District 122 House Rep. Jodi Lott says that she is term-limiting herself and will not run for her seat in the 2024 election.
Lott, a Republican, made the announcement July 7, in an off-the-cuff manner while a guest of Columbia County Commissioner Connie Melear who was hosting WGAC’s Austin Rhodes show.
Lott says that she was puzzled when mouths gaped open in the radio studio in the wake of her announcement.
“I have been saying for years that I would know when it’s time to walk away and let someone else give it a try, and that time is coming next year,” Lott said.
However, Lott will not be walking away from politics. Like her predecessor Ben Harbin, Lott is considering entering the private sector as a government policy advocate or lobbyist.
Lott says that she thinks that she can get more done in Atlanta if she focuses her efforts as an advocate for voter reform, healthcare and for first responders in Georgia.
“As a representative, I had to bite my tongue sometimes, so that I didn’t seem too bold. Being an advocate, you get to come in and fight the policy war more honestly,” Lott said.
Lott won her seat through a special election in 2015 and rose to prominence in the General Assembly when she was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp as one of his four floor leaders for the 2021 – 2022 House sessions.
In Republican party circles, Lott’s name has been bandied about as a potential future candidate for Congress; however, Lott says that while she will not rule out a future run for office, Congress is not a remote consideration right now.
“I hear that members of Congress spend half their day going from their car to their office and back. I don’t think I could deal with that,” Lott said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
