Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, who recently announced she will not seek re-election after a decades-long career, discusses a bill in a House committee. Jones briefly served as Georgia’s first and only woman speaker of the House after the death of Speaker David Ralston. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
The return of President Donald Trump to Georgia was the big political news this week, with the president visiting a Rome steel plant to promote his economic agenda and his allies as early voting got underway to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
But it was also a big week for announced departures.
Jan Jones will not seek another term
House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, who briefly served as Georgia’s first and only woman speaker, says she will not seek another term after two decades as a state lawmaker.
First elected in 2002, the Milton Republican rose through the ranks of the chamber to become speaker pro tempore in 2010, presiding over the House when the speaker steps away from the rostrum. When Speaker David Ralston died in 2022, Jones led the chamber until a new speaker was elected.
Jones was especially known for her work on education policy, helping to lead the charge to expand private school vouchers in Georgia. In a press release, Jones said she was also proud of the state’s work to support public schools.
“Over these years, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished on education policy: restoring full funding to public schools, keeping teacher pay the highest in the Southeast, expanding access to Pre-K and bolstering that workforce and strengthening parent choice with more public charters and the Promise Scholarship,” Jones said in a statement.
“Conservative leadership has given Georgia the best business climate in the country, and these investments in our workforce will keep us at the top for years to come,” she added.
She has also been a steadfast opponent to Medicaid expansion for more than a decade. She was the lead sponsor of a bill taking the power to expand the health care insurance program away from the governor as Gov. Nathan Deal fought off a Democratic challenger, Jason Carter, in 2014. Jones went on to present the GOP’s argument against full expansion over the years, and today, Georgia remains one of 10 states that haven’t fully expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Jones’ conservative district had been a Democratic target in recent years as legislative seats circling metro Atlanta became increasingly competitive. But she kept a firm hold on the district, most recently winning nearly 62% of the vote in 2024.
And her time as speaker pro tempore spanned 16 years.
In a statement, Speaker Jon Burns called Jones “a trailblazer who will leave a significant mark on state history.”
“Jan’s 16-year tenure in House leadership reflects the abiding faith and admiration her colleagues have for her. She will close her career in the General Assembly with a long record of accomplishments but also a long list of great friends, including me and Dayle,” Burns said.
Hail to the chief
When President Donald Trump’s thoughts turn to Georgia, he’s usually thinking about the 2020 election and his futile efforts to prove that he won it.
But on Thursday, Trump visited Rome, Georgia with at least one eye toward the political future.
The race to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in northwest Georgia is already underway, and it won’t be long now before Georgians begin casting their ballots in May’s primary election, which will determine which candidates will go on to appear on the November ballot.
In between touting his economic successes Thursday, Trump took time to boost key Georgia allies who are or will soon be up for election in front of a very friendly crowd.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor, got the Trump nod, as did former Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit district attorney and Air National Guard lieutenant colonel Clay Fuller, Trump’s pick among the crowded field vying to replace Greene.
“I got Fuller on my side, I know that I got my Fuller,” Trump said. “You better win that election.”
Trump declined to endorse in the race for U.S. Senate, where Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is set to face the winner of the GOP primary. The three major Republican candidates are Congressmen Mike Collins and Buddy Carter and former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who has the support of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
Collins shared the stage with Trump at the rally, along with two of his Congressional colleagues, U.S. Reps. Brian Jack and Barry Loudermilk, who recently announced he is not seeking re-election.
Speaking to the Recorder after the president’s speech, Dooley said he’s happy with the way his campaign is shaping up.
“Well, look, all of us would love to have the president’s endorsement, but the most important endorsement is the people of Georgia, and that’s what matters and that’s something I’ve been working every day to get,” he said. “Each week I’ve been out I’ve been more confident that I’m in the right lane, I have the right message, and this is what the people want.”
Other Georgia leaders who basked in the president’s glow included Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler and U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach. The warmup speakers included Republican state Rep. Katie Dempsey, who represents Rome.
Republican soundly wins Macon-area special Senate race
Republican Steven McNeel will become the latest newcomer to the Georgia state Senate after handily defeating his rival, Democrat LeMario Brown, to represent a Macon-area district during a special election runoff held Tuesday.
McNeel, a Bibb County attorney who also runs a timber farm, beat out three other Republican candidates during a January special election. During Tuesday’s runoff, he received nearly 60% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the secretary of state’s office.
The district encompasses Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as part of Bibb and Houston counties.
He will replace former state Sen. John F. Kennedy, a Macon Republican and the former President Pro Tem who had represented the district since 2014. Kennedy resigned in December to focus on his bid for lieutenant governor.
In an interview, McNeel attributed his success to a “strong grassroots game” and shared values among his constituents of lowering taxes and limiting government.
He also expressed gratitude for the voters in his district, who he said grasped “the importance of this election in coming out to vote, not [falling] asleep at the wheel in this special election when their votes mattered.”
He said his top priorities will be eliminating the state income tax, increasing funding for law enforcement officers and expanding school choice.
Candidate announcements:
Tricia Pridemore, a Republican member of the Georgia Public Service Commission, announced this week that she will not seek another term on the regulatory board. Instead, Pridemore said she is considering a run for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District, which Congressman Barry Loudermilk is vacating.
Rahul Garabadu, a civil rights attorney, announced this week that he will run for the Senate seat currently held by Duluth Democratic state Sen. Nabilah Parkes, who is running for insurance commissioner. “I’m the son of immigrants who came to this country looking for opportunity,” he said in his announcement. “But I’ve watched as those opportunities slip away for far too many. Costs are rising out of control and the American dream is increasingly out of reach. All while our communities are under constant attack from Donald Trump. I’m running for State Senate to lower the cost of living, stand up for my neighbors, and protect our democracy.”
Endorsements:
Former Georgia NAACP President James “Major” Woodall has endorsed former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who is running as a Democrat in the race for governor. “This race is not about party labels. It is about power — who holds it and how it is used. The alternative is a return to extremism, retaliation politics, and alignment with Donald Trump’s agenda. The moment demands strategy, courage, and a candidate who can win in November. Geoff is that candidate,” Woodall said in a statement released by Duncan’s campaign.
Several DeKalb County state lawmakers have thrown their support behind former state Sen. Jason Esteves’ campaign for governor: Sens. Sally Harrell, Kim Jackson and Elena Parent; Reps. Shea Roberts, Karen Lupton, Saira Draper, Long Tran and Scott Holcomb. “With the stakes as high as they are in 2026, we need a candidate and a leader we can trust — someone with a proven track record and the ability to win,” Jackson said in a statement released by the campaign. “Jason will be a valuable partner when he’s governor as we work to create economic opportunity in DeKalb County and across our state.”
State and federal-level candidates can send their announcements and other news to info@georgiarecorder.com.
