Incumbent Bill Yearta, newcomer Mitchell Rosa vie for state House District 152 seat

ALBANY – Mitchell Rosa is making his first foray into politics after learning that Georgia House District 152 Republican incumbent Bill Yearta has not faced a challenger over several elections.

Yearta is looking to retain the seat he has held since he won a special election and was sworn in on Dec. 24, 2019.

The two will be on the ballot for Lee and Worth county voters, as well as for Dougherty County voters in the southeastern portion of the county, in the Nov. 3 race. 

“I decided to run because I saw no one’s run against Bill since 2019,” Rosa, the Democratic candidate, said. “The deadline was coming up, and I said, ‘He can’t run alone.’ I’ve seen a quote that elections shouldn’t be won before votes are cast. I just want people to have an option.”

District 152 voters will have a clear choice in the race, as the two candidates have distinctly different political takes. Rosa outlined a relatively progressive agenda that includes an increase to the state’s minimum wage. 

Rosa, 25, is  North Carolina native who moved to Lee County when his father was assigned to Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany. He is currently a student at Albany State University, majoring in sociology, and is employed at Publix.

“I’ve been interested in politics (and) I’ve been staying involved in politics since (President) Trump first ran,” Rosa said. “I’ve seen not a lot of growth in the economy, and people’s wages aren’t going up. I wanted to see if I could do something about that.”

While there have been some jobs added in the district since Yearta’s time in office, those are not jobs upon which individuals can build a career, the challenger said. 

“I know a lot of people I went to school with who are making their way up towards Atlanta” seeking better jobs, Rosa said. “My biggest thing is raising the minimum wage. Georgia’s minimum wage is technically lower than the federal minimum wage.”

Nearly all workers in the state are paid at least the $7.25 federal minimum, but there are exceptions in rare cases that allow employers to pay the $5.15 rate.

“I’d like to see it (minimum wage) at $20,” Rosa said. “My first thing for jobs would be raising the minimum wage.”

Other top issues for the candidate include enshrining women’s right to choose in the state Constitution, making cannabis legal for recreational purposes and reparations for slavery and the Jim Crow system.

“It just doesn’t make sense really to lock people up when other states allow it, and it’s safe and it raises revenue,” Rosa said of the legalization of cannabis. “Those are my big four. Obviously I’d like to see Georgia be better for workers, for families.

“I know Bill Yearta likes to make it better for homeowners. A lot of people my age can’t afford a new house or to move where houses are.”

When it comes to data centers, Rosa says he favors a moratorium in order to determine what impact the facilities could have in the state. Developers and operators should also pay their fair share, he said.

For his part, Yearta thinks things are on the right track in the state and that steps that have been made over the last few years should be continued.

“I think if you look at our record, House members have done a lot for the state of Georgia,” he said. “I think Georgia is on a good footing.”

The incumbent pointed to the state’s No. 1 ranking in 2026 as the best state for business by Area Development magazine. The ranking was the 13th consecutive year for Georgia in the top spot, and it topped Texas at No. 2, followed by Tennessee, North Carolina and Ohio.

The state also ranked first in the category of skilled manufacturing labor, cooperative and responsive government, and overall speed to market.

“Georgia was notified that it’s the best state to do business again,” Yearta said. “I think that’s a great thing. I think that has a ripple effect across the state in creating jobs.”

The fact that he has not faced many challengers over the election cycles has been fortunate, but Yearta said that he welcomes an opponent.

“That’s what makes America great,” he said. “I think there are a lot of things we accomplished this year.”

The Sylvester Republican is a member of a number of committees, including Agriculture and Consumer Affairs; Banks and Banking; Economic Development and Tourism; Energy, Utilities and Communications; Small Business Development, and is a chairman of an Appropriations Committee subcommittee.

During the 2026 legislative session, the legislature enacted about a billion dollars in tax relief, the incumbent said. It also approved tax rebates totaling $250 for single tax filers and $500 for married couples filing jointly.

“We also lowered the income tax rate,” Yearta said. “It was around 6%, and eventually we’re going to 3.99%. We gave the homeowners tax relief.”

This year Yearta was one of the sponsors of legislation addressing literacy, he said. The legislation was modeled on Mississippi, which has been able to make big strides in improving student performance.

“They went from dead last … to I think in the higher states, certainly in the top middle among states,” Yearta said.  “It’s so important that kids are able to read on grade level. A lot of kids currently are not able to read on grade level in third grade. (The bill) puts literacy coaches in every elementary and primary school.”

Another step made in schools was the approval of funding for school safety grants totaling $50,000 for each school, the incumbent said. That program has been in place for about four years. Two years ago, he sponsored legislation to put financial literacy instruction in classrooms.

“We feel like kids, even in the ninth and 10th grades, are going to work and need the financial knowledge to be successful,” Yearta said.

Agriculture is the state’s No. 1 industry, and the lifeblood of the region, the incumbent said, and among the assistance the state has provided to farmers is relief for those who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

“I think we have a pretty good track record of doing things for the state,” he said. “We’re certainly going to continue doing things for affordability. We’re going to do what we can to keep taxes low. Economic development, healthcare … certainly those are things we’re going to continue to work on.”