Overview
- Kennedy said stepping down immediately ensures District 18 residents have a senator fully focused on the upcoming session rather than his statewide campaign.
- His departure ends an 11-year tenure that included service as Governor Nathan Deal’s floor leader and election as Senate president pro tempore.
- Georgia law bars fundraising during the session that typically runs from January to April, a constraint his resignation avoids as he ramps up his bid.
- Gov. Brian Kemp will call a special election to fill the vacant District 18 seat, a vote likely to occur during the session, according to the Associated Press.
- He enters a crowded Republican primary that includes Rep. David Clark, Sens. Greg Dolezal, Steve Gooch and Blake Tillery, and candidates Brenda Nelson-Porter, Takosha Swan and Jerry Timbs, with the race open after Lt. Gov. Burt Jones launched a run for governor.