Tag: Speaker David Ralston

Georgia House Elects Speaker Jon Burns

Eric Burk

The Georgia House of Representatives elected former Majority Leader Senator Jon Burns (R-Newington) to be Speaker of the House in its first day of session. Burns replaces Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton), who became Georgia’s first woman Speaker of the House after late Speaker David Ralston died November 2022. Jones was re-elected to be Speaker Pro-Tempore on Monday.

“This is, admittedly, a very bittersweet moment,” Burns said in a speech after he took the dais. “Just a matter of weeks before today, I never would have imagined standing for this office. The passing of Speaker David Ralston has left a hole in the heart of this House.”

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Ralston, Chastain Go to Runoff in Georgia’s House District 7 Election

Eric Burk

Sheree Ralston took 45.02 percent of the  House District (HD) 7 special election vote on Tuesday night, followed by Johnny Chastain with 39.28 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results. That sets the two candidates up for a runoff.

That’s a bad result for Kemp-endorsed Sheree Ralston since Chastain is likely to pick up votes from conservative supporters who backed the other three candidates on Tuesday, according to Atlanta Tea-Party President Debbie Dooley.
That’s a bad result for Kemp-endorsed Ralston, since Chastain is likely to pick up votes from conservative supporters who backed the other three candidates on Tuesday, according to Atlanta Tea-Party President Debbie Dooley.

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HD7 Special Election Pits Republican Radio Host Against Late State House Speaker Ralston’s Widow

Eric Burk

House District 7 voters will choose between five Republicans in Tuesday’s special election to fill the seat left vacant by late Speaker David Ralston; the leading candidates include Ralston’s widow, Kemp-endorsed Sheree Ralston, and radio host Brian Pritchard, who is running further to the right.

Ralston has also announced endorsements from the Chamber of Commerce, and has emphasized her work on mental health, while Pritchard is emphasizing his grassroots appeal and resistance to Kemp and establishment Republicans.

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Fulton County Commission Chair Says All Georgia Counties Should be Investigated for Potential Fraud

Cooper Moran
Robb Pitts Fulton County

Robb Pitts, chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, sent a letter to Georgia House of Representative Speaker David Ralston claiming that all counties within the state should be investigated for potential fraud.

“If you are requesting that Fulton County be the subject of such an investigation, then I believe it would only be fair that all counties with issues be subject to investigation,” Pitts wrote in his letter to Speaker Ralston.

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