Democratic state Reps. Doug Stoner and Gregg Kennard announced Tuesday that they won’t seek reelection to the Georgia House after Republicans drew them into the same districts as fellow Democrats.
Stoner, who represents the Smyrna area, and Kennard, whose district is near Lawrenceville, decided against running after a federal judge last week upheld Republican legislators’ redistricting of the Georgia General Assembly and Congress.
Stoner and Kennard were among eight state representatives paired in districts during a court-ordered redistricting of Georgia. Six of the representatives forced into competition with their colleagues are Democrats, and two are Republicans.
Stoner said he would make way for his Democratic colleague, state Rep. Teri Anulewicz.
“It has been an incredible honor to serve the people of House District 40,” Stoner said. “I have known Rep. Anulewicz for over 20 years, as we have served together in the Legislature and on the Smyrna City Council. She will serve my former constituents in the new House District 42 well.”
Kennard said he was “deeply disappointed” that Georgia’s new political map would have forced him into competition with Minority Whip Sam Park, a Democrat from Lawrenceville.
“Whip Park has been a really good friend and shepherded me though the legislative process. He was the first person I spoke to back in 2017 when I was considering running,” Kennard said. “He’s a really important voice down at the Capitol, so my heart would not be in a race opposing him.”
Rebecca Wright for the AJC
Rebecca Wright for the AJC
Anulewicz praised Stoner for his service as a “relentless advocate” in the state Senate from 2005 to 2013 and the state House since last year.
Bob Andres/AJC
Bob Andres/AJC
“I look forward to continued collaboration with Rep. Stoner on behalf of Cobb County through 2024,” Anulewicz said. “I look forward to strengthening my relationship with the residents, businesses and other community stakeholders that are joining House District 42.”
Stoner and Kennard plan to complete their two-year terms, which last until January 2025.
Stoner has been here before. He was previously a victim of redistricting when he served in the Georgia Senate. Republicans redrew his district to make it much more competitive for GOP candidates, and Stoner, running in the new district, lost his re-election bid in the 2012 election.
Georgia’s political maps had to be redrawn because of U.S. District Judge Steve Jones’ ruling in October that the state’s districts illegally weakened Black voting strength during the first round of redistricting in 2021.
Jones ordered five additional majority-Black districts in the state House, along with two more Black districts in the Senate and one more in the U.S. House. Jones, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, decided last week that the Republican-controlled General Assembly’s latest redistricting “fully complied” with his order.
The other four representatives who were paired together are Democrats Saira Draper and Becky Evans of Atlanta, and Republicans Beth Camp of Concord and David Knight of Griffin.
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