# Georgia State House — District 120 — 2026 Candidates — The GA Files

> Where the 2026 candidates for Georgia State House — District 120 stand — bio, prior offices, top donors, positions on DEI, LGBTQ+, abortion, and data centers, plus any scandals. Sourced.

*Source: https://thegafiles.com/candidates/house-district-120.html · The GA Files (thegafiles.com)*

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[← 2026 Candidates](https://thegafiles.com/candidates.html)

# Georgia State House — District 120

D

### Suzanna Karatassos
Democratic nominee · first run for office

Suzanna Karatassos is an Athens native — a Clarke Central High School graduate with a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a graduate degree from the Academy of Art University — who spent 17 years in the apparel industry, including a year working in Amsterdam, before returning home after the COVID-19 pandemic. She now works in real estate and describes herself as a political content creator and advocate for working families. She launched her campaign on December 16, 2025 at Oglethorpe Garage in Athens, joined by state Reps. Spencer Frye and Ruwa Romman, and won the Democratic primary unopposed with 5,301 votes. She is running for an open seat: Republican Houston Gaines is leaving District 120 — which takes in parts of Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties — to run for Congress in Georgia's 10th. Gaines held the seat 61%–39% in 2024. Her pitch is affordability: “Georgia has become unaffordable for the people who actually live here.”

#### Previously held

- First run for public office
- 17 years in the apparel industry, including a year in Amsterdam
- Real-estate salesperson; political content creator

#### Top contributors

A locally funded, small-dollar campaign. Through the July 31 CCDR she reports $70,416 raised and $31,835 cash on hand — against Ward Black's $171,440 and $53,655, so she is running at roughly 2-to-5 on money raised. Her donors are overwhelmingly individuals from Athens and the surrounding district, plus $3,300 of her own money and $1,690 from the Democratic Fighting Fifty PAC. No corporate or trade-association money appears in her top donors.

- $6,000.00 — Catherine Hodges (Athens, GA)
- $5,650.00 — June Heard (Athens, GA)
- $3,300.00 — Mary Karatassos (the candidate)
- $3,000.00 — Mary K. Cohen (Savannah, GA)
- $2,500.00 — Ronald Jones (Athens, GA)
- $2,000.00 — William Berry (Watkinsville, GA)
- $1,690.00 — Fighting Fifty PAC (Decatur, GA)
- $1,500.00 — J. Grant Brown III (Nicholson, GA)

**$70,416** raised · **$31,835** cash on hand — as of **Aug 7, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing).
Source: [Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — 2026 Jul 31 CCDR](https://peachfile.ethics.ga.gov/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)

#### Where they stand

Education

Fully fund public schools and oppose vouchers. At her launch she pledged “strong, fully funded public schools, not private voucher schemes,” and said a Democratic majority could “expand the Georgia Department of Education to make sure that every single child, especially ones with special needs, is taken care of.” She also backs universal free school lunches: “Other states do that. There's no reason we can't do that here.”
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Flagpole — Democrat Suzanna Karatassos launches House District 120 campaign](https://flagpole.com/featured/2025/12/30/democrat-suzanna-karatassos-launches-house-district-120-campaign/)
Healthcare

Full Medicaid expansion. She calls health care and affordability the state's biggest issues and says a new majority could “fully expand Medicaid” and “fully fund all the rural hospitals instead of just letting them close like what the Republicans have done.” She also calls for fully funding SNAP.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Flagpole — Democrat Suzanna Karatassos launches House District 120 campaign](https://flagpole.com/featured/2025/12/30/democrat-suzanna-karatassos-launches-house-district-120-campaign/)
Minimum Wage

Supports raising it. She lists “raise the minimum wage” among what a Democratic majority should do, and campaigns on “real economic justice, where working people share in the prosperity they create.” She has not named a specific figure.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Flagpole — Democrat Suzanna Karatassos launches House District 120 campaign](https://flagpole.com/featured/2025/12/30/democrat-suzanna-karatassos-launches-house-district-120-campaign/)
Homelessness

We reviewed her campaign launch coverage, campaign materials and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. Her housing message is about cost rather than homelessness specifically — “lower utility and housing costs, because no family should be priced out of their own community.”
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)
Veterans Affairs

We reviewed her campaign launch coverage, campaign materials and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. Veterans policy does not appear in her published platform.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)
Immigration

We reviewed her campaign launch coverage, campaign materials and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. Immigration does not appear in her published platform.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)
Gun Control

Supports new restrictions. Among the bills she says a Democratic majority could pass: “We can pass common sense gun laws.” She has not specified which measures.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)
Abortion

Opposes Georgia's six-week ban and wants it put to the voters. “Reproductive freedom, without apology,” her platform says. At her launch: “13 states have put reproductive freedom on the ballot since Roe was overturned… And here in Georgia, the Republicans put a six week ban on us. They didn't put it up for a vote.” She would repeal the ban and enshrine reproductive freedom in the state constitution by referendum.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Flagpole — Democrat Suzanna Karatassos launches House District 120 campaign](https://flagpole.com/featured/2025/12/30/democrat-suzanna-karatassos-launches-house-district-120-campaign/)
LGBTQ+

We reviewed her campaign launch coverage, campaign materials and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. Her platform speaks generally of fighting for “your family, and your freedoms” but names no LGBTQ-specific position.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)
DEI

We reviewed her campaign launch coverage, campaign materials and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. DEI does not appear in her published platform.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)
Marijuana

We reviewed her campaign launch coverage, campaign materials and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. Cannabis policy does not appear in her published platform.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)
Data centers

We reviewed her campaign launch coverage, campaign materials and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. She has not addressed data centers directly, though her central affordability message includes “lower utility costs” — the ratepayer question at the heart of Georgia's data-center debate.
Source: [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos)

#### Accountability File

None documented.

[Campaign site](https://suzannaforstatehouse.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Suzanna Karatassos](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanna_Karatassos) · [Athens Politics Nerd — Karatassos launches campaign for state house](https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/suzanna-karatassos-launches-campaign-for-state-house/)

R

### Ward Black
Republican nominee · agribusiness owner; son of former Ag Commissioner Gary Black

Gary “Ward” Black Jr. is a Commerce farmer and business owner — owner and CEO of Solid Ground Services and Supply and a partner in Harmony Grove Farms and Harmony Grove Plant Company — with more than 15 years in agribusiness, supply-chain logistics and economic development. He holds a bachelor's and a master's in agricultural economics from the University of Georgia and serves on the Georgia Green Industry Association board and the AgGeorgia Farm Credit Advisory Council, with leadership roles in the Farm Bureau and Cattlemen's associations. He is the son of Gary Black, Georgia's Agriculture Commissioner from 2011 to 2023. He announced in August 2025 after Rep. Houston Gaines opted to run for Congress, and won the Republican primary on May 19, 2026 with 58.4% over Chad Paton. He and his wife, Hannah, attend Maysville Baptist Church.

#### Previously held

- First run for the General Assembly
- Owner & CEO, Solid Ground Services and Supply
- Partner, Harmony Grove Farms & Harmony Grove Plant Company
- Georgia Green Industry Association board; AgGeorgia Farm Credit Advisory Council

#### Top contributors

Agribusiness money, and a lot of it for a state House race. Through the July 31 CCDR he reports $171,440 raised and $53,655 cash on hand — about 2.4 times what his opponent has raised. His top donors are largely businesses and trade groups rather than individuals: a trucking company at $6,000, an agribusiness-services firm and a strategy firm at $3,300 each, and $3,000 from the Georgia Farm Bureau's state impact fund, the sector his father regulated as Agriculture Commissioner. His mother, Lydia B. Black, gave $3,300. Several of his largest donors are based outside the district.

- $6,000.00 — Triple H Transport Inc. (Carnesville, GA)
- $5,300.00 — Robert S. Scott (Bogart, GA)
- $3,300.00 — Carrol Beavers (Bowman, GA)
- $3,300.00 — On Point Strategies Inc. (Commerce, GA)
- $3,300.00 — Lydia B. Black (Commerce, GA — the candidate's mother)
- $3,300.00 — R.W. Griffin Agribusiness Services LLC (Douglas, GA)
- $3,300.00 — James L. Bouchard (Commerce, GA)
- $3,300.00 — Cindy Scott (Bogart, GA)
- $3,000.00 — GFB State Impact Fund (Georgia Farm Bureau · Macon, GA)

**$171,440** raised · **$53,655** cash on hand — as of **Aug 6, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing).
Source: [Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — 2026 Jul 31 CCDR](https://peachfile.ethics.ga.gov/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)

#### Where they stand

Education

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. His campaign site is built around biography and endorsements rather than policy; several of his endorsers are school-board members in Oconee and Commerce.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Healthcare

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. He has not addressed Medicaid expansion, rural hospitals or health costs in published materials.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Minimum Wage

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No wage position is stated.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Homelessness

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No housing or homelessness position is stated.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Veterans Affairs

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No veterans platform is stated.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Immigration

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. He has not published an immigration position, though his sole congressional endorsement comes from Rep. Andrew Clyde, one of the House's most hardline immigration voices.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Gun Control

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No firearms position is stated. He is endorsed by three sitting sheriffs — Barrow, Oconee and Jackson counties — and a former Jackson County sheriff.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Abortion

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No abortion position is stated. This is the sharpest contrast in the race by default: his opponent has made repealing Georgia's six-week ban a centerpiece, and he has not answered it publicly.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
LGBTQ+

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No LGBTQ-related position is stated.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
DEI

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No DEI position is stated. His campaign slogan is “Rooted in Georgia Values. Ready for Georgia's Future.”
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Marijuana

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. No cannabis position is stated.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)
Data centers

We reviewed his campaign site, announcement coverage and Ballotpedia profile as of August 2026 and found no stated position on this. He has not addressed data centers — a live issue in his own district, where Jackson County is negotiating major data-center development and utility-cost impacts.
Source: [Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black)

#### Accountability File

None documented.

[Ward Black for State House — campaign site](https://www.votewardblack.com/) · [Ballotpedia — Ward Black](https://ballotpedia.org/Ward_Black) · [Oconee Enterprise — Black Jr. secures Republican nomination](https://www.oconeeenterprise.com/2026/05/20/primary-results-black-jr-secures-republican-nomination-for-state-house-district-120/) · [Main Street News — Black announces run for House District 120](https://www.mainstreetnews.com/jackson/news/black-announces-run-for-house-district-120/article_bedfe76b-2f79-4793-aee7-5fa05846afaa.html)

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Every entry is drawn from published reporting, official records, or the candidate's own statements, with sources on each item. Policy summaries are condensed from that reporting and reflect the candidate's stated positions; where a matter is an allegation or unresolved, that is noted, and inclusion is not a finding of guilt. Contributor figures are early/partial where the official itemized filings (Georgia Ethics Commission) are still being compiled. Corrections welcome via the contact link in the footer. Last updated 2026-06-17.