Update to an earlier report: This article includes new information about a story we previously covered. Read our earlier report.
Affordable housing, dependable water and improved transit are among the priorities Bentley Hudgins campaigned on as they prepare to enter a Georgia Legislature split between Democratic control of the House and expected Republican control of the Senate. The divide means lawmakers will need support across party lines to advance their proposals.
Hudgins is set to become Georgia’s first openly transgender and nonbinary state lawmaker. A former advocate, they opposed Republican-backed bills seeking to restrict gender-affirming care for minors and transgender girls’ participation in girls’ sports. Hudgins is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Democrats’ election wins will give them control of the state House, while Republicans are expected to retain the Senate. The new legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 11, 2027.
During the campaign, Hudgins emphasized neighborhoods they say have been overlooked. They also said LGBTQ+ Georgians share everyday concerns with other residents, including access to safe, affordable food. “We have kitchen tables, too,” Hudgins said, adding that people want groceries “that we know won’t make us sick, that we can afford.” Hudgins also described policy solutions that improve people’s lives as a way to “love thy neighbor.”
Marcus Jones
News Now Georgia
