Two Georgia House members announce plans to leave office
By Dave Williams, Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — Two veteran members of the Georgia House of Representatives announced Friday that they won’t seek re-election this year.
Reps. David Knight, R-Griffin, and Gregg Kinnard, D-Lawrenceville, addressed their colleagues from the House floor on the final day of qualifying week for legislative candidates.
Knight, now serving in his 20th year in the House, is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s Higher Education Subcommittee.
On the House floor Friday, Knight said the recent death of House Rules Committee Chairman Richard Smith convinced him it was time to leave office and spend more time with his wife and young son.
Knight praised Democrats and Republicans in the House for debating issues in a civil manner, even when they disagree.
“People are tired across this nation of bad politics and people being mean to each other,” he said. “If we treat each other with civility, we’ll all be better for it, and the people of Georgia will be better for it.”
Kennard, elected to the House in 2018, had indicated late last year he would not run for a fourth term after House Republicans redrew the House map during a special redistricting session.
The new map put Kennard in the same district as House Minority Whip Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, and Kennard decided to step down rather than face Park in a Democratic primary contest in May.
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