Lawmaker Comes To Work Despite Disputed Seat

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Rep. Chris Erwin (R) Homer

Voters in Banks, Stephens, and Habersham counties are hoping three is the final number.

For the third time since December, voters will have to go to the polls to decide the race between incumbent Rep. Dan Gasaway and former Banks County School Superintendent Chris Erwin.

Tuesday, despite the uncertainty of the election, Erwin sat in the house chamber in the District 18 seat.

“I was elected by the people in my district and sworn in here on the 15th of January,” he said this morning. “Obviously we’ve been through a court case, but the judge has to go through the process and the people need representation and I’m here to see if I can do my best to represent the people here in my district.”

In last spring’s primary, with no Democrats in the field, the race between the two republicans ended with Erwin winning by 67 votes.  Gasaway sued to void the election and a judge granted a special election in December.  

This time, Gasaway lost that election by two votes and once again asked the court to look into claims of illegal voting. Late last week, after a four-day trial, a Superior Court judge threw out the results of the Dec. 4 election.

Erwin said he showed up to work at the Capitol today because he had not received a signed  order from the judge assigning a new election.