Overview and Live Results: January 31 Legislative Special Elections

This Tuesday, we're tracking six legislative special elections, including two runoffs. Four of these are in Georgia, with one each in Mississippi and Pennsylvania.

Georgia

Polls close at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. 

State Senate District 11

Republicans hold a 32-23 majority over Democrats in the Georgia State Senate. Members serve two-year terms, with the next regular elections in 2024.

There is one vacancy, in District 11, located in the southwest corner of the state. Republican Dean Burke resigned in December, weeks after winning a 6th term in office. He had never faced a general election opponent. 

Three candidates qualified for the special election, representing the Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian parties. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will meet in a February 28 runoff.

State House (Multiple)

Republicans hold a 98-78 edge over Democrats in the Georgia State House. There are four vacancies, three of which will be contested Tuesday. A fourth seat opened up last week, when District 75 state Rep. Mike Glanton (D) resigned. A special election for that seat will be held on March 21. 

District 7 (Runoff): This is a top-two runoff from the January 3 special election to fill the seat previously held by long-time House Speaker, David Ralston (R), who died in November. Advancing were Ralston's widow, Sheree (45% of the vote) and businessman Johnny Chastain (39%). 

District 119: Six Republicans and one Democrat are on the ballot to fill the vacancy created when Republican Danny Rampey resigned shortly after being sworn in earlier this month. Rampey had just been elected in November, but was subsequently arrested on charges of stealing prescription narcotics.

If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, a top-two runoff will be held on February 28.

District 172: Republican Sam Watson resigned in December to seek the vacancy in State Senate District 11. That election is also Tuesday; scroll up for results. 

Watson has been unopposed for each election since he first ran in 2012. Continuing that trend, Colquitt County Administrator Charles Cannon (R) is the only candidate on the ballot to succeed him.

Mississippi

Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

State House District 23 (runoff)

This runoff will fill the only vacancy in the Republican-dominated Mississippi State House. The party holds 76 seats, Democrats control 42, and there are three independents. Members serve four-year terms, with all seats up this November.

None of the three candidates in the January 10 special election received a majority of the vote, necessitating the runoff. Andrew Stepp (48% of the vote) and Perry Van Bailey (38% advanced). 

Special elections in Mississippi are nonpartisan.

Pennsylvania

Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

State Senate District 27

Republicans hold a 27-22 edge over Democrats in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Members serve four-year terms, with the next regular elections in 2024.

District 27 is in the east central part of the state. Republican John Gordner resigned at the end of November, 2022. He had served in the State Senate since 2003. Gordner won his final term by a 72% to 28% margin over a Democratic challenger in 2020.

The nominees are Republican Lynda Schlegel Culver and Democrat Patricia Lawson.

For those interested in Pennsylvania politics, next Tuesday will bring three special elections in the State House. These are notable because Democrats gained ten seats in the 2022 elections, giving the party a narrow 102-101 partisan edge. However, all three Pittsburgh-area seats were previously held by Democrats, so the vacancies gave the GOP a temporary 101-99 margin, complicating the organizational efforts in the Chamber earlier this month.

Upcoming Special Elections

• February 7
  • Pennsylvania State House Districts 32, 34, 35
• February 18
  • Louisiana State House District 93 (Primary)
• February 21
  • Virginia U.S. House District 4
  • Kentucky State Senate District 19
  • New Hampshire State House District Strafford 8
  • Wisconsin State Senate District 8 (Primary)
• February 28
  • Connecticut State House Districts 6, 100, 148
• March 7
  • Florida State House District 24 (Primary)

Upcoming Mayoral Elections

• February 21
  • Madison, Wisconsin (Primary)
• February 28
  • Chicago, Illinois
    • April 4 runoff if no candidate gets a majority
• March 7
  • Tampa, Florida
    • April 25 runoff if no candidate gets a majority

We'll also have results for the Wisconsin Supreme Court nonpartisan primary on February 21.