Republican JaNice Van Ness won a close Georgia Senate runoff election Tuesday night, taking control of a seat previously held by a Democrat, according to unofficial election results.

Van Ness, a former Rockdale commissioner, defeated former state Rep. Tonya Anderson, D-Lithonia.

Van Ness will represent about 172,000 residents in DeKalb, Rockdale and Newton counties.

Van Ness and Anderson were the two leading candidates among eight people on the ballot during a Nov. 3 special election to represent Senate District 43.

The Senate seat became vacant in July when Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Sen. Ronald Ramsey, D-Lithonia, to become a judge in DeKalb County State Court's Traffic Division.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC