With the news that Governor Brian Kemp will be appointing Chris Arnt to the Lookout Mountain Superior Court, there will now be an opening for the governor to appoint a new district attorney for the circuit.

Arnt has served as district attorney since the retirement of Herbert “Buzz” Franklin. He was appointed to that position by the governor and then ran for a full term in 2020. Georgia law allows the governor to fill unexpired terms of district attorneys or judges when there is a vacancy before their term is over.

Voters in the four-county area will be able to vote on the district attorney’s position in the 2024 election. In the meantime, the governor will accept names of candidates for appointment to fill the position. Arnt will be taking the place of Judge Ralph VanPelt who announced his retirement last year before the end of his term.