Sen. Harold Jones II was selected Friday to lead Georgia’s Senate Democratic caucus, promising to be aggressive in pushing policy goals despite Republicans maintaining a substantial majority in the chamber.
“We’re going to make sure we talk about working families in Georgia, those kitchen table issues that the Democratic Party is known for,” Jones said after he was selected at a Democratic retreat in Savannah.
The results of the November election meant that the state Senate will remain at 33 Republicans and 23 Democrats, after all incumbents won second terms . It was the first election after GOP mapmakers redrew Georgia’s 56 state Senate districts, resulting in little meaningful partisan competition for those offices.
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Although Republican president-elect Donald Trump won the state, Jones said Georgia is still a swing state where Democrats hold influence. He noted that Medicaid expansion advanced in the Senate last year and promised that Democrats would continue to propel it forward.