Ali wins Gwinnett County race, becoming the youngest state lawmaker serving in Georgia

This story was updated at 11:50 p.m. on Dec. 2.

Democratic candidate Muhammad Akbar Ali won a runoff election for a Gwinnett County state House seat, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s website Tuesday night, defeating fellow Democrat Marqus Cole. 

At 21, Ali is set to become the youngest state legislator currently serving in Georgia, stealing the title of youngest lawmaker from Democratic Rep. Bryce Berry of Atlanta.

Ali and Cole were the top two candidates in a three-way race last month to represent House District 106, which encompasses a southwestern portion of Gwinnett County. The district was previously represented by Shelly Hutchinson, a Snellville Democrat who stepped down from the state Legislature earlier this year to care for a family member. 

Ali, who works as a graphic designer and served as the former first vice chair of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party, focused his campaign on issues like lowering the cost of living, supporting public schools and protecting the rights of immigrants and LGBTQ Georgians. He received support from key figures in Georgia’s Democratic establishment, securing endorsements from Hutchinson, House Minority Caucus Whip Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat, and former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, among others.

Cole, who serves as organizing director at an energy and environmental nonprofit, centered his campaign around issues like improving health care access and housing affordability, and investing in public schools. He was endorsed by figures like state Sen. Nikki Merritt, a Grayson Democrat, and Gwinnett Solicitor General Lisamarie Bristol.

Though Cole received the most votes during the Nov. 4 special election, Ali pulled ahead during Tuesday’s runoff, receiving roughly 54% of the more than 1,700 votes cast in the low-turnout election. 

“Tonight, I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust the voters of Georgia House District 106 have placed in me,” Ali said in a statement. “This victory belongs to all of us.”

Cole did not immediately respond to a request for comment.