ATLANTA — Voters in the Lawrenceville area will fill an empty seat in the Georgia House of Representatives Tuesday, in the first of several elections to address recent vacancies in the General Assembly.
The election to replace Shelly Hutchinson, the Democratic state representative from Snellville who resigned in September, features three candidates.
Two are Democrats: Muhammad Akbar Ali, a graphic designer from Lawrenceville; and Marqus A. Cole, an attorney from Snellville.
Jamie Parker, a realtor in Gwinnett County, is the only Republican in the contest.
Ali raised more than $40,000 for his campaign, according to a report filed with the state Monday. That far surpassed the $5,300 Parker reported raising in a filing Monday. Cole reported in September that his campaign had brought in $4,200, all from himself. That was the most recent report available from him.
Ali’s donors included several Democrats in office, including U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson. The minority leader in the state House, Rep. Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, also gave him money, along with a couple other state lawmakers in Gwinnett County.
Hutchinson, who previously held the seat, also gave Ali money from her own campaign funds.
Two weeks later, voters in west Atlanta and Smyrna will pick a successor for former state Sen. Jason Esteves, who resigned last month to run for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Four Democrats, one Republican and an independent are competing in that Nov. 18 special election.
Some of the Democrats have held office before. Roger Bruce is a former state representative, and Dr. Jaha V. Howard, a dentist, served on the Cobb County school board.
A campaign finance report was available for only one of the candidates. Republican Joshua Tolbert reported raising more than $13,000, nearly all from $3,300 donations by three entrepreneurs in Alabama and Florida.
Also in the race are independent Corenza Morris and Democrats Erica Denise Solomon and John Daryl Williams.
Three weeks after that election, voters in Cherokee County will select a successor for Mandi Ballinger, a Canton Republican who died earlier this month.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Tuesday afternoon that the special election to fill her vacant seat in the House will be held Dec. 9.
Not yet scheduled is the election to select a successor for Rep. Marcus Wiedower, R-Watkinsville, who announced his resignationTuesday morning.