Georgia lawmaker steps down, creating another vacancy under the Gold Dome 

It continues to be a busy year for off-cycle state legislative races in Georgia. An Athens-area Georgia lawmaker announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from the seat he has held since 2018, creating a new vacancy in the state House. State Rep. Marcus Wiedower, a Watkinsville Republican, said he is stepping down to focus […]

State Rep. Marcus Wiedower, a Watkinsville Republican, announced Tuesday that he is resigning from his House seat. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

It continues to be a busy year for off-cycle state legislative races in Georgia.

An Athens-area Georgia lawmaker announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from the seat he has held since 2018, creating a new vacancy in the state House.

State Rep. Marcus Wiedower, a Watkinsville Republican, said he is stepping down to focus more on his expanding work as vice president of external affairs at Hillpointe, a real estate development and investment management firm.

“This decision has been incredibly difficult. Serving in the Georgia General Assembly has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Wiedower said in a statement. “I’m deeply grateful for the trust placed in me by my constituents and colleagues.”

Wiedower served as chairman of a budget subcommittee focused on general government spending. He is also currently leading a study committee that is looking at the impacts of expanding gambling in Georgia, which is a thorny issue that has eluded proponents for years. 

A special election for House District 121 has not yet been called. It’s a conservative-leaning district that backed Wiedower over his Democratic opponent last year with 61% of the vote. The Democrat who ran last year, Eric Gisler, announced in August that he planned to run again.

The district includes parts of Oconee and Clarke counties.

Special election called after the death of a Cherokee County lawmaker

A special election to elect a new state representative for a House seat in a northern exurb of Atlanta has been set for Dec. 9. If a runoff is needed, it will happen on Jan. 6.

The vacancy for the Cherokee County-based district was created after Canton Republican Rep. Mandi Ballinger died earlier this month following a long battle with cancer. Ballinger, who chaired the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee, had represented the district for more than a decade.

Candidates can qualify to run for the House District 23 election from Nov. 3 – 5.

The election was set as early voting is underway for two other special elections in metro Atlanta.

Voters in Gwinnett County are electing a replacement for state Rep. Shelly Hutchinson, a Snellville Democrat who stepped down last month. Two Democrats, Muhammad Akbar Ali and Marqus A. Cole, and one Republican, Jamie Parker, are running for the seat. The race is on the Nov. 4 ballot alongside a pair of closely watched contests for the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Another special election is being held to fill an Atlanta-based Senate seat. Former state Sen. Jason Esteves stepped down after one term to run for governor next year. Six candidates are competing for that seat.

In August, a special election grabbed national headlines when a Democrat was the top vote-getter in a race to replace former Alpharetta Republican Sen. Brandon Beach, who is now serving as U.S. Treasurer. Republican Sen. Jason Dickerson emerged the winner of a hard-fought September runoff.

Next year, all House and Senate seats, including those won in this year’s special elections, will be on the ballot. 

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