Hugley is officially nominated as Georgia House speaker as Democrats choose their leaders

Georgia House Democrats unveiled their picks to lead the chamber Thursday after winning a majority for the first time in two decades, officially naming Rep. Carolyn Hugley as their nominee for House speaker.

Hugley, who has represented Columbus in the Legislature since 1992, will become the first Black woman to serve as House Speaker in Georgia if she is elected by the full House in the legislative session that starts in January. She would take the gavel from House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican who has presided over the chamber since 2023. 

The speaker is one of the most powerful elected officials in Georgia and wields influence over the entire legislative process, appointing leaders to committees and deciding which bills make it to the floor for a vote. 

Rep. Billy Mitchell from Stone Mountain, who was first elected in 2002, is also poised to become the chamber’s second-in-command as the House Democrats’ nominee for speaker pro tempore. Mitchell would succeed Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, a Milton Republican who did not seek another term. 

House Democrats also elected new caucus leaders, selecting Rep. Stacey Evans from Atlanta to be majority leader.

Rep. Sam Park from Lawrenceville will go from being minority whip to majority whip, and Rep. Bryce Berry from Atlanta will serve as majority chief deputy whip. Rep. Spencer Frye from Athens is the caucus chair, replacing Rep. Tanya Miller who is the incoming attorney general, and Rep. Imani Barnes from Tucker will serve as caucus vice chair.

Rep. Anissa Jones from Macon will be the new caucus secretary, and Rep. Robert Flournoy from Hampton takes over as treasurer.

House Democrats officially flipped the chamber earlier this week. They currently have a slim majority with 91 seats, which is the minimum required to control the chamber, but they could still gain more seats depending on the outcome of three still-unresolved races. 

Hugley described the new Democratic leadership as “a team that looks like Georgia.”

“We didn’t come this far to settle into new titles and new offices and get that new letterhead. We’re here because Georgia has given us the opportunity to deliver for them, and deliver is exactly what we’re going to do,” Hugley said at a press conference at the state Capitol.

Park added that “the diversity of our caucus reflects the diversity of our state, and unity is our power.”

Hugley said House Democrats would prioritize expanding Medicaid, saying that it sits “first and foremost” on the agenda. She said they are glad Democrats “have a partner in the governor’s office to help (them) get it done,” referring to Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms, who put the issue at the center of her campaign for the state’s top office. Aside from expanding Medicaid, Hugley said House Democrats will focus on addressing issues surrounding affordability.

“We’re here because we listen to parents worried about the cost of raising their children. We listen to seniors struggling to make ends meet. We listen to working families trying to afford groceries, gas, housing, healthcare and childcare,” Hugley said. “Throughout these conversations across Georgia, one thing is crystal clear: affordability is the issue.”

Democrats flipped the House and governor’s mansion, but Republicans still control the state Senate. Hugley acknowledged that the House would have to negotiate with Republicans and that House Democrats may not be able to “do all the things on our agenda in the first two (years),” but she offered Republicans some words of goodwill.

“I believe that everyone in this building has the best interests of Georgians at heart. We may want to get there differently, but I have to operate from that premise,” Hugley said.

House Republicans, who will be now in the minority for the first time in more than 20 years, are expected to elect their leaders on Monday.

Senate Republicans, who have a two-seat majority, announced their leaders earlier this week. 

Sen. Larry Walker III from Perry is the nominee for president pro tempore – a role he currently holds – and Republican state Sen. Jason Anavitarte from Dallas will keep his post as majority leader. Majority whip state Sen. Randy Robertson from Cataula and majority caucus secretary state Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick from Marietta will also continue in their roles. State Sen. Tim Bearden from Carrollton is the new majority caucus chairman, replacing state Sen. Shawn Still from Suwanee after his loss to Democrat Laura Murvartian, and state Sen. Drew Echols from Gainesville will become majority caucus vice chairman, replacing Sen. Clint Dixon from Buford, who was ousted by Democrat Scott Tippetts.

Senate Democrats, who will remain in the minority, are set to elect their leaders Monday.