Forsyth mayor closes out tenure before District 18 Senate campaign
Wilson will officially leave office Tuesday as he campaigns for the open District 18 seat.
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Forsyth Mayor Eric Wilson will preside over his final City Council meeting Monday evening, closing out a decade-long tenure as he prepares to step down and focus on his campaign for State Senate District 18.
Wilson will officially leave office Tuesday morning to focus on the race. Reflecting on his service, he expressed optimism about Forsyth’s future.
“Forsyth has a bright future ahead, and I look forward to observing that now that I won’t be in this office,” he said. “I’ll be the biggest cheerleader for the city of Forsyth.”
Earlier this week, Sen. F. Kennedy vacated his seat to focus on his run for lieutenant governor. In response, Gov. Brian Kemp called for a special election to fill the vacant Senate seat, moving the primary from May to January 20. With the compressed timeline, Wilson will have just over a month to campaign, as early voting opens Dec. 29.
A longtime public servant, Wilson says his experience makes him uniquely qualified for the role.
“Having been a leader in my community for the last 16 years, a business owner for the last 25 years, and being a paramedic myself, I think those together will make me uniquely qualified to serve the citizens and to understand their needs,” he said. “That really is what it’s all about. We’ve got to have somebody that’s ready to hit the ground running, and I’m that person.”
Wilson’s career in city government began with six years on the City Council before he became mayor, a post he has held for the past 10 years. During his time in office, Forsyth has seen significant growth, including park upgrades, street repaving and major infrastructure projects such as the $30 million water and sewer project.
If elected to the State Senate, Wilson says he will focus on issues important to District 18 residents, particularly lowering taxes and insurance rates.
“That’s a chief concern that I hear in all of the counties,” he said. “That’s a universal concern.”
District 18 includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach, Upson, Bibb and Houston counties.
“We got in the race to help the people of Middle Georgia, to take our Middle Georgia values to Atlanta, to continue the good work that Senator Kennedy was doing, and to work hard for the people of this district, and I’m dedicated to doing that,” Wilson said.
Mayor Pro Tem Mike Dodd will serve as mayor for the remainder of the year. In January, the council will elect an interim mayor pro tem to serve until a special mayoral election is held in March.
