Benton to seek another term

Rep. Tommy Benton has announced that he will seek re-election this summer to his fifth term in the Georgia House of Representative from District 31.

The district currently covers most of Jackson County and small portions of Hall and Barrow counties. With reapportionment, District 31 will lose the Barrow and Hall portions but will continue to include the northern three-quarters of Jackson County.

Benton, 61, Jefferson, is a Republican and is a retired educator, having taught Georgia History for 30 years. He chairs the House Human Relations and Aging Committee, is vice chairman of the Retirement Committee, secretary of the Education Committee and serves on the Transportation and Rules committees.

Benton sees his experience as valuable to the district.

“It takes a couple of years to get used to things here,” he said on a phone call from his House office. “I have to say I’ve been very responsive to the people in the district. I think I’ve done a pretty decent job of it. I’ve kept them informed.”
If re-elected — no one has yet announced plans to run against him — Benton said he will continue to focus of education funding, along with funding for infrastructure, such as roads and bridges.

“We’ve got to continue to try to help the elderly and do what we can for them,” he added. “There’s just a lot of things — a little pot of money and a lot of things to do. We need to set our priorities and do what we can while at the same time keeping government limited.”

Benton and his wife, Karen, have a daughter, Leigh Ann Weaver, a son, Thomas Benton, and four grandchildren.