(Georgia Recorder) — Things are coming to a head in the world of Georgia politics.
At the state Capitol, lawmakers are running around like crazy as the annual lawmaking session winds down. That means trickery can often be afoot as legislators become desperate to get their bills passed before the buzzer, such as a bill that passed Friday that would make district attorneys nonpartisan, but only in five metro Atlanta counties.
This year’s election season is also kicking into higher gear.
About a month from now, Georgia voters will be able to cast early ballots for the May 19 primary election that will help determine who serves in state government positions from the governor down to state representatives.
But more than a few of Georgia’s legislative leaders are willingly giving up their hold on power. We’ve got the news on the latest farewell addresses, including one delivered by a lawmaker with a passion for fashion, as well as social justice.
And fans of special elections are eating good in Georgia. We’ve had a string of special elections since the fall as politicians step down to run for higher office, get indicted for fraud or feud with the president over a famous pedophile.
We’ve got two more for you to add to your calendar. Here’s your roundup for this week.
Debate de Burt
In a social media post, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican candidate for governor, called on his top rival, health care executive Rick Jackson, the wealthy late-entrant who jolted the race and dethroned Jones from a comfortable lead, to join him on a debate stage.
Jones said that the two need a “good ol’ fashioned one-on-one debate.”
“I’ll let him pick the venue. I’ll let him pick the moderator,” Jones said in a social media video, adding that he doesn’t think Jackson is “ready for it.”
Jackson responded, saying that “only desperate and losing candidates propose debates.”
Jones’ “one-on-one” bit may have been a little insensitive to the other Republican candidates in the race, who include Georgia’s current Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Carr chimed in, saying that “you heard the man,” referring to Jones’ declaration that voters deserve to hear directly from the candidates.
“If he’s serious about this,” Carr said, the candidates have been invited to the Atlanta Press Club and Nexstar Media Group debates, but Carr said he will “let them choose the time and place.”
“Look forward to it, boys,” Carr wrote on social media.
Nonpartisan DAs for some?
House lawmakers finalized a controversial bill that will make the office of district attorneys nonpartisan – but only for five metro Atlanta counties.
The bill had failed in the Senate earlier this year, only to reemerge through a legislative maneuver this week in that chamber when the content of another bill was stripped out and replaced with a version of the previously rejected proposal. That allowed the measure to go straight to the House chamber, bypassing the normal committee process.
The bill only applies to Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton counties, which are all currently served by Democratic district attorneys.
The measure narrowly passed the House with a 93-to-64 vote Friday, with a couple Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it. It’s now sitting on the governor’s desk.
Critics also argue the bill is unlikely to pass muster in court since it is attempting to change how constitutional officers are elected.
“Sounds like that could be settled in the judiciary,” House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, said when that concern was raised Friday.
Supporters argued the change would minimize partisan politics in the role and treat it more like judicial seats. But critics pushed back hard against that, criticizing Republicans for not applying the change statewide.
“If it’s good for the five counties here, it should be good for the whole 159 counties in Georgia,” said Gabe Okoye, a Lawrenceville Democrat.
C’est la vie en rose
Who wears a pink undertone, A-line silhouette knit tweed fabrication with a notched crew neckline, contrast frame and front bow detail and won’t be in the state House next year?
If you said Atlanta Democratic state Rep. Park Cannon, treat yourself to a pair of patent cap toe platform Mary Jane pumps.
The fashionable state representative did not file paperwork to run for re-election and gave a farewell speech Wednesday that opened with an in-depth description of her ensemble as a nod to her “fashionistas and visually impaired friends.”
Cannon, who has served since 2016 and who is the minority caucus secretary, said she dresses to the nines in honor of the well-dressed civil rights icons of days gone by, and she always tried to use her fashion sense to initiate conversations about policy under the Gold Dome.
“Even if you wanted to ignore my idea on maternal mortality, when you’d offer, ‘Oh, I love your all white with the lace,’ I’d be able to say, ‘Yeah, the midwives are coming today, I always wear white when they come. Do you know more about the herstory of midwifery in Georgia?’”
Cannon was famously arrested in 2021 after knocking on the door of an office where Gov. Brian Kemp was signing a controversial election overhaul bill.
During her farewell speech, Cannon announced an initiative called the Keep Knocking Fellowship, designed to get young people engaged in politics.
“For anyone who is sad that I’m moving on for now, just know that good work will continue and that I will keep knocking,” she said. “For anyone who is happy or relieved that I am moving on, just know that I have more eyes and ears down here than you think, and I will continue to hold you accountable for your bad policy making. I will keep knocking on your doors.”
The 2026 session has brought about a number of high-profile retirements from both chambers and parties, including House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones and House Natural Resources Chair Lynn Smith, both of whom have decades of experience. In the Senate, notable departures include Democratic Sens. Ed Harbison and Elena Parent.
Aren’t all elections special?
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has scheduled a pair of special elections to fill legislative seats that were left empty after two lawmakers resigned from office, but whoever wins them will have to be elected in November before they actually get the chance to vote on a bill.
The first election, set for May 12, will be held to replace former state Rep. Dexter Sharper, a Valdosta Democrat who resigned from the Legislature days before pleading guilty to federal fraud charges. The south Georgia district, which covers a portion of Lowndes County, has been represented by Sharper since 2013.
Qualifying for the special election will begin on Monday and run through Wednesday afternoon. Five Democrats have already qualified to run for the seat during this year’s May primary.
The second special election, aimed at replacing former state Sen. Nabilah Parkes, will be held a week later, coinciding with this year’s May 19 statewide primary.
Parkes, a Duluth Democrat, recently announced that she is stepping down from her office to focus on her bid for lieutenant governor. In a letter announcing her departure, she asked Kemp to schedule the election to replace her on the same date as the primary election “to ensure maximum voter participation.”
The district encompasses a northwest portion of Gwinnett County. Parkes has represented the area since 2023.
So far, three candidates have qualified to run in the special election for her seat, two Democrats and a Republican, but more candidates may have thrown their hat in the ring by the time qualifying closes on Monday afternoon. Three Democrats and one Republican have qualified for the statewide primary election.
