Democrat Patrick Thompson is seeking a rematch with incumbent Republican John Albers for the local District 56 state Senate seat next year.
Last year, Albers won about 60 percent of the vote to beat Thompson and retain the seat he first won in 2010. The district includes the northern end of Sandy Springs as well as much of north Fulton County and part of Cherokee County.
Albers, a Roswell resident, said he will run for re-election and dismissed Thompson as a “perennial candidate.” But Thompson, a Woodstock resident who also unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Congress in 2012, said he believes political changes are giving him a new chance to win.
“Pat is a perennial candidate who is not is touch with the district or voters,” Albers said in an email. “I look forward to serving the residents of my district.”
Thompson said in an email that his combination of progressive politics and good relationships with some local Republicans makes him the better candidate for the time.
“Constituents are more aware of how the current state government isn’t serving them, more voters are becoming active, the demographics are changing, some are moving beyond party to values, and more people are participating,” Thompson said. “That all adds up to change that needs a voice.”
The state primary elections are scheduled for May, followed by the general election in November 2018.
For more about the candidates, see senatoralbers.com and patrickforgeorgia.com.