Ups, Downs and In-betweens

Renewed Focus: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was sworn in for his second term, along with elected officials including new City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet and three new City Council members — Kelsea Bond, Thomas Worthy and Wayne Martin — during a ceremony Jan. 5 at the Georgia State University Convocation Center.

Photo credit: Ben Rollins

During his speech, Dickens promoted his plans for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative. The project focuses on uplifting and interconnecting the city’s neighborhoods through the development of affordable housing, food access, jobs, youth opportunities, public spaces and accessible transit. Initially focusing on seven neighborhoods, the project is a partnership between the city and community partners, residents and public agencies like Atlanta Public Schools, MARTA and Invest Atlanta.

In her inaugural speech, Overstreet announced that she will launch a series of town halls across the city through the year so that everyone, even those who work nine-to-five and are typically unable to attend weekday city council meetings, can still interact with city government.

State Elections Board: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appointed former Cobb GOP Chair and elections activist Salleigh Grubbs to serve on the five-member State Election Board, taking over the seat formerly held by former state Sen. Rick Jeffares.

Grubbs, who also serves as the first vice chair of the Georgia Republican Party, had been one of the key supporters of several controversial proposals, including a rule requiring election workers to hand-count ballots, passed by the board but invalidated ahead of the 2024 election by the Fulton County Superior Court. Last June, the Georgia Supreme Court permanently struck down four of the rules, stating that the board had exceeded its authority.

Special Election: Following former state Sen. and President Pro Tempore John Kennedy’s resignation of his seat in December to focus on his lieutenant governor campaign, six candidates have stepped up. They include former State Rep. Lauren Daniel, recent Forsyth Mayor Eric Wilson and former Fort Valley City Council member LeMario Brown, the sole Democrat in the race. The election was set for Jan. 20 with a runoff scheduled for Feb. 17. District 18 includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as parts of Bibb and Houston counties.

Second Indictment: A second state representative has been indicted for alleged pandemic-era unemployment fraud just days after resigning from her seat. According to court documents, Democrat Karen Bennett, a physical therapist who owns her own business, claimed quarantine rules kept her from working and collected nearly $14,000 in unemployment benefits. Prosecutors say she did not see clients in-person but rather acted in an administrative role and worked from home so did not qualify for the funds. Bennett, who since 2013 represented District 94, which covers parts of Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, pleaded not guilty.

Bennett is the second legislator as of press time to be indicted for similar claims, following Democrat Sharon Henderson of Covington in December. At that time, Theodore Hertzberg, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, stated there was a broader investigation, and other legislators could be indicted.

Another Resignation: Just a week before the start of Georgia’s legislative session, state Rep. Lynn Heffner (D-Augusta) announced her resignation effective immediately. She said the ongoing uncertainty around the rebuilding of her home, which suffered severe structural damage from Hurricane Helene, had created a residency issue with her seat.

First elected in 2022, Heffner served on several committees, including the Defense and Veterans Affairs, Economic Development and Tourism and the Intragovernmental Coordination committees. She was also appointed to the House Study Committee on Affordability and Accessibility of Georgia’s Legitimation Process as well as the House Study Committee on Alternatives to Opioids for Pain Management.

A Full Slate: Now that former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat is vacant, there’s a crowded field of contenders to represent the Northwest Georgia district. As of press time, 22 candidates had announced they were running to represent the heavily Republican District 14, including a former FEMA official, a retired firefighter and paramedic, a teacher, an actor and at least two Army veterans. The special election, which will be held as a “jungle primary,” takes place March 1. 

David Burge. Photo credit: Contributed

New Commissioner: Georgia will have a new commissioner for the Department of Revenue this month. David Burge, previously a partner at the law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell, was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp after the former commissioner, Frank O’Connell, was confirmed as the state’s first Tax Court chief judge.