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Axios
Axios
Politics
Ursula Perano

Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican, will resign at the end of 2019

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) announced Wednesday that he will resign at the end of 2019 to focus on his health.

Why it matters: His decision means that two Senate seats will be up for grabs in Georgia, a potential swing state, in 2020.


  • Isakson was last elected in 2016, meaning that his term doesn't expire until 2022.
  • Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will appoint someone to Isakson's seat upon his retirement, and a special election will be held for the final two years of the term in 2020.
  • Georgia's other Republican senator, David Perdue, is up for re-election in 2020 as well.

The big picture: Isakson was hospitalized last month after he fell in his D.C. apartment, breaking four ribs.

Between the lines: Democrats have already expressed hope that they might be able to flip Georgia in 2020 after Stacey Abrams' 2018 gubernatorial run made national headlines.

Go deeper: Trump's 2020 map from hell

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