State Rep. Tish Naghise, a first-term Democrat from Fayetteville, has died at age 59, Georgia House Democrats said.
Naghise, a regional field director for the Democratic Party of Georgia and delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2020, had won election last fall with 63% of the vote.
She died after a recent illness, but further information wasn’t immediately available Wednesday.
“She made an impact from day one at the Capitol, showing up with enthusiasm and grace,” said Minority Leader James Beverly, a Democrat from Macon. “She was deeply passionate about fighting for the greater good, which led her to a lifetime of public service and organizing. It breaks my heart to share this unfortunate news.”
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who met Naghise when she worked for his 2017 U.S. House campaign, said he was “shocked and saddened” by her death.
“I always knew Tish to be a kind, caring, hardworking, and committed community leader and public servant,” Ossoff said. “Alisha and I send our love and deepest condolences to Tish’s family. Georgia will miss Tish.”
Naghise was a paralegal and fraud examiner who first got involved in politics as an organizer for Democrat Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008, according to her website. She also worked for the Democratic Party of Georgia and other left-leaning organizations before running for office in 2022.
“Though her time in the Legislature was brief, we know she cared deeply for the people of Fayetteville and the surrounding area,” Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said.
Kemp will soon call a special election to represent House District 68, which includes parts of Fayette and Fulton counties. A nearby House seat in Clayton County is also vacant after Democratic state Rep. Mike Glanton stepped down citing health reasons.
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