The GA Files · 2026 Candidates

Georgia State House — District 119

Catherine Morris (D) vs. Holt Persinger (R)

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D

Catherine Morris

Democratic nominee · nonprofit planning director

Catherine Morris is a Barrow County mother of two daughters in public schools with more than 20 years in public service and nonprofit work. She is director of planning, reporting and analytics at an international nonprofit and previously worked at the U.S. Institute of Peace and the World Bank.

Previously held

  • Director of planning, reporting and analytics, international nonprofit
  • Former staff, U.S. Institute of Peace and World Bank

Top contributors

$7,383 raised and $4,630 in the bank. Beyond the Fighting Fifty PAC and the state Democratic Party, many of her largest donors live out of state, several in Los Angeles.

  • $1,839.04Fighting Fifty PAC (Decatur, GA)
  • $500.00Charles Rosenberg (Los Angeles, CA)
  • $500.00Democratic Party of Georgia (Atlanta, GA)
  • $400.00Gina Morris (West Hartford, CT)
  • $350.00Mary Jo Robertson (Los Angeles, CA)
  • $250.00Matt King (Wiesbaden, Germany)
  • $250.00Gayla Margolin (Los Angeles, CA)
  • $250.00Jennifer Waltzer (Los Angeles, CA)
  • $250.00Glen Friedman (Los Angeles, CA)
  • $250.00Megan Hull (Oakland, CA)

$7,383 raised · $4,630 cash on hand — as of Sep 14, 2026 (GA Ethics latest filing).

Source: Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026 · BranchVote — Catherine Morris · Wikipedia — 2026 Georgia House of Representatives election (2024 presidential margins by district)

Where they stand

Education

Supports “increased financial and policy support for students, teachers, and administrators in Barrow and Jackson County schools,” safe schools, and “affordable and accessible childcare.”

Source: BranchVote — Catherine Morris · Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Healthcare

“Healthcare is a necessity — not a privilege.” Supports expanding Medicaid in Georgia and strengthening rural hospitals.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site · BranchVote — Catherine Morris
Minimum Wage

Supports raising the minimum wage and equal pay for equal work, and “lower taxes for working families” with “an end to corporate loopholes.”

Source: BranchVote — Catherine Morris · Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Homelessness

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Veterans Affairs

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Immigration

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Gun Control

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Abortion

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
LGBTQ+

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
DEI

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Marijuana

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site
Data centers

We reviewed her campaign site and BranchVote profile as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: Catherine Morris for Georgia — campaign site

Accountability File

None documented.

R

Holt Persinger

Republican incumbent · Winder

Holt Persinger, a Winder Republican, won House District 119 in a February 28, 2023 special-election runoff and took office that March. The seat opened when Danny Rampey, elected in November 2022, withdrew before taking office following his arrest.

Previously held

  • State Representative, House District 119 (March 2023–present)

Top contributors

$14,025 raised this cycle but $44,574 in the bank from earlier fundraising, after about $22,700 in spending. His donors are mostly business and professional PACs, including the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, a Reynolds American tobacco affiliate, Georgia Power's employee PAC and the electric cooperatives' PAC.

  • $3,300.00Competitive Georgia Action, Inc. (Griffin, GA)
  • $3,000.00Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (Atlanta, GA)
  • $1,000.00RAI Services Company (Winston-Salem, NC — Reynolds American affiliate)
  • $1,000.00Terry England (Auburn, GA)
  • $1,000.00Georgia Power Company State Employee PAC (Atlanta, GA)
  • $500.00Georgia Orthopaedic Society (Peachtree City, GA)
  • $500.00Georgia Forestry Association, Inc. (Roswell, GA)
  • $500.00GHA PAC (Atlanta, GA)
  • $500.00Georgia EMC PAC (Tucker, GA)
  • $500.00CAAG for Georgia PAC (Jasper, GA)

$14,025 raised · $44,574 cash on hand — as of Sep 14, 2026 (GA Ethics latest filing).

Source: Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026 · GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger · Wikipedia — Holt Persinger

Where they stand

Education

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger
Healthcare

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. He voted YES on HB 428 (2025), the state IVF-access right.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes
Minimum Wage

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. He voted YES on HB 111 (2025), accelerating Georgia's income-tax cut, and YES on SB 33 (2026), homestead tax relief.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes
Homelessness

Voted YES on HB 295 (2026), which restricts unsanctioned public camping and sleeping and pushes local governments toward enforcement.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes
Veterans Affairs

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger
Immigration

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger
Gun Control

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger
Abortion

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Georgia's 2019 six-week law predates his tenure. He voted YES on HB 428, protecting IVF access.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes
LGBTQ+

Voted YES on SB 1 (2025), barring transgender women and girls from female school and college sports teams, and YES on SB 140 (2023), banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes
DEI

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger
Marijuana

Voted YES on SB 220 (2026), the bipartisan expansion of Georgia's low-THC medical cannabis program.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes
Data centers

We reviewed his legislative record and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Holt Persinger

Accountability File

None documented.

Every entry is drawn from published reporting, official records, or the candidate's own statements, with sources on each item. Policy summaries are condensed and reflect stated positions; allegations or unresolved matters are labeled as such, and inclusion is not a finding of guilt. Last updated 2026-06-17.