Meet the newest members of the Georgia legislature

When lawmakers reconvene at the state Capitol on Jan. 13, there’ll be a cadre of new faces in the 236-member Georgia General Assembly, one of the nation’s largest state legislatures.

All 236 statehouse seats were up for election this year. Most candidates ran unopposed. Incumbents in contested races easily kept their seats, with the exception of a few in the House. Many of the new faces are replacing people who are retiring.

Over half the seats in the legislature — 113 of 180 — were contested in the Nov. 5 election. Most incumbents in those races easily held on to their positions. In the Senate, 23 of the 56 seats were contested, while 90 of the 180 House seats were up for grabs.

Sixteen of the contested Statehouse seats were in play due to retiring legislators, including the minority leaders in both chambers. Other seats opened up as a result of court-ordered redistricting, which combined or reshuffled districts.

As of Friday, Republicans maintained their dominance in the Senate, 33-23. Before the election, Republicans held 102 House seats to the Democrats’ 78.

Here’s a look at 20 newcomers who will join the House and Senate when the new legislative session begins.