Democrats select new leadership for state House

For the first time in more than two decades, Democrats in the Georgia House of Representatives nominated new leadership as a majority caucus.

For the first time in the 238 years since Georgia joined the United States, a pending House majority caucus also nominated a Black person as speaker. That person, Rep. Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, is also the first woman nominated to a full term as speaker, after Rep. Jan Jones, R-Milton, stepped into the role as acting speaker from late 2022 into the start of the 2023 legislative session.

Assuming the unofficial results from Election Day do not change before Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certifies the results next week, Democrats will hold four more House seats than Republicans.

Hugley said expanding Medicaid would be “first and foremost” on the House agenda.

She said Democrats were excited to work with Democratic Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms to accomplish that goal as part of a broader agenda to address the cost of living.

A narrower majority

The Democratic advantage narrowed last week when officials found an overlooked election machine memory card in Seminole County and uploaded the results, changing the outcome in a House race.

Incumbent Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, had seemingly lost to Democrat Harry James, but the 388 ballots on the memory card that were uploaded Nov. 6 put Greene back in the lead.

That narrowed Democrats’ majority to 92 seats in the 180-member House. The Georgia Constitution requires 91 votes, a majority of the chamber at full capacity, to pass legislation. So, the updated outcome in Greene’s race, if it holds, will leave Democrats with a one-seat cushion, although a runoff between a Democrat and a Republican in a race that involved an independent could expand the Democrats’ majority.

Raffensperger has until Nov. 20 to certify the results after local election officials certified them Monday.

The rest of the leadership team

In addition to nominating Hugley as speaker on Thursday, the House Democratic caucus nominated Rep. Billy Mitchell, D-Stone Mountain, as speaker pro tempore.

Both Hugley and Mitchell, who is also Black, await confirmation votes by the full House when lawmakers convene for the next legislative session in January.

The Democratic caucus also named the rest of its leadership during its meeting on the House floor. It is a diverse group that includes three women, two of whom are Black, and four men, two of whom are Black and one of whom is Asian American.

Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Atlanta, was named majority leader. Rep. Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, was named majority whip. Rep. Spencer Frye, D-Athens, was named majority caucus chair. Rep. Imani Barnes, D-Tucker, was named majority caucus vice-chair. Rep. Anissa Jones, D-Macon, was named majority caucus secretary. Rep. Robert Flournoy, D-Hampton, was named majority caucus treasurer. Rep. Bryce Berry, D-Atlanta, was named majority caucus chief deputy whip.

“We built a team that looks like Georgia,” Hugley said. “It listens to Georgia. And we intend to fully represent all Georgians.”

What comes next

The speaker selects chairs of the House committees, which currently number 44. Naming committee chairs would be among Hugley’s first tasks after her confirmation.

Hugley is in line to succeed House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, when the Legislature convenes in January, and Democrats take over the House for the first time since 2004.

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