Race for vacant Middle Georgia senate seat ramps up

Six candidates from across the Middle Georgia region are contesting the District 18 senate seat, campaigning on issues ranging from affordability to criminal justice.

The spot opened up when former State Senator John F. Kennedy, Republican of Macon, resigned from office in December to run for lieutenant governor.

Kennedy has held the seat since 2016 and Republicans have held the office for more than two decades.

A special election will be held on Jan. 20 to fill the vacancy, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The qualifying period for candidates closed in December and early voting has already begun.

Eugene Allison

Republican Eugene Allison wants to pass harsher punishments for sex offenders, stalkers and perpetrators of domestic violence. Allison pointed to the one-year sentence for second-time domestic violence offenders, saying it needs to be “overhauled.”

Allison, a retired factory worker from Thomaston, said he learned more about the issue from his girlfriend, who endured domestic violence in the past.

“I decided to fight for her and other people who have been going through domestic violence,” he said.

Allison also said he is against data centers, wants to increase security in schools and wants to help locals find relief from property taxes.

“I’m a Republican, protecting the United States Constitution,” he added.

Eric Wilson

Former Forsyth Mayor Eric Wilson is prioritizing affordability in his campaign. He wants to use the state’s $9 billion surplus to bring tax rebates to Georgia families. 

He’s also looking to continue efforts like tort reform to make a “meaningful difference” in insurance rates.

Wilson also endorsed Mayor Lester Miller’s property tax relief referendum for seniors. 

“We gotta do something about these out of control property taxes and jump year over year in millage rates and make it more friendly for tax payers,” he said.

Wilson has served as Forsyth’s mayor for the past 10 years. He started campaigning in July and resigned from his longtime post at the start of the year. 

Steven McNeel

Republican Steven McNeel is an attorney specializing in injury law for the Macon firm Buzzell, Welsh & Hill. He has never run for office before.

“I like being the political outsider,” McNeel said. “I don’t have ties to established, big government like some of my opponents.” 

As a farmer and small business owner, McNeel wants to reform individual income taxes and property taxes. He said he’s seen first hand the high costs of running a farm.

He also supports property tax reforms for senior citizens and wants to “look out for government overreach” and excessive regulations on businesses.

Nathan Warnock

Nathan Warnock, a veteran and Macon-based mortgage lender, is running for the Senate seat as a Republican.

Warnock ran for a Gwinnett County senate seat in 2002, amassing a few hundred votes but ultimately losing to former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer.

He said he’s paying for his campaign out of his own pocket and won’t be accepting contributions so he can prioritize his district’s interests.

Warnock wants to exempt veterans and seniors from property and school taxes. He also wants to provide more opportunities for youth and introduce legislation to impose harsher penalties on businesses that sell alcohol and tobacco to minors.

Warnock said the bill is rooted in the crash last summer on Zebulon Road that he said was caused by drinking and driving.

“We need to find these stores that are selling these stuff to kids,” he said. “I want to increase the penalty for the first time you’re caught [selling to minors]. You automatically lose your licenses for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years.”

LeMario Brown

LeMario Brown is the sole Democrat running for the Senate seat. The Middle Georgia native served as a city council member and mayor pro-tem in Fort Valley for about six years. 

“I’m no stranger to the grassroots and politics and setting policies,” he said.

He’s also running on the promise of affordability, wanting to address rising costs in housing, insurance and healthcare.

He said wages are not keeping up with these expenses and he wants to find the “low-hanging fruit” that will make things more affordable and protect economic development.

“My goal is to get with those Republicans and Democrats and figure out how we can figure out common sense legislation that works for everyone,” he said.

Lauren Daniel

Former Georgia House representative Lauren Daniel is hoping to join the Senate after serving Henry County residents from 2023 to 2025.

During her time as a House representative, Daniel, a pro-life advocate, introduced bills to form a maternal health commission. She also passed Addy’s Law, which imposes harsher penalties for passing stopped school buses and requires safety features on buses.

Daniel said she wants to cap property taxes, uphold public safety and increase literacy rates. She also said she’s worked on passing legislation to curtail school zone speeding cameras.

“I’m the only one in the race who has ever served,” she said. “I know how to pass a bill, it’s the single most important thing in the legislature.”