This past Election Day, voters in Georgia’s 42nd district elected Gabriel Sanchez as their representative to the state General Assembly.
Sanchez is the first democratic socialist elected in Georgia. He will represent the 42nd district, which encompasses Smyrna in Cobb County, in the state’s House of Representatives. He said his campaign process allowed him to get familiar with a lot of the Cobb County voters.
With Georgia going red in the presidential election, Sanchez knows he will face difficulties as a state representative.
“I go in there knowing that it’s gonna be a tough fight, that we’re not gonna get most of the bills we want passed, most of the legislation that would help people passed, but it doesn’t mean that we still can’t fight and show that we’re actually gonna fight for people,” Sanchez said. “One of the biggest priorities I have is making sure that we stay engaged with the community.”
To make sure that his actions align with the voters in his community, Sanchez plans to connect with the community and hold town halls so he can best act on behalf of his constituents.
Jordan Ridley is the Republican House Representative for the 22nd district. He has served one term since his election in 2022. He explained the first thing any newly-elected politician should do is immediately start networking.
“Steps one through five are all the same, it’s networking,” Ridley said. “Just meeting everybody, from your local community leaders, the people at the capital, your special interest groups, your lobbyists, the other elected officials, because you’re going to have to work with all of them.”
Ridley also explained that the Georgia House of Representatives is more bipartisan compared to the national level. This means that rather than focusing on political parties to get bills passed, representatives should reach out to others who have similar interests in specific subjects.
“It’s really learning all those personalities, learning people’s passions, so, you know, when you have a bill, then make sure you get those people who are passionate about it,” Ridley said.
Ridley’s main focus is local environmental issues.
Sanchez knows that he’ll need to find those in the House who will help support his legislation and help with the needs of his district.
“I think it’ll be a learning curve on how to pass bipartisan legislation, how to introduce legislation that may not get passed, but still getting that out there and how to build that as an organizer,” Sanchez said. “I do think I have the ability to do it, but, you know, I still have to actually go and do it.”
David Shock, a professor of political science at Kennesaw State University, said serving in local governments gives politicians more opportunities.
“If you have a strong sense of wanting to make the community better, it’s easier to do at a state level because, you see, you can meet people more and you might have a little bit more influence at the state government level,” Shock said.
He said that Sanchez should start small by working on bills with other legislators to become known as a team player before trying to pitch lots of new bills and pushing his way through the crowd.
Gabriel Sanchez will officially begin his term once he is sworn in Jan. 13, 2025.
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