Georgia State Senate

The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral legislature of the state. Together, the Senate and the House maintain authority under Article III. of the 1983 Constitution of Georgia to enact laws "necessary and proper for the welfare of the state", although state law is subordinate to the state constitution, the United States Constitution, and federal law.

Georgia State Senate
Georgia General Assembly
Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 11, 2021
Leadership
President	Burt Jones (R) since January 9, 2023
President Pro Tempore	John F. Kennedy (R) since January 9, 2023
Majority Leader	Steve Gooch (R) since January 9, 2023
Minority Leader	Gloria Butler (D) since January 11, 2021
Structure
Seats	56
Political groups	Majority   Republican (33) Minority   Democratic (23)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	Article III, Georgia Constitution
Salary	$17,342/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 8, 2022 (56 seats)
Next election	November 5, 2024 (56 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber Georgia Capitol Atlanta, Georgia
Website
Georgia Senate

Like most upper houses in the United States, the Senate has the exclusive power to confirm various appointments made by the Governor of Georgia, and to try cases of impeachment brought by the House. The Senate is often considered a springboard for those ultimately seeking higher office; all of the state's most recent governors have served in the State Senate.

Legal provisions

The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia House of Representatives. Both bodies are constitutionally required to convene annually at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. The General Assembly begins each yearly session on the second Monday in January. From that date of convention, sessions last for 40 legislative days.

The General Assembly may call for special sessions by a three-fifths vote of the members in each chamber. Special sessions in Georgia may span a maximum of 40 days.

Membership requirements

The Georgia State Senate consists of 56 members, each representing a single-member legislative district of equal size with the others. State senators serve a term length of two years, with elections being held in even-numbered years. Senators officially assume their positions on the second Monday in January following their election.

To serve in the Senate, an individual must have attained the age of 25. The person must also be a qualified voter who has resided in the state of Georgia for at least two years. Unlike most states, senators are not required to have lived in their districts for a specific period of time before running.

Leadership

The formal President of the State Senate is the Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, who is elected statewide every four years. Other important figures in the Senate include the President pro tempore (who is elected by all members of the Senate), as well as the Majority Leader, Majority Whip, and Majority Caucus Chair (each of whom are elected by the majority of what is currently the Republican caucus).

The minority party is headed by the Minority Leader, who is elected by the minority party caucus.

Compensation

The current salary for state senators is $17,342. The Majority Leader and Minority Leader earn an additional $400 per month.

Officers

The presiding officer of the Senate is the president of the Senate. A president pro tempore, usually a high-ranking member of the majority party, acts as president in case of the temporary disability of the president. In case of the death, resignation, or permanent disability of the President or in the event of the succession of the president to the executive power, the President pro tempore becomes President. The Senate also has as an officer, the secretary of the Senate.

As of January 2023^[update], the majority and minority leadership is as follows:

Office	Officeholder	Party
Lt. Governor and senate president	Burt Jones	Republican
President pro tempore	John F. Kennedy	Republican
Majority leader	Steve Gooch	Republican
Majority whip	Randy Robertson	Republican
Majority caucus chairman	Jason Anavitarte	Republican
Majority caucus vice-chairman	Matt Brass	Republican
Majority caucus treasurer	Dean Burke	Republican
Minority leader	Gloria Butler	Democratic
Minority whip	Harold V. Jones II	Democratic
Minority caucus chair	Elena Parent	Democratic
Minority caucus vice-chair	Sonya Halpern	Democratic
Minority caucus vice-chair of fundraising and campaigns	David Lucas	Democratic
Minority caucus secretary	Nan Orrock	Democratic

List of committees

Administrative Affairs Agriculture and Consumer Affairs (Chair, Russ Goodman) Appropriations (Chair, Blake Tillery) Assignments Banking and Financial Institutions (Chair, Carden Summers) Children and Families (Chair, Kay Kirkpatrick) Economic Development and Tourism (Chair, Brandon Beach) Education and Youth (Chair, Clint Dixon) Ethics (Chair, Max Burns) Finance Government Oversight Health and Human Services Higher Education (Chair, Billy Hickman) Insurance and Labor (Chair, Larry Walker III) Interstate Cooperation (Chair, Colton Moore)

Judiciary MARTOC Natural Resources and the Environment (Chair, Lee Anderson) Public Safety Reapportionment and Redistricting (Chair, Shelly Echols) Regulated Industries and Utilities Retirement (Chair, Rick Williams) Rules (Chair, Matt Brass) Science and Technology (Chair, Chuck Payne) Special Judiciary State and Local Governmental Operations (Chair, Frank Ginn) State Institutions and Property Transportation (Chair, Greg Dolezal) Urban Affairs (Chair, Donzella James) Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security (Chair, Mike Dugan)

Composition

Map of current partisan composition of legislative districts for the State Senate:

  Democratic senator

  Republican senator

According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years.

Senators must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Georgia for two years and their senatorial district for one year (preceding the election). The highest position in the Senate is the President of the Senate, a position currently held by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. The second-highest position is president pro tempore, currently held by Senator Butch Miller.

↓
33		23
Republican		Democratic

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Republican	Democratic		Vacant
End of 155th Assembly	35	21	56	0
End of 156th Assembly	34	22	56	0
Beginning of 157th Assembly	33	23	56	0
Latest voting share	59%	41%

Past composition of the Senate

List of current senators

As of February 2023^[update], the Georgia State Senate is composed of 56 members:

District	Senator	Party	Since	Residence	Counties represented
1	Ben Watson	Republican	2015	Savannah	Bryan, Chatham, Liberty
2	Derek Mallow	Democratic	2023	Savannah	Chatham
3	Mike Hodges	Republican	2023	Brunswick	Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, McIntosh
4	Billy Hickman	Republican	2020	Statesboro	Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Tattnall
5	Sheikh Rahman	Democratic	2019	Lawrenceville	Gwinnett
6	Jason Esteves	Democratic	2023	Atlanta	Cobb, Fulton
7	Nabilah Islam	Democratic	2023	Lawrenceville	Gwinnett
8	Russ Goodman	Republican	2021	Cogdell	Brooks, Clinch, Cook, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, Thomas
9	Nikki Merritt	Democratic	2021	Grayson	Gwinnett
10	Emanuel Jones	Democratic	2005	Ellenwood	DeKalb, Henry
11	Sam Watson	Republican	2023	Moultrie	Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Thomas
12	Freddie Sims	Democratic	2009	Dawson	Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Dougherty, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Webster
13	Carden Summers	Republican	2020	Cordele	Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Lee, Sumter, Tift, Turner, Wilcox, Worth
14	Josh McLaurin	Democratic	2023	Sandy Springs	Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb
15	Ed Harbison	Democratic	1993	Columbus	Chattahoochee, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Schley, Talbot, Taylor
16	Marty Harbin	Republican	2015	Tyrone	Fayette, Lamar, Pike, Spalding
17	Brian Strickland	Republican	2018	McDonough	Henry, Newton, Rockdale
18	John F. Kennedy	Republican	2015	Macon	Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Monroe, Peach, Upson
19	Blake Tillery	Republican	2017	Vidalia	Appling, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler
20	Larry Walker III	Republican	2015	Kathleen	Bleckley, Houston, Laurens, Peach, Pulaski
21	Brandon Beach	Republican	2013	Alpharetta	Cherokee, Fulton
22	Harold V. Jones II	Democratic	2015	Augusta	McDuffie, Richmond
23	Max Burns	Republican	2021	Sylvania	Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Warren
24	Lee Anderson	Republican	2017	Grovetown	Columbia, Elbert, Hart, Lincoln, Oglethorpe, Richmond, Taliaferro, Wilkes
25	Rick Williams	Republican	2023	Milledgeville	Baldwin, Bibb, Butts, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Morgan, Putnam, Walton
26	David Lucas	Democratic	2013	Macon	Baldwin, Bibb, Hancock, Houston, Jones, Twiggs, Washington, Wilkinson
27	Greg Dolezal	Republican	2019	Cumming	Forsyth
28	Matt Brass	Republican	2017	Newnan	Carroll, Coweta, Fulton, Heard, Troup
29	Randy Robertson	Republican	2019	Cataula	Harris, Meriwether, Muscogee, Troup
30	Tim Bearden	Republican	2024	Carrollton	Carroll, Douglas, Paulding
31	Jason Anavitarte	Republican	2021	Dallas	Haralson, Paulding, Polk
32	Kay Kirkpatrick	Republican	2017	Marietta	Cobb, Fulton
33	Michael Rhett	Democratic	2015	Marietta	Cobb
34	Valencia Seay	Democratic	2003	Riverdale	Clayton, Fayette
35	Donzella James	Democratic	2009	College Park	Douglas, Fulton
36	Nan Orrock	Democratic	2007	Atlanta	Fulton
37	Ed Setzler	Republican	2023	Acworth	Cobb
38	Horacena Tate	Democratic	1999	Atlanta	Cobb, Fulton
39	Sonya Halpern	Democratic	2021	Atlanta	Fulton
40	Sally Harrell	Democratic	2019	Chamblee	DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett
41	Kim Jackson	Democratic	2021	Stone Mountain	DeKalb, Gwinnett
42	Elena Parent	Democratic	2015	Atlanta	DeKalb
43	Tonya Anderson	Democratic	2017	Lithonia	DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale
44	Gail Davenport	Democratic	2011	Jonesboro	Clayton, DeKalb
45	Clint Dixon	Republican	2021	Buford	Gwinnett
46	Bill Cowsert	Republican	2007	Athens	Clarke, Oconee, Walton
47	Frank Ginn	Republican	2011	Royston	Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison
48	Shawn Still	Republican	2023	Norcross	Fulton, Gwinnett
49	Shelly Echols	Republican	2023	Alto	Hall
50	Bo Hatchett	Republican	2021	Cornelia	Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Jackson, Rabun, Stephens, Towns
51	Steve Gooch	Republican	2011	Dahlonega	Dawson, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Pickens, Union, White
52	Chuck Hufstetler	Republican	2013	Rome	Bartow, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon
53	Colton Moore	Republican	2023	Trenton	Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Walker
54	Chuck Payne	Republican	2017	Dalton	Gordon, Murray, Pickens, Whitfield
55	Gloria Butler	Democratic	1999	Stone Mountain	DeKalb, Gwinnett
56	John Albers	Republican	2011	Roswell	Cherokee, Fulton

See also

• Georgia General Assembly
• Georgia House of Representatives
• List of former members of the Georgia State Senate
• Recent terms of the General Assembly:
  • 157th Georgia General Assembly (2023–2024)
  • 156th Georgia General Assembly (2021–2023)
  • 155th Georgia General Assembly (2019–2021)
  • 154th Georgia General Assembly (2017–2018)
  • 153rd Georgia General Assembly (2015–2016)
• List of Georgia state legislatures

References

1. The Book of the States (53 ed.). The Council of State Governments. January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
2. Salzer, James. "Georgia Senate rejects big pay raise for the General Assembly, state officials". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
3. Prabhu, Maya T. (January 12, 2023). "Lt. Gov. Burt Jones assigns Senate committee chairs". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
4. "Senator John F. Kennedy Elected President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate". Middle Georgia CEO. January 11, 2023.
5. Prabhu, Maya T. (November 11, 2022). "Georgia Senate Republicans elect new leadership". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
6. Williams, Dave (November 28, 2022). "Georgia Senate Democrats reelect Gloria Butler minority leader". Capitol Beat.
7. "Ethics Committee". Retrieved January 13, 2023.
8. "Senators (2023-24 Regular Session)". Georgia State Senate. Retrieved January 21, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Georgia State Senate at Ballotpedia