candidates appear on […]

Four special elections are set for March 10 in Georgia. Wes Wolfe/Georgia Recorder

March 10 is shaping up to be a busy day 

There are now four special elections set for March 10 in Georgia.

The most closely watched will be the race to fill former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat in northwest Georgia. Nearly two dozen candidates signed up to run in what is known as a jungle primary, which is when all the candidates appear on the same ballot at once, and if no candidate gets more than half the vote, the top two compete in a runoff.

With so many names on the ballot, the race for the 14th Congressional District will surely go to an April 7 runoff. 

But there are also now three state legislative races set for that day. 

One election is to replace ex-state Sen. Colton Moore, a Trenton Republican who is running for Greene’s seat. Senate District 53 includes Walker, Dade, Chattooga, Catoosa and part of Floyd counties. 

Candidates can start qualifying for the special election Thursday. 

There are also two House seats on the ballot after a pair of lawmakers resigned shortly before the start of the 2026 session. 

Former state Rep. Karen Bennett, a Stone Mountain Democrat, resigned before being charged with unemployment fraud. She pleaded guilty Wednesday to making false statements to obtain the aid, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Georgia. 

House District 94 includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. 

Ex-state Rep. Lynn Heffner, an Augusta Democrat, said she was stepping down because damage to her home from Hurricane Helene left her unable to satisfy a state law requiring lawmakers to live in the district they represent. House District 130 includes part of Richmond County. 

Candidate qualifying was originally set to start Monday but will now begin Tuesday and end Thursday because of winter storm Fern.

Winter storm Fern will freeze the state legislative session, at least for a day  

House leaders announced they would delay the start of Monday’s session until 1 p.m. and that no legislative business would be conducted that day. The Senate is still set to gavel in Monday morning but the chamber is expected to be quiet. The Senate committee meetings that were scheduled for Monday have been canceled. 

Gov. Brian Kemp declared a statewide state of emergency Thursday ahead of the weekend storm that is expected to bring a wintry mix and wind gusts that could take down trees and power lines and cause other damage. 

“If you can just stay off the roads, that would be a big favor to us and help keep everybody safe,” Kemp told reporters during a virtual media briefing Thursday. Kemp was in Belgium Thursday on an economic development trip. 

Monday will be the sixth official day of the 2026 session, which is set to end April 2. Lawmakers are scheduled to be in session through Thursday next week. 

Announcements:

Denise Pierce Burns, who is the former GOP congressional district chair, announced Friday that she will run to replace former state Sen. Colton Moore. In a press release, the homeschool mom describes herself as a homesteader who has also advocated for “food freedom, medical freedom and small farms.” 

Ross Sheppard, a Milledgeville Democrat, has launched his House campaign for District 149. Sheppard is a Milledgeville native who says he served as a legislative aide while in college for former longtime Rep. Rusty Kidd, who died in 2020, before working as a lobbyist. He’s challenging Democratic incumbent, Rep. Floyd Griffin, who won the seat in 2024. 

Endorsements: 

Sen. Nabilah Parkes, a Duluth Democrat, has picked up several endorsements from her colleagues in the Senate in her quest to become Georgia’s next insurance commissioner. Parkes announced Thursday that she has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones of Augusta and more than a dozen other Democratic Senate leaders and senators. She’s the only announced candidate on the Democratic side in that race so far, and she is challenging GOP incumbent commissioner John King. 

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, who is a Republican, weighed in on two races this week: He’s backing state Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington in a crowded GOP primary for secretary of state, and he endorsed Jim Kingston in the 1st Congressional District in southeast Georgia. Both of these races are for open seats.