ATLANTA — Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, R-Milton, announced Thursday that she won’t seek re-election to House District 47, retiring from office at the end of her term after more than two decades in the General Assembly.
The Republican leader made an important mark in Georgia history, Channel 2’s Richard Elliot reports.
When Georgia House Speaker John Ralston died in 2022, Jones became the interim House Speaker, the first and so far only woman Speaker in Georgia history. She served in the role until Speaker Jon Burns was elected.
Jones is also the longest serving speaker pro tem in the United States, having first been elected to the role by House Republicans in 2010.
“I will miss the rewarding work, the ability to help constituents and of course the many colleagues who’ve become dear friends since my first election in 2002,” Jones said.
In her statement, she pointed out education policy achievements during her tenure, including “keeping teacher pay the highest in the Southeast, expanding access to Pre-K and bolstering that workforce and strengthening parent choice with more public charters and the Promise Scholarship.”
“Speaker Pro Tem Jones is a trailblazer who will leave a significant mark on state history,” said Burns. “Jan’s 16-year tenure in House leadership reflects the abiding faith and admiration her colleagues have for her.”
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