MARIETTA, Ga. — Control of the Georgia House of Representatives may come down to a band of suburban districts north of the capital, where Democrats are trying to gain the 10 seats they need to run the chamber for the first time in about two decades.
Republicans have held the House majority since the mid-2000s, and the party chooses the speaker, now Jon Burns, who sets the agenda for tax, school and spending bills. A Democratic majority would give the party a real hand in writing state law even if the governor office stays Republican.
One test sits in northeast Cobb County, in House District 44. Republican Rep. Don Parsons has represented the district since 1995 and faces a Democratic challenger this year in a neighborhood where yard signs for both sides now line the same streets.
Strategists working with House Republicans argue that long-serving incumbents keep built-in advantages on the ground, even in a year when the statewide and national mood may lean toward Democrats. Democrats are betting that fast-changing suburbs, and voters willing to split their tickets, can tip close districts.
The suburbs carry weight. State figures show the northern suburbs produce about one of every five ballots cast in Georgia, and suburban voters are turning out at higher rates than the rest of the state. Statewide, more than 2.29 million people had voted early in person by Thursday afternoon, a record for a midterm.
In-person early voting ends Friday. On Election Day, Nov. 3, voters who have not already cast a ballot must vote at their assigned precinct, where polls run from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Officials also reported more than 108,000 absentee ballots accepted by Thursday.
Section: More Atlanta GA politics news
Filed under: Atlanta GA Politics News
