Former Johns Creek City Council Member To Run For State House

JOHNS CREEK, GA -- A former Johns Creek City Council member is launching another campaign to represent Georgia House District 50 constituents in the Georgia General Assembly. Kelly Stewart has announced that she will enter the race for the seat as a Republican.

The seat is currently held by State Rep. Brad Raffensperger, who announced earlier this year that he will run for Georgia secretary of state in 2018.

“I have been proud to serve the citizens of Johns Creek since they first elected me to the City Council in 2010,” Stewart said Tuesday in a statement on her Facebook page. “I am excited about the opportunity to run for this seat and to continue to work for them as their conservative voice of change in Atlanta.”

Stewart was among five candidates who qualified to run in the 2015 special election to fill the state house seat after Lynne Riley resigned to serve as the state's revenue commissioner. Both Stewart and Raffensperger, also a former Johns Creek City Council member, advanced to the runoff. The race between the two former colleagues turned nasty, as both sides traded jabs over the other's qualifications. Raffensperger eventually won the race with 53 percent of the vote.

Stewart touts herself as a lifelong conservative who "believes in limited government and responsibility." She also said she will bring strong leadership, fiscal responsibility and an ability to build broad coalitions to work through complex issues to the state house.

Stewart was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the Board of Directors for the Department of Juvenile Justice. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Municipal Association. She has a wide range experience, including working in the U.S. House of Representatives, the University System of Georgia and in county government. She also serves as Georgia state director for Christians United for Israel.

Stewart received her master’s degree in city planning from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Brenau University. She and her husband, Tom, are active members of First Baptist Church Atlanta.

Image via Kelly Stewart