Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for March 9, 2026

On March 9, 1862, CSS Virginia and USS Monitor, a Union ironclad, fought to a draw in the Chesapeake Bay.

On March 9, 1866, Governor Charles Jones Jenkins signed two pieces of legislation dealing with African-Americans, one recognized their marriages, the other legitimized children born to African-American couples prior to the act and required parents to maintain their children in the same way whites were required.

Bobby Fischer, the Eleventh World Champion of Chess, was born on March 9, 1943 and is considered by many the greatest player of all time.

Governor Ellis Arnall signed two important pieces of legislation on March 9, 1945. The first created the Georgia Ports Authority, with its first project being the expansion of the Port of Savannah. The second authorized the placement of a referendum to adopt a new state Constitution (in the form of a single Amendment to the Constitution of 1877) on the ballot in a Special Election to be held August 7, 1945.

On March 9, 1970, Governor Lester Maddox signed legislation setting the Georgia minimum wage at $1.25 per hour.

The National Archives’ “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” touches down at the Atlanta History Center later this month, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The National Archives’ “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” arrives at the Atlanta History Center on March 27 and runs through April 12.

What documents will be on display?
These are original records, most of which haven’t left D.C. in decades.

• Original Engraving of the Declaration of Independence (1823): Commissioned by John Quincy Adams
• Articles of Association (1774): The Continental Congress’s first major unified act of resistance signed by all 53 delegates
• George Washington’s Oath of Allegiance (1778): Signed at Valley Forge
• Alexander Hamilton’s Oath of Allegiance (1778): Also signed at Valley Forge
• Aaron Burr’s Oath of Allegiance (1778): Signed at Valley Forge
• Treaty of Paris (1783): Signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay
• Secret Printing of the Constitution in Draft Form (1787): With handwritten delegate notes from the Constitutional Convention
• Tally of Votes Approving the Constitution (1787)
• Senate Markup of the Bill of Rights (1789)

Where, when, and how to get tickets

The much anticipated exhibit runs March 27-April 12, and tickets are available online at the Atlanta History Center.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Tuesday is election Day in the 14th Congressional District and 53d State Senate District, according to WRGA News.

Voters are choosing a replacement for Marjorie Taylor Greene to represent the 14th Congressional District.

Voters in extreme northern Floyd County are also voting in a Special Election for the Georgia State Senate in District 53.

According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, 7,384 early ballots were cast during early voting in Floyd County.

That is a turnout of is a turnout of nearly 12 percent.

The polls are open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

WRGA will have election returns this evening as soon as they come in.

Tuesday is also Election Day in House District 94, vacated after former Rep. Karen Bennett was indicted then resigned, according to the AJC.

Four Democrats are locked in a race to fill a vacant General Assembly seat for the remainder of 2026 and the chance to immediately run for reelection as an incumbent in the district that spans parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.

Candidates Kelly Kautz, Audrey Lux, Venola Mason and Ikenna Ugwumadu are on the ballot, but it is likely the vote will head to an April 7 runoff given the number of candidates and the majority support required to win outright.

The one buzzword across all the House District 94 candidates’ campaigns is “affordability.”

Monday – March 9, 2026

TBD     Senate Rules: Upon Adj 450 CAP
9 AM   HOUSE Appropriations Subs 341 CAP
10:15 AM HOUSE APPROPS (Upon Adj Pub Safety Sub) 341 CAP
11 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP
1 PM    HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD29) House Chamber
1 PM    Senate Floor Session (LD 29) Senate Chamber
2 PM    HOUSE HEALTH 403 CAP
3 PM    Senate Finance MEZZ 1
4 PM    Senate Judiciary Sub 307 CLOB

Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #03.06.26.01, appointing a Review Commission to consider whether to recommend suspension of Hall County Sheriff Gerald Counch, who has been charged with DUI.

The State House passed House Bill 1116 by State Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire), the latest iteration of the “Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization Act of 2026,” according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

Georgia House Republicans pushed through a new proposal to address fast-rising property tax bills just ahead of the Friday deadline to move legislation between the House and Senate

House Bill 1116 has been evolving constantly, having started the year as a vehicle to eliminate property taxes.

The new version would merely aim to restrain rather than eliminate property taxes. It would cap annual increases at the greater of 3% or the rate of inflation under the federal Consumer Price Index.

Rep. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, has been re-writing the bill at a feverish pace, converting it to a measure that he said would not require a constitutional amendment. A companion measure that would have placed a referendum to change the constitution on the ballot failed on the House floor Tuesday.

Republicans characterized the new HB 1116 as a way to address runaway housing prices.

“This is a pragmatic, level-headed solution to the problem,” said Rep. Chas Cannon, R-Moultrie.

Democrats didn’t think so. The bill passed over their objections 98-68.

“All of my cities are telling me it’s going to gut their operations,” said Rep. Shea Roberts, D-Atlanta. “This is insane.”

She said it would rip more than $50 million out of the budget of Sandy Springs, reducing money available for core services like public safety. She called it a “defund the police” bill.

The measure would also allow local governments to use a penny sales tax to offset property taxes.

The State Senate passed Senate Bill 410 by State Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) to prevent utility ratepayers from covering the costs of new infrastructure for data centers, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

The Georgia Senate adopted legislation Friday that would encourage judges to think of regular people when considering disputes about contracts between electric utilities and big customers like data centers.

The legislation is aimed at shielding residential customers from Georgia Power’s costs to build new power plants, transmission lines and other infrastructure as it ramps up to feed massive amounts of power to future data centers.

Democrats rejected the measure as fake protection.

Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, characterized Senate Bill 410 as “window dressing,” since it codifies what state regulators at the Public Service Commission have already been writing into contracts, rather than demanding other protections.

Consumer advocates have been critical of the commission because it voted in December to allow Georgia Power to add 10 gigawatts of power for data centers and because it allowed six rate hikes in recent years.

Critics contended that the contract terms would leave the public on the hook for expansion costs over the next half century if data centers failed to arrive in Georgia as promised — or left early.

“The public understands what is going on here and we are giving them the middle finger,” Parent said.

Republicans heralded SB 410 as an affordability measure that would protect rate payers. It would require that contracts include terms “designed to protect residential and retail electricity customers from costs associated with serving new large load customers … .”

Sen. Matt Brass, R-Newnan, said critics of the legislation misinterpret it because of their disdain for Georgia Power, a monopoly electricity provider to a substantial proportion of the state population.

“Don’t let your hate for Georgia Power cloud your judgment on what this bill actually does,” he said on the Senate floor.

Senate Bill 568, by State Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Forsyth County), to change election procedures, failed to pass the Senate, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

Georgia senators shot down a bill Friday that would have switched the state’s voting method to paper ballots filled out by hand before this November’s elections.

The bill’s defeat sets up a scramble for Georgia lawmakers to find a way to remove computer QR codes from ballots this year, as required by a state law passed two years ago.

The Senate voted 27-21 on the bill, two votes short of the majority needed for legislation to pass in the 56-member Senate. Seven senators skipped the vote following warnings of election “chaos” if it passed.

“We’re at an impasse,” said Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania. “If we ignore it again, we’re just going to kick the can. Sooner or later, folks, you have to pay the piper, and it’s time to remove the QR codes.”

All in-person Georgia voters use touchscreens that print out paper ballots, which are then tabulated by scanning machines that read a QR code. Critics of Georgia’s voting technology say the QR codes prevent voters from being able to ensure that their ballot accurately reflects their choices.

Hand-marked ballots are the main election day voting method in two-thirds of the United States, according to the election technology organization Verified Voting.

The effort to replace Georgia’s voting equipment, purchased for over $100 million before the 2020 election, is driven by a combination of election skeptics and election security advocates.

The legislation, Senate Bill 568, also would have limited early voting locations. Currently, Georgians can vote in advance of an election at any location in their county, but the bill would have assigned voters to one site to ensure the correct ballots are pre-printed for each jurisdiction.

“It would be chaos if we were to implement it this fast,” said Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain. “This bill is too hasty, it does not protect Georgians, and it fundamentally destabilizes our electoral system.”

Because SB 568 failed before Friday’s deadline for bills to pass at least one legislative chamber, either the state Senate or House, it’s likely dead this legislative session.

But it could be revived by amending a different elections bill that has advanced. One candidate is Senate Bill 214, a measure that cleared the Senate last year that would also require almost all Georgia voters to bubble in their choices instead of using touchscreen computers.

Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, said lawmakers need to prioritize converting to hand-marked ballots now, before this year’s midterm elections.

“All we’ve heard is excuses,” Dolezal said. “Here we sit after having promised that we would do it after the last election, and it’s still not done. … I don’t think it’s ever going to be easy.”

Georgia’s primary election in May will still be held with the touchscreen voting technology, but the state law prohibiting QR-coded ballots goes into effect July 1.

Senate Bill 572 by State Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough) passed the Senate and would change the “stand your ground” criminal defense, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times.

The Georgia Senate approved a bill Friday that broadens “stand your ground” self-defense protections, a proposal that critics said would help protect defendants such as those who murdered Ahmaud Arbery.

The 30-23 vote fell along party lines, with Republicans supporting the rights of Georgians to use force when needed during confrontations.

The legislation, Senate Bill 572, would allow people to claim immunity from prosecution soon after they’re charged, and cases involving claims of self-defense would only continue if there’s clear and convincing evidence of a crime.

Democrats opposed the bill, saying it would further empower those accused of wrongdoing during shootings.

They cited the case of Arbery, a Black man who was killed while jogging in Brunswick in 2020 by three white men, one of whom was a former police officer.

“If this bill had been law, it would have made it very difficult to prosecute those who are the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery,” said state Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain.

State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, said the bill is needed to ensure that those accused of crimes are presumed innocent until found guilty.

“Those that murdered Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Even though they tried to raise this defense, the jury still said they were guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” Strickland said.

The legislation next advances to the state House.

13WMAZ covers the events of Friday, “Crossover Day” in the General Assembly.

Georgia lawmakers worked past midnight Friday, stretching Crossover Day over the deadline.

House Representatives worked until the deadline, with the Senate adjourned earlier that evening. Any proposed laws that did not move from one chamber to the other by midnight are considered dead.

House Approvals and Failures

With less than five minutes to midnight, the House failed to pass HR 450. The bill would have legalized sports gambling in the state. The bill also would have allocated 15% of the first $150 million in annual sports betting proceeds to addiction prevention and assistance programs.

The House approved HB 880 102-69, which would cut the state’s income tax rate. If the Senate follows suit, the bill would cut the tax rate to 3.99% from 5.19%.

On the data center issue, the House did not hear HB 1012. The legislation was broad, and would have put a pause on all data center applications across the state. That moratorium would have lasted until March 2027.

Senate Approvals and Failures

The Senate did pass some data center legislation. SB 410 removes sales tax exemptions for data centers. The Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts says the state lost $474 million in the fiscal year that ended in July after exempting data centers from some taxes.

The Senate and House also seemed to disagree on a bill relating to gun silencers. The Senate passed SB 499, which says the silencers will stay legal in the state. Hours before, the House blocked a similar bill.

A gold nugget out of the dome was SB 424. The bill would allow Georgians to use gold and silver as legal tender in the state. If it becomes law, the bill would also create a bullion depository and eliminate state taxes on transactions.

Any proposed laws that did not move from one chamber to another Friday are considered dead. Lawmakers will need to re-introduce bills at the next legislative session.

Candidate qualifying ended Friday, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

The race for governor drew a crowded field from both Republicans and Democrats to replace Gov. Brian Kemp, who will leave office after serving two terms.

The top candidates on the Republican ballot for governor include Attorney General Chris Carr, health care executive Rick Jackson, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, and former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond.

Four out of Georgia’s 14 U.S. House members aren’t seeking reelection, all of them Republicans.

U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins are instead running for U.S. Senate against Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff. Former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley is also running for the Republican Senate nomination.

In addition, U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk is retiring, and former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned in January.

Among Democrats, longtime U.S. Rep. David Scott faces challenges from former Gwinnett County school board chair Everton Blair, state Rep. Jasmine Clark, and state Sen. Emanuel Jones.

Rivalries among state senators dominate the races for lieutenant governor. Republicans running for Georgia’s No. 2 job include Sens. Gregory Dolezal, Blake Tillery, and Steve Gooch, along with former Sen. John F. Kennedy. Democrats will pick between Sens. Josh McLaurin and Nabilah Parkes.

Two Democrats are mounting challenges against incumbent Georgia Supreme Court justices. Former state Sen. Jen Jordan is seeking to unseat Justice Sarah Warren, and trial attorney Miracle Rankin is running against Justice Charlie Bethel.

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, running for U.S. Senate, is kicking off a “Veterans for Mike” tour in Savannah, according to WTOC.

Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins is launching a statewide “Veterans for Mike” tour Monday, with the first stop in Savannah.

Collins will hold a roundtable at VFW Post 660 on Ogeechee Road at 10:30 a.m.

The roundtables are set to bring together veterans, military families and community leaders to discuss VA services, military readiness and other issues affecting those who have served.

“Our veterans fought for our freedoms, and they deserve leaders who will fight just as hard for them,” said Mike Collins. “I’m hitting the road to hear directly from Georgia’s veterans and take their fight back to Washington.”

Fourteen candidates qualified for the First Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-SSI), according to the Savannah Morning News.

A flood of candidates qualified for the open seat after the March 6 qualifying deadline. Six Republicans and eight Democrats are running for the seat. Here is a list of qualifiers and a brief overview of each campaign.

Republicans
Pat Farrell
Jim Kingston
Brian Montgomery
Krista Penn
Kandiss Taylor
Eugene Chin Yu

Democrats
Defonsio Daniels
Joyce Marie Griggs
Amanda Hollowell
Michael McCord
Joey Palimeno
Sharon Stokes Williamson
Patrick J. Wilver
Randy Zurcher

Nine candidates qualified for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Three Democrats and three Republicans are running to replace Republican Tricia Pridemore in the District 5 seat she has filled since 2018. On Feb. 18, Pridemore declared she would not seek re-election this year “after a deep reflection”

[Democrat Peter] Hubbard, who beat incumbent Republican, Fitz Johnson for the District 3 seat, must run again because he took a seat that was five years into an unexpired six-year-term. The election in 2022 was cancelled due to a U.S. Supreme Court case, delaying it to 2025.

Fitz Johnson wants his seat back, but first he has to beat a Republican challenger, Brandon Martin a purchasing manager in the health care industry.

Hubbard called Johnson running “a gift” because he “just lost resoundingly and voted as a lame duck in December, days before leaving office rubber-stamping power companies.”

District 5 Georgia PSC race Angelia Pressley, Craig Cupid and Shelia Edwards are competing in the primary to be the Democratic candidate, which will be determined on the May 19 ballot that every Georgian can vote on. With no Republican incumbent after Pridemore’s departure, three Republicans qualified to run: Bobby Mehan, Carolyn Rody and Josh Tolbert.

Dougherty County will see contested elections, according to the Albany Herald.

After a week of qualifying for the 2026 election at the local level, several competitive races have emerged, including a Democratic primary contest between incumbent Dougherty County Commission Chairman Lorenzo Heard and former Albany City Commissioner Henry Mathis.

The winner in the May 19 general primary contest will earn a four-year term as chairman as there is no Republican candidate in the race.

In Commission District 4, two Democrats are vying to be the nominee to face incumbent Republican Russell Gray, who faces no opposition in the primary. The Democratic candidates are Anthony Patterson and Al Wynn.

District 6 Commissioner Anthony Jones also will have a primary opponent. Former Cuthbert Mayor Willie Martin qualified last week to challenge the incumbent. There is no Republican candidate in the race.

Of the three Dougherty County School Board seats up for election in 2026, only incumbent Melissa Strother will face a challenger. Adam Inyang qualified to run in the Democratic primary against Strother in District 4.

Among the state contests, Senate District 12, currently held by Freddie Powell Sims, looks to promise an active campaign, with three challengers looking to unseat the incumbent, who is seeking re-election.

The Democratic candidates who qualified to challenge Sims are Edward Brown, Corey Morgan and Tracy Taylor.

The winner in the Democratic race will face Republican candidate Terence Leon Fowler Sr. in November.

Four incumbent state representatives whose districts include a portion of Dougherty County are also seeking re-election in 2026, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. Those are Republicans Mike Cheokas in District 151, Bill Yearta in District 152 and Gerald Greene in District 154. District 153 incumbent David Sampson also qualified to seek another two-year term.

Three Democrats also have qualified for the primary election: James Wolfe in District 151, Mitchell Rosa in District 152 and Harry James in District 154.

Gary Jones resigned as Mayor of Grovetown to run for Chair of the Columbia County Commission, according to WJBF.

Councilman Eric Blair is expected to continue to serve as Mayor Pro Tem.

Grovetown said a special election is being held later this year, but that date is yet to be determined but will be announced when it becomes available.

Hancock County Schools Superintendent Anton Anthony qualified to run for the Democratic nomination for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools, according to 13WMAZ.

Anthony has served as Hancock County’s superintendent for the past two years. Before that, he worked in multiple school systems across the state, moving up through the ranks as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and central office administrator.

If elected, Anthony said he would focus on three main priorities: providing stronger support for struggling school districts, exposing students to more career pathways earlier in their education and encouraging creativity in classrooms.

“I feel that in order for us to change the country and the world, it starts with educating our children,” Anthony said. “I’m a candidate on the Democratic side, but I do want everyone to really look into all of the candidates and see because what’s gonna make the difference is the experience of the leader that we choose for our state superintendent of schools.”

Columbus lawyer Chris Breault joined the field of candidates for Mayor of Columbus, according to WTVM.

He is one of the six candidates running for mayor in Columbus.

Below is a list of the candidates:

• Steve Kelly
• Isaiah Hugley, Jr.
• Joanne Cogle
• Mark LaJoye
• Jaketra Bryant
• Chris Breault

WTVM is broadcasting the Mayoral Debate with all six candidates on April 7.

Former Augusta Commission District 4 member Alvin Mason qualified to run for the seat he resigned previously, according to WJBF.

Mason, who formerly held that seat, resigned from that position in June of last year due to health reasons. He told WJBF NewsChannel 6 his reason for wanting to get back into local politics.

“I want to ensure that the citizens of District four continue to get the same type of representation that they’ve been used to during my tenure,” Mason said. “And we want to make sure that our splash projects and other projects that we have on the books are not overlooked or lost in the shuffle. And so I can come back in right away and get back to doing business and do all the things that we need to have done for our city, not just for District four, but for the community at large.”

An election was held in October for Mason unexpired term. Lonnie Wimberly won and is on the ballot again.

From the Athens Banner Herald:

In Athens, the local race most contested is for mayor of Athens-Clarke County. With five candidates qualifying, it is almost assured to be settled in a runoff set for June 16.

The candidates who qualified are Sharon Miller, Dexter Fisher, LaKeisha Gantt, Mara Zuniga, and Tim Denson. One will replace Kelley Girtz, who has served in the role for two terms.

Five Athens-Clarke County Commission seats are open this year, and each one is contested.

Patrick Davenport, the incumbent, faces Terry Johnson for District 1. Incumbent Tiffany Taylor faces Tammy Foote for District 3. Kimberly Bennett, Richard Stanziale, and Zander Mason square off for District 5, for which there is no incumbent. Bennie Coleman III and Edward Tolley are running for District 7 with no incumbent. Incumbent Ovita Thornton faces Tracy Smith for District 9.

There are five seats open on the Clarke County Board of Education, and only one seat is contested as Adam Shirley and Lillie Brooks seek District 7.

The Western Circuit Judicial Circuit has two open seats for judges of Superior Court, and neither incumbent judge, Lisa Lott or Eric Norris, is challenged.

In the 10th U.S. Congressional District, three Democrats − Alexandra “Lexy” Doherty, Pamela “Pam” Delancy, and John B. Dority − are running. On the Republican side, Ryan Millsap, Jeffrey Dwayne Baker, and Houston Gaines are squaring off.

Seeking State House District 120 are Republicans Gary Ward Black and Chad Paton, while Mary Suzanna Karatassos is running as the Democrat.

Candidates qualifying for House District 121 are the incumbent Democrat Eric Gisler and Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest IV.

House District 122 will be sought by incumbent Democrat Spencer Frey and Republican Carol Hubbard.

House District 124 incumbent Republican Ralph Lanier “Trey” Rhodes qualified, as did Democrat Melanie Miller.

The Senate District 46 seat is sought by Democrats Williams C. Gaulden Jr., Ray Smith, and Michael S. Brown; and Republicans Douglas C. McKillip and Marc McMain.

State Senate seat District 47 incumbent Frank J. Ginn is challenged by Republican Jason Allen Black, while Justin Grant Gillespie is the lone candidate seeking the Democratic Party nomination.

From the Augusta Chronicle:

Among the candidates are three challengers seeking the Augusta mayorship against incumbent Garnett Johnson; three Democrats running for open seats for the first time in decades on the Board of Commissioners in Republican-majority Columbia County; and Grovetown Mayor Gary Jones, who resigned his city post Friday to run as a Republican for Columbia County commission chairman.

Richmond County

Mayor of Augusta (nonpartisan):
• Eric Gaines
• Garnett L. Johnson (incumbent)
• Steven B. Kendrick
• Lori Myles

Augusta Commission District 2 (nonpartisan):
• Corey Johnson
• Stacy Pulliam (incumbent)

Augusta Commission District 4 (nonpartisan):
• Alvin Mason
• Lonnie Wimberly (incumbent)

Augusta Commission District 6 (nonpartisan):
• Tamika Bean
• Tony Lewis (incumbent)

Augusta Commission District 8 (nonpartisan):
• Michael Cioffi
• Roger Garvin
• Evett Williams

Augusta Commission District 10 (nonpartisan):
• Wayne Guilfoyle (incumbent)
• Ben Hasan

Columbia County

Board of Education, District 2 (nonpartisan):
• Tiffany Heitzman
• Kimberly Howard
• Deborah Williams

Board of Education, District 3 (nonpartisan):
• Jessica Fisher
• Judy Teasley (incumbent)
• Jessica Wood

Board of Commissioners, Chair:
• Alison Couch (R)
• Gary E. Jones (R)
• Cambrey Wood (D)

Board of Commissioners, District 1:
• Alex Griffin (R)
• Michael Jordan (D)
• Bobby Timmerman (R)
• James Van Meter (R)

Board of Commissioners, District 4:
• Gregory P. Guido Jr. (I)
• Al Reeves (R)
• Samantha Rockwood (D)

The Dalton Board of Education will discuss a proposed FY 2027 budget, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.

The proposal currently assumes using about $5.3 million of the district’s $17.4 million fund balance to cover operating costs not supported by state or local revenue sources.

The draft projects revenues increasing about 1% while expenditures increase roughly 2%.

Much of the spending increase is tied to rising state health benefit plan costs, which are expected to increase another 7% — about $1.3 million — next year.

District officials say declining enrollment is also affecting the budget. Dalton Public Schools enrollment has dropped from 8,148 students in 2017 to about 7,352 students in 2025, and the draft budget includes a net reduction of 14 positions to align staffing with enrollment levels.