Voters in Chattooga County will be asked to return to the polls on April 7, 2026 to vote in two runoff elections. The runoffs were a result of no candidate getting more than 50% of the vote in the Special Election for the Georgia 53rd Senate District and the 14th U.S. Congressional District races.
An update has been released on the health and campaign status of Republican State Senate candidate and former Trion Mayor Lanny Thomas following a recent medical emergency.
Democratic State Senate District 53 candidate Jack Zibluk has announced he is suspending campaign activities following the recent medical emergency involving his opponent, Republican candidate Lanny Thomas.
Lanny Thomas, Republican candidate for Georgia State Senate District 53 and former mayor of the Town of Trion, has undergone emergency surgery after what his family described as a sudden and unexpected medical emergency. He is currently recovering in the hospital.
A statement released by the Thomas family says prayers and well wishes are appreciated as he continues his recovery. Before surgery, Thomas spoke with his family and expressed his determination to return to the campaign as soon as possible.
The statement says he remains committed to serving Northwest Georgia and providing honest and effective representation. Updates on his condition are expected to be shared as they become available.
Thomas, along with Democrat Jack Zibluck are on the ballot in a runoff election for State Senate District 53 on April 7.
Voters in the 53rd Georgia State Senate District and the 14th U.S. Congressional District will return to the polls for a runoff election that will be held on April 7th.
Former Trion Mayor Lanny Thomas, a Republican, and John Bentley “Jack” Zibluk, a Democrat, are headed to an April 7 runoff election in the race for Georgia State Senate District 53 after no candidate won a majority in Tuesday’s special election.
Voters across Northwest Georgia can begin casting ballots today in a special election to fill the vacant Georgia State Senate District 53 seat following the resignation of Colton Moore, who stepped down to run for U.S. Congress after the vacancy created by former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation.
The Chattooga County Republican Party will hold its January meeting Tuesday, January 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Jefferson’s Restaurant, 10096 Commerce Street, in Summerville.
Northwest Georgia’s political landscape is shifting as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene prepares to step down from her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Greene announced she will resign effective January 5, 2026, a move that will trigger a special election to fill the remainder of her term.
Trion Mayor Lanny Thomas used a Thanksgiving message to the community to announce that he will be running for the Georgia State Senate in District 53. In a video released Thursday, Thomas shared holiday greetings alongside family and friends before revealing that his time as mayor is nearing an end and that he is preparing for the next step in public service.













