The field is set for the Georgia State Senate District 53 special election, with four candidates qualifying to run ahead of the March 10 election.
Qualifying closed Monday, February 2, at 1 p.m., establishing a four-way contest that includes three Republicans and one Democrat. The candidates are Blake Elsberry, a Republican from Walker County; Denise Pierce Burns, a Republican from Catoosa County; Lanny Thomas, a Republican from Chattooga County; and John Bentley Zibluk, a Democrat from Walker County.
Because the race is a special election, all candidates will appear on the same ballot, regardless of party affiliation. No party primaries will be held. To win the seat outright, a candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate reaches that threshold, a runoff election is scheduled for April 7.
Georgia Senate District 53 covers all of Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, and Walker counties, along with a small portion of northwest Floyd County.
The seat became vacant following the resignation of Republican Sen. Colton Moore of Dade County. Moore stepped down in January to pursue a run in the U.S. House District 14 special election.
That congressional race is also set for March 10, meaning many voters across Northwest Georgia will see both contests on their ballots. Winners of the special elections will serve the remainder of the unexpired terms through the end of the year, with the seats up again in November 2026 for full two-year terms.