A special election will be held to fill the seat left vacant by the passing of Speaker David Ralston, who represented Gilmer, Fannin and a portion of Dawson County.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the Jan. 3, 2023, special election to fill the Georgia House District 7 seat in a legal notice sent to the Times-Courier for publication Monday, Nov. 28.
Qualifying for the seat will take place next week at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office in Atlanta on Monday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. A qualifying fee of $400 will be charged to all candidates.
Last day to register to vote in the election is Monday, Dec. 5. Early voting will begin Dec. 12.
A runoff, if needed, will be held on January 31, 2023.
Ralston announced he would not be seeking the Speaker position for another term on Nov. 4.
“I need to take time to address a health challenge which has arisen recently, and the House needs a Speaker who can devote the necessary time and energy to the office,” he said in a press release.
Speaker Ralston was first elected to the House in 2002 and was first elected as Speaker of the House in 2010. He was the longest currently-serving state house speaker in the country.
Ralston, 68, passed away on Nov. 16 from an “extended illness,” according to his longtime spokesman Kaleb McMichen.