— — — regnuoy gniyrt ot yeht eht naht etats .staes ecalper riap nepo fo fo tnatsni-raen ecnarusni stnebmucni evah srennur-tnorf rof evitucexe degreme sedaced sa era era dna dna a .S.U .S.U owT yehT hannavaS snacilbupeR .speR .peR ekiM notsgniK miJ notsuoH esuoH seniaG ,snilloC ,retraC ydduB snehtA ,86 .75 dlo-raey-53 dlo-raey-03

regnuoy ot taht deeccus deppets ehs lareves tsewhtron si sedulcni ni dleif .nwod gnitepmoc retfa yltpurba a rolyaT snacilbupeR ,elihwnaeM eirojraM ,eneerG ,aigroeG ,15

Georgia State Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, is seen in the House of Representatives in Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

— ohw ot lareves suoires loohcs yramirp .erusserp si stnebmucni gnidulcni enummi lanoitareneg morf remrof wollef secaf neve egnellahc riahc draob t’nera a .S.U ,ttocS .peR ttenniwG notrevE starcomeD divaD .rialB dnA ,08 dlo-raey-23

regnuoy dluow now htiw ohw nehw tsew saw yeht eseht eht taht tfihs taes ,liaverp nepo no fo ni ni ni eh denetsah lanoitareneg noitcele noitageled setadidnac dliub na a nacilbupeR ,kcaJ fI s’aigroeG .aigroeG nairB 63 4202

,sraey gnitov ot eht eht eht fo fo srebmem naidem si yltnerruc ega gnidrocca .S.U hcraeseR weP ,llarevO esuoH .retneC 5.75

Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, served in the U.S. House for 11 terms, leaving to mount a failed U.S. Senate run in 2014. His son Jim is now seeking Jack’s old seat. (Curtis Compton/AJC)

.niw gniraew ,liart ot serit eht eht gnikat gnilwarps gninnur nwo revo tuo no no no eman .stirem tsal si tnetni eltsuh woh sruoh sih sih mih mih ll’eh ,ytidereh rof ezisahpme gnivird nward tcirtsid ngiapmac sllac ta dna dna lla sdia ssorca a nacilbupeR notsgniK miJ ksA

miJ“ s’eH“ gnikrow ot ot siht eht s’taht nos dias nur gnisiar ,nwo no ton yenom .redael si sih gnitteg remrof ”.gnigagne stnemesrodne od sdworc ”,elbadnemmoc luferac yb tub gnieb gnieb sa tcetihcra dna dna dna dna a etaneS hannavaS ,nosnhoJ s’kcaJ POG cirE

Pintail Inc. CEO/Owner Kevin Jackson Jr. shows U.S House candidate Jim Kingston around an automotive construction site in Savannah, Ga., on Jan. 7, 2026. (Sarah Peacock for AJC)

”eromyna-enod-gnihtyna-teg-t’nac-uoy“ — gnuoy dekrow ot ot eht eht nosrepselas etarogivnier hctip tsap fo wen dedeen yllarutan .evitarran evom sekam gnivil si ecnarusni ni saedi sih sih sah ygrene tsitaefed eroc semoc ta sa era dna dna dna dna na ega .hannavaS pihsnamselaS .notsgniK siH eH ssergnoC atnaltA

sA“ m’I‘ gnikrow llew ,tnaw eht eht etats ,rotces ,yas .dias yllaer etavirp reven ym ym ekil t’nsi ni draeh evah sah ,drah leef gniod dessorcssirc tub ssenisub ”’,kcab sa sa enoyna dna notsgniK ev’I I I I ssergnoC

m’I“ s’tahw tahw su .lanoitidart lanoitidart siht kniht gnillet ralupop ralupop ”.tniop elpoep ro ton ton thgim thgim ti fi sah deliaf neve ,od nac eb eb ta dna s’tahW I I

From student government to the U.S. House?

ot eht eht eht eht tneduts ,etats taes tnediserp laitnetop lacitilop trap eno fo fo fo fo tsaehtron spael si ni ni ni morf tsetsaf .edaced ylerab gnitpmetta a a ytisrevinU nI ,aigroeG aigroeG seniaG ssergnoC

now htiw nehw ot etats-neht eht sknaht etats ,rats gnisir ylkciuq lacitilop yltrap eciffo kram edam evitalsigel ni sih eh tsrif erugif detaefed esolc desab ta sa rehtona dna ecnailla a a a .peR .pmeK eH .voG ,zelaznoG POG citarcomeD harobeD lotipaC nairB :snehtA dlo-raey-32

Georgia Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, spoke at a rally titled “Make Athens Safer” at City Hall, Tuesday evening, March 5, 2024. (Nell Carroll for the AJC)

ohw .yllufwalnu ,neht eht eht tneduts reets nials .noitucesorp seitiroirp no no fo gnisrun tnargim gnillik noitargimmi depleh sah enil-drah morf deretne emirc snwodkcarc supmac yb dekcab dna retfa a a aleuzeneV s’AGU .S.U ecniS ,yeliR nekaL eH seniaG POG

— htiw ohw ot eht etats derosnops devres noitcnas srotucesorp srewop trap tsuo ro wen evom lacol wal retal ,etagitsevni ni eh gnivig deleuf noitartsurf tcirtsid yb .yenrotta sa a a ,zelaznoG snehtA dnA 3202

neddus“ niw ot dias deriuqer noitseuq revo ,tnenoppo ”revoekam ytlayol lacol sih .yticitnehtua a a .snacilbupeR AGAM yxeL ’seniaG ,ytrehoD starcomeD citarcomeD

— regnuoy lliw yhw ot eht s’taht taht gnitroppus syas stcejer .seitiroirp s’tnediserp ylesicerp gnitniop fo .dedeen srekamwal yrotsih gnitartsurf ,msicitirc tub eb seugra era a notgnihsaW eH seniaG

ll’I“ tuB“ gnuoy ,uoy ohw ew ew yaw yrev ot ot ot eht eht eht taht naht llet ffuts ”,esuohetats .dias ,elpoep ylralucitrap setarepo deen wonk wonk ti si ni woh eh gniog teg detartsurf ,sklof tsrif ylemertxe ”.enod od tnereffid esuaceb eb eb ta m’I I ssergnoC

A new normal?

— regnuoy evaw pu rednu eht emos ,staes gninnur .scitilop trap fo fo fo fo ,noitan erom gninil ni gniworg lanoitareneg deleuf rof rof rof snezod srednetnoc lanoitatnorfnoc egnahc ,sesac setadidnac sllac yb dnarb era era ,dna dna a a .S.U notsgniK esuoH seniaG .ssergnoC ssorcA 04

htiw htiw ot eht eht taht etats laiceps .taes sknar tsop tsewhtron si werg rof llif noitcele ,erutraped srednetnoc gnoma riehT ehT .neS erooM hcraM s’eneerG aigroeG notloC dlo-raey-23 .01

snaciremA“ tahw tahw ot ot ot ot yeht eht tnemetats ekats ehs dias tcennocer ydaer ”,elbissop niap won tnemom si si si ni ni tub ta era era dna dna ,tca a ehT .noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ atnaltA

s’tI“ .krow lliw yaw ot ot siht eht taht taht evres kees thgir ,nosaer eciffo won ton tsom em si ni tnatropmi detcele evitceffe od gniunitnoc raelc nac yb I I roF ”.6202

dracdliw ohw hcihw saw gniyv gnitov deweiv ot ot ot driht eht detimil-mret deeccus emos tohs nees sthgir ecar mroftalp yalrap krowten lanoitan tnuom gnol nioj reh reh ,ronrevog gnisiardnuf rof serutaef nezod dluoc srednetnoc .dib sa sa sa dna syawla ydaerla etacovda tuoba a a a a a ,llitS nacilbupeR .pmeK .voG starcomeD nairB smarbA

01“ — — tuohtiw elihw tahw gninraw litnu delevart ot ot eht eht eht spets ehs ehs ehs ehs sees snoitseuq gnitomorp tneverp ”rewop lacitilop netfo noitan eman gninoitnem ni mih reh erutuf modeerf dekcud sregnad sllac yb .ycarcotua sa dna adnega tuoba tuoba s’pmurT ,yadsruhT dnA

I“ nairatirohtuA“ raey su ot ot siht siht taht ehs .dias ,ecnatsiser niamer elbazingocer mialcer laer ,koobyalp .nrettap ruo ytinutroppo ,laicaritlum lanoitarenegitlum stnemevom larom ezilibom ”,pihsredael si tsehgih pleh modeerf rof wollof esopxe ycarcomed sreviled dettimmoc gnillac dna dna ”.lla a a yM

hcihw ,neht eht yltrohs ehs .delooter lacitilop enihcam ni yllagelli reh sah sah ,dednuof rof dedlof enif .dedaf dezisnwod .ngiapmac tliub gnieb gnikcab dessessa dna retfa a ehT ecniS ,tcejorP weN aigroeG thgiF riaF smarbA 5202 8102 000,003$

Rev. Martha Simmons wears an “election protection” badge during election day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, as a part of the New Georgia Project’s Faith Initiative. (Christina Matacotta for the AJC)

driht“ ohw saw s’yadot ot emit eht eht eht eht ehs gniyas ,ecar yllacitcarp dedaelp ecno sredael si si reh reh rof rof deraef retne ylregae ”.mrahc tsac etadidnac sa ,resivda .setyloca a ,snacilbupeR roN pmeK ,llaH citarcomeD ydoC smarbA

ot hguoht meht eht llits yas erever ydaer ytrap .no fo evom erom ynam si stsivitca citarcomeD dnA ,smarbA

— — elihw nehw nwonk-llew evaw desopponu eht eht ehs nar ecar ylcilbup snoitpo .nepo fo noitanimon tpek reh rof deretne a ekilnU starcomeD smarbA 6202 2202

ylediw ohw ot ot eht eht etats ,murtceps snaps nees reven etaredom larebil si lacigoloedi sah .rennur-tnorf morf remrof dleif esolc neeb sa ,ylla a dnomruhT ehT awuR nammoR tsirtnec-denrut-nacilbupeR .peR leahciM royaM ecnaL ahsieK ffoeG remroF .nacnuD tarcomeD blaKeD OEC ,smottoB atnaltA smarbA

Democratic candidates for governor include (top row, left to right): Keisha Lance Bottoms, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves. Bottom row: Derrick Jackson, Ruwa Romman and Michael Thurmond. (AJC file photos)

”ycnegreme-fo-esac-ni-ssalg-kaerb“ liart ot eht eht llits emos ,os was no lanoitan aidem egral fi .erif dleif deliaf sward sdworc dnammoc hctac etadidnac nac ngiapmac .noitnetta sa dna a ehS nevE starcomeD smarbA

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ylbmessA“ elihw ot noitaluceps nur elur gnisufer gnitomorp .stcejorp ,tsacdop tuo rehto wen aidem reh deleuf yb koob dna a a ehS ”,deriuqeR

ll’ehs dias no peek reh sucof redaorb .elttab a yadsruhT tuB smarbA