Democrat Muhammad Akbar Ali, a 21-year-old recent college graduate and party organizer, has won a runoff election for Georgia House District 106 in Gwinnett County, becoming the youngest state lawmaker currently serving in the state, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office reported by the Georgia Recorder and News From The States. Ali secured about 54% of more than 1,700 ballots cast in the December 2 runoff, defeating fellow Democrat Marqus Cole to represent a diverse swath of central Gwinnett County that includes parts of Lawrenceville and Snellville.
Narrow Runoff Win in Diverse Suburban District
The runoff followed a November special election in which Ali and Cole emerged as the top two finishers in a three-candidate field for the open House District 106 seat, previously held by Democrat Shelly Hutchinson of Snellville, who resigned earlier this year to care for a family member, the Georgia Recorder reported. Although Cole led in the first round, Ali overtook him in the low-turnout runoff, winning roughly 54% of the vote in a contest that drew just over 1,700 voters in a district of tens of thousands, according to Yahoo News’ reprint of the Georgia Recorder story.
House District 106 is one of Georgia’s most ethnically diverse areas, where no single racial group makes up more than 30% of the population, according to coverage by Yahoo News and WSB-TV. The district covers a southwestern section of Gwinnett County, including communities in and around Lawrenceville and Snellville.
From Campus and Party Activism to the State Capitol
Ali recently graduated from Kennesaw State University and works as a graphic designer and small business owner, according to WSB-TV and Yahoo News. Before running for office, he served as first vice chair of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party, making him one of the youngest people to hold that role locally, News From The States reported.
“I’ve always been civically involved, even from a way younger age,” Ali said in an interview with Atlanta’s WSB-TV, noting that he organized pro-choice marches before he was old enough to vote. Speaking to Channel 2’s Matt Johnson, he added that winning the seat is “less of something to prove, but more as standing as a symbol for what’s possible” for young people and underrepresented communities.
Policy Priorities: Cost of Living, Schools, and Rights
Ali centered his campaign on lowering the cost of living, strengthening public education, and protecting the rights of immigrants and LGBTQ Georgians, according to the Georgia Recorder and Yahoo’s version of the story. He also emphasized tackling rising costs for health care, housing and insurance, a message he repeated in interviews with WSB-TV and local outlets.
“Every single day we were either knocking doors of voters in the district, we were making phone calls, we were sending them mail, we were raising money,” Ali said, describing the grassroots operation that powered his win, according to WSB-TV’s report. He has also backed abortion rights and women’s rights measures, even as such legislation has struggled to advance in the GOP-controlled legislature, 11Alive reported in a segment on his victory.
Support From Democratic Leaders and Historic Milestone
Ali’s campaign drew endorsements from several prominent Democrats, including former Representative Shelly Hutchinson, House Minority Whip Sam Park of Lawrenceville, and former Governor Roy Barnes, according to the Georgia Recorder and Yahoo News. State Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes congratulated him on social media, calling his runoff win “history” for Gwinnett and the state, in a post highlighted by local political organizations.
With his swearing-in, Ali will become the youngest member of the Georgia General Assembly and the youngest state legislator in Georgia history, surpassing Atlanta Democrat Bryce Berry, who previously held that distinction, the Georgia Recorder and Wikipedia’s biography of Akbar Ali noted. Run For Something, a group that supports young progressive candidates, celebrated his win as part of a “new wave” of South Asian and youth leadership in Southern politics.
Governing in a Republican-Led House
Ali will serve the remainder of Hutchinson’s term and has said he plans to run again in 2026 to keep the seat through 2027 and beyond, according to 11Alive and News From The States. He will enter a legislature where Republicans hold the majority, but he has signaled a willingness to work across party lines, telling WSB-TV that “sometimes you need to put your ego aside in order for work to be done”.
As the youngest lawmaker in the state, Ali’s performance in office will be closely watched by party leaders and advocacy groups seeking to gauge how younger, more diverse candidates can shape policy debates on education, gun safety, and economic opportunity in Georgia’s rapidly changing suburbs. His success could encourage more young candidates to run in future cycles, potentially reshaping the demographic and political landscape of the General Assembly in the years ahead.