Teddy Reese wins Georgia Senate District 15 race with commanding victory

Democratic state Rep. Teddy Reese secured a decisive victory Tuesday in Georgia's Senate District 15 race, defeating Republican Chuck Hand of Butler with 71.2% of the vote, according to unofficial election results.

With approximately 92% of ballots counted, Reese held a commanding lead over Hand, who received 28.8% of the vote.

Reese, a Columbus attorney who was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2022, will move from representing House District 140 to serving in the state Senate, succeeding retiring Sen. Ed Harbison.

Senate District 15 includes Macon, Marion, Talbot, Taylor and Schley counties, along with portions of Chattahoochee and Muscogee counties.

Reese's victory marks another milestone in his political career. A licensed attorney and community leader, he has represented portions of Columbus in the Georgia House since his election in 2022.

Hand, a construction worker and former local Republican Party officer, initially sought the Republican nomination for Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, a seat held by longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Albany. He later withdrew from that contest to pursue the state Senate seat following Harbison's announcement that he would retire.

The race drew attention as voters prepared to select a successor to Harbison, a longtime Democratic lawmaker whose legislative career spanned decades.

Reese's overwhelming margin demonstrated strong electoral support across the district and positioned him to continue representing the Chattahoochee Valley and surrounding rural communities at the state Capitol.

The election results remained unofficial early Wednesday as county election officials continued counting and reporting ballots.