An “I'm a Georgia Voter” sticker featuring the iconic peach imagery sits on a voter's sweater. Georgia residents turned out to the polls in record numbers for the 2022 midterms, especially in early voting before Election Day. Georgia State Sen. John F. Kennedy announced his resignation from the state legislature to run for lieutenant governor of Georgia on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, launching a special election to fill his vacant District 18 seat. Kennedy, who graduated from Mercer with a bachelor’s degree in 1987 and earned his juris doctor from Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law, served in the General Assembly as a senator since 2014. The district includes parts of west Bibb county and all of Crawford, Houston, Monroe, Peach and Upson county. Kennedy joined the lieutenant governor race in early June , but state law prohibits senators from holding multiple state offices at the same time. Six candidates are currently running to fill his seat, including five Republicans and one Democrat. Among them are former Republican state Rep. Lauren Daniel, former Forsyth mayor Eric Wilson and the lone Democrat, Fort Valley Mayor pro tempore LeMario Brown. Turnout for the election, a
