House Leadership

There are 180 members of the Georgia House of Representatives. The leadership may assume many forms.

The Speaker is the presiding officer and is elected every two years from among the membership. The Speaker of the House is second in line of succession to the Office of Governor. Thomas B. Murphy of Bremen has been Speaker since 1974. His duties are clearly outlined in the Constitution, Georgia Laws, and House Rules and include making all committee assignments and appointing chairmen to the 32 standing committees.

House members also elect the Speaker Pro-Tempore. This position is currently held by Jack Connell of Augusta. Representative Connell has held this office since 1976.

The Georgia House of Representatives has strong leadership in both the Majority and Minority Caucuses.

Majority Caucus

The Democratic, or Majority Caucus consists of 101 members. The Chairman of the Majority Caucus is Representative Bill Lee of Forest Park. He is also Chairman of the Rules Committee. The Majority Leader, Representative Larry Walker of Perry, expresses the views of the majority on key issues. Representative Jimmy Skipper of Americus is the Majority Whip. The role of the whip is to gauge opinions and inform other Democrats of plans and strategies. Majority Caucus Secretary is RepresentativeLaNett Stanley of Atlanta.

If you have any questions regarding the Majority Caucus, click here to send your questions.

Minority Caucus

The Republican, or Minority Caucus consists of 79 members. Representative Mike Evans of Cumming is Caucus Chairman. Representative Garland Pinholster of Ballground is Vice Chairman. The Minority Leader, Representative Robert Irvin of Atlanta, acts as the spokesman for the Republicans on the House floor, presenting the group's viewpoint on the issues. The Minority Whip is Representative Earl Ehrhart of Powder Springs. Like his counterpart in the Majority Caucus, Representative Evans keeps in touch with the Minority members. Representative Anne Mueller of Savannah is the Minority Secretary.

If you have any questions regarding the Minority Caucus, click here to send your questions.