Georgia braces for 'wave' of special elections following legislative resignations

Resignations over fraud charge, others lead to wave of special elections

Georgia is facing a wave of special elections as a series of legislative resignations—including the recent departure of state Rep. Karen Bennett under federal indictment—leave several seats vacant ahead of the 2026 midterms.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Georgia is facing a wave of special elections as a series of legislative resignations—including the recent departure of state Rep. Karen Bennett under federal indictment—leave several seats vacant ahead of the 2026 midterms.

What we know:

As of Tuesday, five special elections are either underway or awaiting a formal call from Gov. Brian Kemp.

The latest vacancy follows the Monday resignation of Rep. Karen Bennett, D-Stone Mountain. Bennett resigned after a federal grand jury indicted her on fraud charges, alleging she obtained $13,940 in fraudulent pandemic unemployment benefits. The news has left DeKalb County residents searching for a new representative for District 94.

State officials say this is part of a larger trend.

What they're saying:

"We do have some offices that are going to be being qualified for relatively soon," said Blake Evans, elections director for the Georgia Secretary of State. "With many of our sitting elected officials, if they decide to run for a higher office, in many of those cases, that will then open up another seat where a writ will have to be issued and an election will have to be called to then fill that one."

Local perspective:

The most prominent vacancy remains the congressional seat formerly held by Marjorie Taylor Greene, who resigned Monday following a rift with the Trump administration. The special election to find her successor in Georgia’s 14th District is scheduled for March 10.

Other resignations across the state have been triggered by lawmakers leaving for personal reasons, residency issues, or to pursue different political offices. State Rep. Lynn Heffner, D-Augusta, also resigned Monday, citing a residency complication caused by storm damage to her home from Hurricane Helene.

What's next:

With 2026 shaping up to be a major election cycle, officials expect the number of special elections to grow as more incumbents announce their intentions for the midterms.