Middle Georgia mayor enters race for state Senate seat vacated by John Kennedy

Forsyth Mayor Eric Wilson announced Tuesday that he is entering the Republican primary for state Senate District 18, according to a news release.

The seat will come open as Georgia Senate Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy launches a bid to be the next lieutenant governor. The district covers all of Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as parts of Bibb and Houston counties.

Wilson said in the release that he is running to represent conservative values.

“Governor (Brian) Kemp, Senator Kennedy and the Republican majority in the legislature have done a great job of cutting taxes, cracking down on illegal immigration, defending law enforcement, and making Georgia the number one state in which to do business,” Wilson said. “I want to help continue that record of success.”

Wilson has served as the mayor of Forsyth since 2016. Before that, he sat on the Forsyth City Council for almost six years.

Despite Kennedy announcing his departure from the seat just a month ago, Eric Wilson isn’t the first to announce a bid for the seat. Steven McNeel, a Macon attorney and timber farm owner, said Monday in a news release that he was also entering the Republican primary for the seat.

The Republican primary is scheduled to take place in May 2026.