GOP Members Pick Ralston For 2 More Years Atop Georgia House

Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston has held the position for 10 years.

John Amis / Associated Press

Republicans chose David Ralston to return as speaker of the Georgia House for another two years Monday, supporting his leadership after the GOP retained a majority in last week’s election.

Ralston has already been speaker for 10 years, and the support of Republicans is likely to guarantee him election when the General Assembly convenes in January. The Blue Ridge Republican is already Georgia’s longest-serving House speaker since Tom Murphy’s four-decade reign.

The GOP won or leads in 103 races, down from 105 of the 180 in the last term. Democrats had hoped to gain a majority after picking up many seats in 2018, but fell far short. Democrats won or lead in 77 districts.