State Rep. Teddy Reese enters race to succeed Ed Harbison in Georgia Senate
State Rep. Teddy Reese (D-Columbus) of Georgia House District 140 confirmed Thursday to the Ledger-Enquirer that he plans to run for the Georgia Senate District 15 seat.
“We’re living in a time in our state where leadership is at a premium,” Reese told the L-E. “And, particularly for us here in Columbus, we have to have leaders who are ready to hit the ground running.”
Reese’s announcement came the day after state Sen. Ed Harbison (D-Columbus) announced he won’t seek reelection to the District 15 seat he has filled for 33 years.
Reese plans to qualify for the race Friday, the last day of the five-day qualifying period for the May 19 primary. He will be joined in the race by Edward D. Harbison, Ed Harbison’s son, who announced his campaign in a news release Thursday.
Reese has served as a state representative since 2022, he said, and in that time he has worked alongside Harbison.
“I’m going to miss him because he was a great leader,” Reese said.
Working in the Georgia Senate takes a “particular skill set because you kind of sit alone,” he said.
In the Georgia House, Reese works with five other representatives from Columbus. Only two members of the Georgia Senate represent Columbus, he said.
“You need to put the best players on the field,” Reese said. “And after consultation with my wife, and talking briefly with some of the members in my delegation, I decided that I would go fight for the people in the Senate.”
This is not the first time Reese has sought the Georgia Senate seat. He ran against Harbison in the 2020 primary., when Harbison beat Reese 54% to 46%.
“I do believe that foundation of support is still there,” Reese said. “And I think other people will be ready to support us as well as we head into this open election for this open seat.”
The people of Columbus know his priorities, Reese said.
“They know the things I have fought for, the things I’ve brought back to this district, to this region,” he said.
This includes “millions of dollars for infrastructure projects and buildings and passing laws that have impacted the state,” he said.
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 4:31 PM.
