The District 37 Georgia House seat that includes portions of Northeast Cobb will feature a three-term incumbent against a first-time candidate.
Republican State Rep. Sam Teasley did not have primary opposition in May. Mary Frances Williams won a three-way Democratic primary without a runoff.
He is a realtor and the vice chairman of the House Republican Caucus. She is a social worker and lobbyist, and the daughter of the late Marietta mayor and state representative Howard Atherton.
District 37 also includes portions of the city of the Marietta and West Cobb.
Candidate websites
Sam Teasley | Mary Frances Williams | District 37 map
Teasley has advocated conservative positions on fiscal and cultural issues during his time in the legislature.
He is the sponsor of the Direct Primary Care Act, which he says will expand “healthcare freedom” for families by declaring that direct care agreements are not considered insurance.
Teasley also voted this year to reduce corporate and individual income tax rates and supports a state constitutional amendment that would require a super-majority vote in the legislature for any tax increase.
He also has been a sponsor of legislation to raise the cap on state tax credits for private schools.
He has been endorsed by the Family Policy Alliance, which is a public policy arm of the conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family.
Williams has been an advocate for full funding of Quality Basic Education in Georgia. Her top priority is working for better access to health care. As a lobbyist she advocated for the Family Care Act, which became law last year. It allows for employees to use sick leave to care for ailing family members.
On transit matters, she favors what she calls a “a proactive statewide transportation policy” that includes Cobb County.
Williams said she is running now, after working as a lobbyist for 30 years at the State Capitol, because “I’ve become increasingly frustrated by the lack of movement on issues that matter.”
She has received endorsements and backing from the AFL-CIO, Georgia Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Southeast and Georgia WINS, which supports Democratic candidates.
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