Georgia lawmaker accuses opponent of making political threat
Rep. Noelle Kahaian (Courtesy of Rep. Noelle Kahaian Facebook page)
HENRY COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia state lawmaker contacted law enforcement after receiving what she described as an online threat directed at her family.
What we know:
Rep. Noelle Kahaian (R) and her husband filed a police report over a post that she said targeted her household.
Kahaian represents Georgia’s 81st House District, serving residents across Henry County.
Kahaian called the message "unacceptable behavior of a candidate for public office" and demanded an apology.
"Mishael White was way over the line, and he needs to issue a public apology," Kahaian wrote.
She warned that heated rhetoric fuels dangerous real-world attacks against elected leaders across Georgia.
"This election cycle we’ve had people make death threats against candidates like Mike Collins and swatting calls that endanger families and law enforcement," Kahaian said.
She added that "his post is stoking the fire of that political violence."
The other side:
White (D) said Rep. Kahaian's accusations were "shameful" and pointed to an alleged history of similar moves against past opponents.
White's full statement is below:
"The attempt by my opponent to confuse words with rhetoric is shameful.
Throughout this race, I have endured several attacks on my character, but I have not attacked my opponents character out of respect. My opponent, however, has a history of attacking the character of her opponents. The same below the belt, schoolyard tactics were used when she faced, Rep. Lauren Daniel in the 2022 Republican Primary.
That is why this will be all that you hear from my campaign regarding this issue. This is nothing more than a last ditch effort to mobilize a voting base that does not find value in her campaign. I look forward to election day when the residents of District 81 decide for themselves the kind of representative they want, and I pray that my opponent finds better ways to disagree with her fellow citizens."
The backstory:
Before taking office in the Georgia House of Representatives, Kahaian worked as a small business owner and community advocate.
Her official background states that her public service centers on faith, family, freedom and government accountability.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not named the specific law enforcement agency handling the case or confirmed whether charges have been filed.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a public statement posted by Rep. Noelle Kahaian, who detailed the police report and threat against her family, as well as official biographical information from the representative's legislative website.