New district for Fayetteville, NE Fayette Co. will have open seat up for grabs
Fayette County would still be split up into five different state house districts if a new map released Friday is adopted by the full legislature.
If adopted, the maps would present a significant shakeup among the ranks, as Fayette would say goodbye to the 74th and 77th state house districts represented by Democrat Reps. Roberta Abdul Salaam and Darryl Jordan, whose districts were completely removed from Fayette County. A third Democrat, Rep. Virgil Fludd, will see his district remain unchanged in Fayette County, save for the loss of his only precinct in Peachtree City.
The new map creates an open district, the 63rd, which would have no incumbent, leaving a wide political opening to be filled. The new 63rd district encompasses the unincorporated Fayette area north and east of Fayetteville, along with nearly all of Fayetteville. The remainder of the district snakes northward in a sliver of unincorporated south Fulton County that runs up to College Park, and also to the southwest into the southern tip of Clayton County that rests between the Fayette and Henry county lines.
Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, thinks there’s a possibility that the 63rd district could be won by a Fayette resident.
In another change on the map’s first draft, the 71st district held by Republican Rep. Billy Horne of Newnan would pick up a small portion of Peachtree City in the Wilksmoor Village area north of Ga. Highway 54 and west of Ga. Highway 74. The remainder of the district encompasses nearly the entire eastern portion of Coweta County including Sharpsburg and part of Newnan.
Under the new map, Fayette will keep the 72nd district currently held by Republican Rep. Matt Ramsey, which will lose the south side of Fayetteville and a tiny portion of the unincorporated county southeast of Fayetteville. In exchange, the 72nd will extend into the southern tip of Fayette County and Brooks, along with a chunk of southeast Coweta county including all of Senoia and Haralson.
Likewise, Fayette will keep the 73rd district currently held by Rep. John Yates, which will lose the southern tip of Fayette County and Brooks but will maintain nearly the entire unincorporated area southeast of Fayetteville including Woolsey.
Not much would change under the new map on the Senate side of things for Fayette County, as Tyrone Sen. Ronnie Chance’s 16th district will lose the Sandy Creek precinct in northwestern Fayette to fellow Sen. Valencia Seay of Riverdale and her 34th district. In exchange the 16th picks up the Spring Hill precinct in south Fayetteville.
