Ups, Downs and In-betweens
Alleged fraud, a surprise flip, and Greene resigns.
Fraud Alleged: State Rep. Sharon Henderson (D-Covington) has been indicted by a grand jury on two counts of theft of government funds and 10 counts of making false statements. Federal prosecutors allege she collected $17,811 in unemployment benefits from a program designed for those who faced unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. They say Henderson falsely claimed that she had been employed by the Henry County School District in 2019 and 2020 and lost her job because of the pandemic.
People who applied to the program for assistance had to submit weekly statements with the reason for their unemployment and attesting they were looking for work. According to prosecutors, Henderson submitted some certifications after she was sworn in as a member of the state House.
Henderson pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on $10,000 bail.
Surprise Flip: Even though Democrats had notable success in November – flipping two seats on the Public Service Commission and the mayor’s office in Roswell – party leaders were pleasantly surprised and Republicans shocked in December by Eric Gisler’s upset win in a state House district that’s usually quite red. Gisler beat Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest 50.86% to 49.14% in the low-turnout special election in HD-121, which includes parts of Oconee County and Athens, in Clarke County. The district had been drawn to be reliably Republican, and President Donald Trump carried it by about 13 points in 2024.
Gisler focused his campaign message on affordability. After the results, Insurance Commissioner John King posted a warning on X: “Georgia Republicans, we need to sound the alarm from now until November… Our donors aren’t motivated, and our voters aren’t either. Of course we need to talk about why liberal policies are bad, but we also must put forward a clear agenda to lower prices and help working families keep more of what they earn.”
Welcome to the Jungle: The unexpected resignation of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-14) kicked off a scramble to fill her Northwest Georgia seat. Greene, formerly a staunch Trump supporter and pillar of MAGA, will leave office January 5 after a break with the president on the Epstein files led him to brand her a “traitor” on social media.
Several candidates have announced they’re running for the heavily Republican seat, including state Sen. Colton Moore (R-Trenton), who was banned from the Georgia House chamber in 2024 after attacking the late Speaker David Ralston while he was being memorialized. Moore was then arrested in 2025 when he tried to force his way into the chamber. Other candidates are expected to join the race.
The election will be held as a “jungle primary,” with all candidates appearing on the same ballot.
Stay or Go?: State Sen. John F. Kennedy (R-Macon) is stepping down from his legislative seat to focus on his campaign for lieutenant governor. In a statement, Kennedy said: “Continuing my service in the state Senate while also running for Lt. Governor would be a disservice to both my constituents and the thousands of hardworking Georgians who have pledged their support for our vision.” In addition, Kennedy would have been barred from raising funds for his campaign during the 2026 legislative session.
In Memoriam: “Georgia has lost a legend, and I have lost a very close friend and mentor.” That’s how Attorney General Chris Carr marked the passing of T. Rogers Wade in December. He was 84.
T. Rogers Wade. Photo credit: Contributed
As Carr’s Instagram tribute suggested, Wade’s impact on the state’s leaders and policy spanned decades: He served as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Herman Talmadge from 1973 to 1980 and then as chair of Gov. Nathan Deal’s transition team in 2010. He was elected vice chair of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in 2019 and served as a member of the boards of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Research Alliance. He was perhaps most identified with the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, where he served as president and CEO for more than 10 years (1996-2009) and then as chair of the board of trustees for another 14 years (2010-2024). In 2018, Georgia Trend named Wade to the Most Influential Georgians Hall of Fame.
Kyle Wingfield, president and CEO of the foundation, wrote on Facebook, “Rogers Wade knew everyone who was anyone in the state of Georgia, and yet he could make you feel as if you were the only person he spent any time thinking about. He connected with people, one at a time, and very deeply.”
