Barrow to have three reps under new plan

If the proposed redistricting for the Georgia House of Representatives gets through the special legislative session that began this week, Barrow County could have a former Democrat from Athens as a member of its local delegation. And the county will have three state representatives if the current map passes as proposed.

Forty-one-year-old Athens attorney Doug McKillip currently is in line to represent a newly minted District 117, which would include about 5,000 men, women and children residing in Statham. The district incorporates portions of Barrow, Jackson and Oconee counties, and far less of Clarke County than his current district. The 41-year-old attorney was a Democrat until last December.

The county’s Republican faithful will have an opportunity to meet McKillip on Saturday at the Barrow GOP’s annual barbecue fundraiser. It starts at 5 p.m. at the Winder Lion’s Club, 354 E. Broad St.

Also making plans to attend the GOP event is Rep. Len Walker of Loganville, whose newly drawn District 113 will incorporate small portions of both Barrow and Rockdale counties for the first time.

Walker said this week that he will represent about 10,000 Barrow County residents with homes along Hwy. 81, both north and south of its intersection with Hwy. 316.
A longtime minister, Walker is now in his ninth term as a representative of Walton and Gwinnett counties.

The revision of the House district map also means that Rep. Tommy Benton of Jefferson no longer will represent this county as of January 2013.

His Barrow County constituents north of I-85 instead will go to Rep. Terry England, who by representing 77 percent of Barrow’s population in the renumbered District 116 likely will have one of the most secure Republican seats in the House.

For the full story, see the Aug. 17 issue of the Barrow Journal.