by Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission]

January 9, 2026

There will be some fresh faces under the Gold Dome when lawmakers reconvene next week for the 2026 legislative session. 

That’s thanks to a series of off-year special elections held to replace state lawmakers who have died, resigned or been appointed to other political offices. At least three representatives will make their House debut, and another three legislators will join the Senate to finish out the remainder of their predecessor’s two-year legislative term.

There are also more special elections to come in the new year, after two lawmakers recently announced they were leaving the state Legislature. Former Rep. Karen Bennett, a Stone Mountain Democrat, resigned her seat days before she was charged with fraudulently receiving nearly $14,000 in unemployment benefits. Former Rep. Lynn Heffner, an Augusta Democrat, also resigned Monday citing damage to her home from Hurricane Helene and the state law requiring representatives to live in the districts they represent. Details about the elections to replace the two representatives have not yet been announced.

Here’s a look at the newcomers.

House District 23

The newest lawmaker in a Cherokee County-based district will be Republican Bill Fincher, who defeated Democrat Scott Sanders during a runoff election Tuesday, maintaining the GOP’s hold over the district.

Fincher, a former district attorney who now owns an RV park, received over 70% of the vote according to unofficial results from the secretary of state’s office. He will replace Republican state Rep. Mandi Ballinger of Canton, who died in October after a long battle with cancer.

In an interview, Fincher told the Georgia Recorder that he was “absolutely humbled” by the support of the voters in his district. His top priorities will be capping property taxes, reducing traffic around metro Atlanta and lowering the cost of insurance premiums.

The district, which includes Canton, part of northern Holly Springs and the surrounding unincorporated areas, heavily favors a Republican.

House District 106

Democrat Muhammad Akbar Ali, a graphic designer and former first vice chair of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party, is headed to the Gold Dome after defeating fellow Democrat Marqus Cole during a runoff election for a southwest Gwinnett County state House seat.

Ali focused his campaign on issues like lowering the cost of living, supporting public schools and protecting the rights of immigrants and LGBTQ Georgians. He received a slew of endorsements from key figures in Georgia’s Democratic establishment, including House Minority Caucus Whip Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat, and former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes.

The district’s previous representative, Snellville Democrat Shelly Hutchinson, stepped down from the state Legislature earlier to care for a family member. She later endorsed Ali.

At 21, Ali is set to become the youngest state legislator currently serving in Georgia, stealing the title of youngest lawmaker from Democratic Rep. Bryce Berry of Atlanta.

House District 121

In a stunning upset, Democrats flipped a northeast Georgia House seat, gaining control of an Athens-area district for the first time since 2019.

Eric Gisler, a tech executive and small business owner, will replace former state Rep. Marcus Wiedower, a Watkinsville Republican who abruptly resigned from his seat to focus on his work as vice president of external affairs at the real estate firm Hillpointe. 

The district, which covers parts of Clarke and Oconee counties, has historically leaned conservative. Wiedower won his last election with 61% of the vote.

In an interview, Gisler credited his campaign’s success to a strong ground game, as well as his focus on issues like health care access and the rising cost of living, which he said likely appealed to some Republican voters.

Senate District 18

Voters have yet to select a replacement for state Sen. John F. Kennedy, a Macon Republican who resigned in December to focus on his campaign for lieutenant governor.

The district encompasses Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as part of Bibb and Houston counties. Six candidates — five Republicans and one Democrat — have qualified for the seat. They include former state Rep. Lauren Daniel, former Forsyth Mayor Eric Wilson and former Fort Valley Mayor Pro Tem LeMario Brown.

The election will be held on Jan. 20, roughly a week after the start of the 2026 legislative session, and early voting for the race will begin on Dec. 29. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on Feb. 17.

Senate District 21

Republican state Sen. Jason Dickerson, the president of a private investment firm, will replace former Alpharetta Republican state Sen. Brandon Beach after securing a victory in what was perhaps the most contentious legislative special election of 2025.

Beach, who had represented the district since 2013, resigned from the Senate after President Donald Trump appointed him to serve as the 46th U.S. Treasurer. The district, which includes parts of Fulton and Cherokee counties, is predominantly Republican, with Beach receiving upwards of 70% of the vote against a Democratic challenger in 2024.

But Democrats rejoiced after Debra Shigley, an Alpharetta mom, attorney and small business owner, racked up nearly 40% of the vote in a seven-way special election. Her campaign also received door-knocking help from high-profile Democrats like Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.

The district’s Republican base quickly coalesced around Dickerson in the runoff, and he ultimately won the seat with over 60% of the vote, though Democrats cheered the gains made in the conservative district.

Senate District 35

Democrat Jaha Howard, a dentist and former Cobb County School Board member, is headed to the state Capitol, representing a metro Atlanta district that includes portions of Cobb and Fulton counties.

Howard narrowly defeated former Democratic state Rep. Roger Bruce, who retired from the state Legislature in 2024, during a special election runoff on Dec. 16. He will replace former state Sen. Jason Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat who resigned from the state Senate in September to focus on his campaign for governor.

According to his campaign website, Howard plans to prioritize supporting small businesses, reducing barriers to health care access and increasing literacy rates.

This is not Howard’s first foray into politics; he has also been a candidate for state school superintendent and ran for a seat on the Cobb County commission last year. During a previous bid for state Senate in 2017, however, he came under fire for sexist and homophobic comments he posted on social media between 2011 and 2014. Last year, he told the Georgia Recorder he has worked to gain voters’ trust in his commitment to LGBTQ and women’s rights.

He also received an endorsement from state Sen. RaShaun Kemp, one of the two openly gay lawmakers in the chamber.

Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.