Special election Jan. 31 for both Burke's and Watson's seats

Dec. 27—MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt County's state senator resigned Thursday, Dec. 22, to take a job with the state Department of Community Health, and the county's state representative announced the following day that he will seek the senator's seat.

Sen. Dean Burke, a Bainbridge physician, will become the chief medical officer at the Department of Community Health, according to a press release from Gov. Brian Kemp. Burke's resignation from the Senate will take effect Dec. 31.

"With a long and accomplished medical career in rural Georgia, as well as extensive policy experience as chairman of the Community Health Sub-Committee and vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, Senator Burke will bring a wealth of knowledge to the role of chief medical officer," Kemp said. "I'm thankful for his willingness to serve in this new capacity for the benefit of all Georgians, including those in our rural communities."

Rep. Sam Watson, a Colquitt County farmer, announced Friday, Dec. 23, that he will seek Burke's seat.

"I have been honored to serve as state representative for Georgia's State House District 172," Watson said. "During my tenure in the House of Representatives we have accomplished many great things for the people of Georgia and for rural Georgia in particular. Senator Dean Burke and previous Senator John Bulloch are close friends and colleagues of mine and have done an incredible job of representing the 11th District for many years. I am looking forward to continuing their work in the Georgia State Senate."

Watson has resigned his house seat, effective Dec. 30, to run for Burke's seat.

Colquitt County's elections superintendent, Probate Judge Wes Lewis, said on Tuesday that both seats will be filled in a special election Jan. 31, but beyond that he doesn't have details yet.

Among the questions: When and how will candidates qualify to run and when will early voting be held?

"We should have a lot more guidance from the state today or tomorrow," Lewis said.

The governor has the authority to fill many offices by appointment until a convenient time for an election, but Lewis said the governor doesn't have the authority to replace state legislators. With the Legislature convening Jan. 10, the state is under pressure to elect a new senator and representative in time for them to serve at least part of this year's session. That's why Kemp called for the election so quickly after Burke's resignation.

Both Burke and Watson are Republicans, and both won re-election in November without opposition.

Burke has represented District 11 since 2013, when he filled Bulloch's unexpired term. The district includes all of Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller and Seminole counties as well as portions of Mitchell and Thomas counties.

He said Thursday that the Department of Community Health approached him about the position after Kemp won re-election in November.

"I've been managing their budget on the Senate side since I've been up there," he said.

Burke said his focus as a senator has been on rural healthcare.

"My passion's obviously been health care," he said, noting his medical background. "I feel like I can make a difference there."

Among the accomplishments of his service in the Senate were the creation of the Maternal Mortality Commission, formed in 2014 to determine why the state has extraordinarily high numbers of women dying in pregnancy, during childbirth or soon afterwards and to come up with responses to address that problem; the creation of the Office of Health Strategy and Coordination, under the Office of the Governor, to study health care problems in Georgia; and creation of a database to help the state understand exactly what it's paying for with health services.

Burke serves as chairman of the Insurance and Labor Committee and vice chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee and the Ethics Committee. He also serves as chairman of the Community Health Sub-Committee, which is responsible for over 14 percent of the total state budget. Prior to being elected to the state Senate, he served on the Bainbridge City Council for five years and on the Lower Flint Water Council.

Burke also serves as chief medical officer at Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge and also chairs the Stratus Healthcare Governing Board. He is a former member of the Hospital Authority of the City of Bainbridge and Decatur County. Burke graduated summa cum laude from Georgia Southwestern University and went on to graduate from the Medical College of Georgia. He received his specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology at Mercer University School of Medicine and practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 27 years.

Watson has represented District 172 in the state House of Representatives since 2012. Since redistricting in 2021, the district has included all of Colquitt County and part of Cook and Thomas counties.

In the press release announcing his bid for the Senate seat, Watson describes himself as a lifelong conservative who is raising his family on the same farm his grandfather started. He is an advocate for agriculture, Georgia's largest industry.

"We have made great strides for Georgia including tax credits benefitting rural hospitals, working to maintain ad valorem tax exemptions for family farms and land owners, delivering election reform and, probably closest to my heart, the unprecedented state funded relief we were able to provide to our farmers and devastated communities after Hurricane Michael," Watson said. "I have worked hand-in-hand with the Georgia Senate and am prepared to hit the ground running in February. Southwest Georgia deserves to retain this respected seat at the table in Atlanta and I know I can be effective in this role."

Since 2007, Watson has served as managing partner of Chill C Farms in Moultrie. He is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Georgia, a 2011 graduate of Leadership Colquitt, and a 2009 graduate of the Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum. He serves on the Colquitt County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, is a member of the Colquitt County Cattlemen's Association and the Colquitt County Young Farmers. He is also vice president of Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, member & past president of the UGA Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity Alumni Board, and a member of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. He has received numerous honors and awards including Georgia Trend's "Movers and Shakers in Agribusiness" in 2010 and Georgia Chamber of Commerce freshman legislator of the year award in 2014.

Sam and his wife Emily have four girls — teenagers Lily and Lucy as well as 3-year-old twins Riley Moore and Maddie Ruth. The Watsons are members of Moultrie First Baptist Church where they are active in the children's ministry and Sam Watson serves as a deacon. The Watson family lives in southern Colquitt County on the family farm between Moultrie and Coolidge.