Georgia Rep. Sam Watson resigns to seek vacant state Senate seat
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate seat vacated last week by Sen. Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge, already is drawing attention.
State Rep. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie, has resigned his House seat to run for the opening in southwest Georgia’s 11th Senate District.
Gov. Brian Kemp has scheduled a special elections Jan. 31 to fill both seats.
Watson was elected in 2012 to represent House District 172, which at the time included portions of Colquitt, Tift and Thomas counties.
A farmer by trade, Watson has been active on agricultural issues in the General Assembly. He served on the House Agriculture Committee as well as the Appropriations, Natural Resources & Environment, and Ways and Means committees.
Watson was re-elected to a newly redistricted House District 172 seat in November, running unopposed. The district now no longer includes Tift County but instead takes in a portion of Cook County.
Burke resigned the Senate seat this week to take a job as chief medical officer of the Georgia Department of Community Health.
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