MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — House District 149 will welcome new representation beginning in 2025.
The district covers East Macon along with parties of Baldwin and Jones County. The general assembly formed the district last year by redrawing state legislative maps to add majority minority voting districts in Central Georgia. This election cycle, Democrat Floyd Griffin defeated Republican Ken Vance.
Griffin said he's no political newcomer, adding he stepped away from his political career after serving as Milledgeville's first Black mayor from 2001 to 2005. During his retirement he helped run his family's funeral business and has stayed involved on university boards.
"I kept myself busy and did some traveling but the pandemic came along and that kind of cut back on some of the traveling, but I stayed active," Griffin said.
Prior to his mayoral run, Griffin served a term in the Georgia senate in the late 90's and before that, spent time serving in the military. He says he didn't think twice about campaigning for House District 149 Representative.
"From my military experience, studying tactics and strategy, that's why I put a strategic plan together and followed that and fine tuned it whenever I needed to," Griffin said.
Despite a lot of chatter this year about politicians and age, Griffin said his age is truly just a number and feels more than confident he cant get the job done for his constituents, adding he had a personal endorsement from his wife.
"I would not have gotten out in this adventure if I was not physically, mentally prepared to do this and most importantly, if my wife had said, 'No Floyd,'" Griffin said.
Though he won't take seat until January, Griffin says he's prepared to answer folks needs; his goal is to be mobile and accessible.
"I'm gonna set up an office here in Milledgeville, which I did when I was a senator and satellite offices in Jones, and in East Macon," Griffin said.
He says if you want to meet him at a local Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, which are a couple of his favorite spots, he'll see you there. Griffin said he plans to hold town halls across the district to gauge the concerns of his constituents.