- Georgia Democratic Representatives Doug Stoner and Greg Kennard will not run for re-election this year due to redistricting.
- Mr. Stoner, who lives in Smyrna, and Mr. Kennard, who lives in Lawrenceville, both represent the greater Atlanta area.
- Georgia's legislative and legislative maps were redrawn late last year after a judge ordered that more black-majority districts be added.
Two Georgia House Democrats say they will not seek re-election in 2024 after being drawn into races with fellow Democratic incumbents.
State Rep. Doug Stoner of Smyrna and Greg Kennard of Lawrenceville made the announcement Tuesday.
Stoner was placed in the same district as U.S. Rep. Terry Anulewicz of Smyrna, and Kennard was placed in the same district as Democratic U.S. Rep. Sam Park of Lawrenceville.
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Their decision came after a federal judge accepted the new Congress and legislative map. The judge had ordered lawmakers to increase the number of black-majority districts. In an effort to limit losses to the party, Republicans combined three Democratic House incumbents in creating new districts.
The third Democratic pairing is Rep. Saira Draper and Rep. Becky Evans of Atlanta. Both men have said they will continue to seek re-election, meaning primary voters will decide.
Aerial view of the Atlanta skyline showing the Georgia State Capitol. (Joe Soum/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Also in the same district are a pair of House Republicans, state Rep. Beth Camp of Concord and state Rep. David Knight of Griffin. If that happens, there is a possibility that a new primary struggle will emerge.
As a result of court-ordered redistricting, Democrats are likely to gain two seats in the state House of Representatives overall. Lawmakers have been ordered to create two predominantly black districts around Macon where Republican incumbents are likely to lose. The Democratic triumvirate in metro Atlanta will prevent Republican losses in three other Democratic districts that are likely to be created in the future. Republicans currently hold a 102-78 majority in the House.
Stoner served in the state Senate from 2005 to 2013, but lost reelection in 2012 after Republicans redrawn the district to favor his party. He originally served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005 and was re-elected to the House of Representatives in 2023. He said he was friends with Anulević, having served together on the Smyrna City Council, and did not want to confront her.
“She will serve the former constituents of the new House District 42 well,” Stoner said in a statement. She “looks forward to finding other opportunities to serve the community.”
Kennard, who is in his third term in the House of Representatives, similarly said he did not want to run against Park, whom he credits as mentoring him when he ran for office and joined the General Assembly.
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“My heart is not against him because he is a very important voice on Capitol Hill,” Kennard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
