Georgia U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson Resigning At Year's End

WASHINGTON, DC — Georgia's senior U.S. senator is resigning at the end of the year. Citing health concerns, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson made the announcement Wednesday. "After much prayer and consultation with my family and my doctors, I have made the very tough decision to leave the U.S. Senate at the end of this year. I have informed Georgia Governor Brian Kemp today that I will resign my Senate seat effective December 31, 2019," Isakson said in a statement.

"I am leaving a job I love because my health challenges are taking their toll on me, my family and my staff. My Parkinson's has been progressing, and I am continuing physical therapy to recover from a fall in July. In addition, this week I had surgery to remove a growth on my kidney."

Isakson’s Senate term ends in 2022, and there will be three years left in the term when he vacates the seat in December. Gov. Brian Kemp will appoint a replacement for Isakson, but the timing of Isakson’s retirement means voters will now have two Georgia U.S. Senate races on next year's ballot. U.S. Sen. David Perdue is also up for reelection but is facing underfunded and low-profile candidacies from former Columbus, Georgia, mayor Teresa Tomlinson; Clarkston, Georgia, Mayor Ted Terry; and Sarah Riggs Amico, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor last year.

Isakson's retirement could have opened the door for a Stacey Abrams campaign. Abrams was widely considered as a challenger to Perdue after her nationally recognized campaign for governor last year, in which she lost to Kemp. Since then, Abrams has continued to raise funds and a national profile as a voting rights advocate. However, on Wednesday, an Abrams spokesperson said she would not seek the office.

Statement from my spokesman: pic.twitter.com/0smIAb5ptA

“No one embodies the heart and soul of Georgia more than Johnny Isakson," said Kemp. "Our state and country have been immeasurably blessed by his leadership in the Georgia General Assembly, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate. His list of accomplishments on behalf of the state that he loves is long and revered, but what Georgia should be most thankful for is the high standard that Johnny held as a true gentleman, a fighter for his constituents, a trusted advocate for our nation’s veterans, and one of the greatest statesmen to ever answer the call of service to our country."

Isakson, 74, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013. In July, Isakson fell in his D.C. apartment and suffered four fracture ribs and a torn rotator cuff. On Monday, Isakson underwent surgery at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta to remove a 2-centimeter renal cell carcinoma from one of his kidneys.

“In my 40 years in elected office, I have always put my constituents and my state of Georgia first," Isakson said. "With the mounting health challenges I am facing, I have concluded that I will not be able to do the job over the long term in the manner the citizens of Georgia deserve. It goes against every fiber of my being to leave in the middle of my Senate term, but I know it’s the right thing to do on behalf of my state.

“I look forward to returning to Washington on September 9 when the Senate goes back into session. And after December 31, I look forward to continuing to help the people of Georgia in any way I can and also helping those who are working toward a cure for Parkinson’s.”

Isakson spent more than 40 years in the real estate industry, and is the only Georgian ever elected to the state House, state Senate, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. In 2016 he became the first Georgia Republican ever to be elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate.

In 2016, Isakson won re-election with 54% of the vote and became the first Republican in Georgia to be elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate. After more than three decades in the real estate business, Isakson became the only elected official in Georgia to serve in the Georgia House, the Georgia Senate, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.

After much prayer and consultation with my family and doctors, I have made the very tough decision to leave the U.S. Senate at the end of 2019. It has been the honor of a lifetime serving the state of Georgia. This decision pains me greatly but I know it is the right thing to do.
— Johnny Isakson (@SenatorIsakson) August" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/SenatorIsa... 28, 2019

“The loss of Johnny Isakson from public life will leave a void in Georgia which is beyond comprehension," said Georgia House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge). "While I respect his reasons, I feel a tremendous sense of personal sadness – Johnny is a mentor, role model and friend. Over a distinguished career in the Georgia House, Georgia State Senate, State Board of Education, U.S. House and U.S. Senate, Johnny Isakson demonstrated that civility and reasonableness are virtues that will never go out of style. My family and I will continue to pray for Johnny, Dianne and the Isakson family.”