Georgia House Democrats unveiled their picks to lead the chamber after winning a majority for the first time in two decades, officially naming Rep. Carolyn Hugley as their nominee for House speaker.
Hugley, who has represented Columbus in the legislature since 1992, will become the first Black woman to serve as House Speaker in Georgia if she is elected by the full House in the legislative session that starts in January. She would take the gavel from House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican who has presided over the chamber since 2023.
The Democrats made their leadership choices for the next legislative session Thursday.
The speaker is one of the most powerful elected officials in Georgia and wields influence over the entire legislative process, appointing leaders to committees and deciding which bills make it to the floor for a vote.
Rep. Billy Mitchell from Stone Mountain, who was first elected in 2002, is also poised to become the chamber’s second-in-command as the House Democrats’ nominee for speaker pro tempore. Mitchell would succeed Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, a Milton Republican who did not seek another term.