# Georgia State House — District 48 — 2026 Candidates — The GA Files > Where the 2026 candidates for Georgia State House — District 48 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-48.html · The GA Files (thegafiles.com)* --- [← 2026 Candidates](https://thegafiles.com/candidates.html) # Georgia State House — District 48 D ### Adam Cleveland Democratic nominee · attorney & small-business owner; first run Adam Cleveland is an Atlanta native and University of Georgia graduate who worked as an apartment-complex maintenance worker through college and law school. He runs his own law practice, Adam L. Cleveland P.C., focused on recovering defaulted debts, and roughly a decade ago helped draft and lobby for Georgia creditors'-rights legislation at the Capitol. He is a member of The Temple in Atlanta and lives in Johns Creek. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Beyond his policy platform, he is running on government reform: term limits at every level, ranked-choice voting, and an independent redistricting commission. #### Previously held - First run for public office - Attorney; owner, Adam L. Cleveland P.C. - Helped draft and lobby for Georgia creditors'-rights legislation #### Top contributors $227,220 raised and $166,732 in the bank — a well-funded challenge, though Hilton has raised 1.8 times as much. His largest donors are personal and family networks, much of it from outside Georgia: several maxed-out donors share his surname, and top gifts came from Massachusetts, California and Tennessee. His own law firm is also among the largest donors. - $6,600.00 — O'Shaughnessy & Carter, PLLC (Chattanooga, TN) - $6,600.00 — Peggy Kuniansky (Clarkesville, GA) - $6,600.00 — Kevin Cleveland (Atlanta, GA) - $6,600.00 — Eli Cleveland (Swampscott, MA) - $6,600.00 — Elizabeth Simons (Atherton, CA) - $5,800.00 — Katy Cleveland (Alpharetta, GA) - $3,300.00 — Kajacorp LLC (Alpharetta, GA) - $3,300.00 — Adam L. Cleveland PC (Peachtree Corners, GA — the candidate's law firm) - $3,300.00 — Raco General Contractors (Atlanta, GA) **$227,220** raised · **$166,732** cash on hand — as of **Sep 14, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026](https://peachfile.ethics.ga.gov/) · [Atlanta Jewish Times — Jewish Democrat eyes November election](https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/jewish-democrat-eyes-november-election/) · [AJC — Democrats see a path to flipping the Georgia House with these 8 races](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/08/democrats-see-a-path-to-flipping-the-georgia-house-with-these-8-races/) · [AJC — 5 Georgia Legislature seats Republicans could lose in 2026](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/10/5-georgia-legislature-seats-republicans-could-lose-in-2026/) #### Where they stand Education Opposes private-school vouchers; supports strengthening public schools, raising teacher pay and expanding special-education programs. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) Healthcare Supports full Medicaid expansion so Georgia recovers federal tax dollars instead of relying on the state's current, narrower alternative. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) Minimum Wage We reviewed his campaign priorities page and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) Homelessness We reviewed his campaign priorities page and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. On housing, he wants to increase the supply of homes to bring down the age of the typical first-time buyer. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) Veterans Affairs We reviewed his campaign priorities page and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) Immigration We reviewed his campaign priorities page and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) · [Atlanta Jewish Times — Jewish Democrat eyes November election](https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/jewish-democrat-eyes-november-election/) Gun Control Supports “red flag laws for all gun sales, background checks” and safe-storage requirements, and opposes firearm access for domestic-violence offenders. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) Abortion “All Georgians deserve to be in charge of their own medical decisions,” including reproductive decisions. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) LGBTQ+ We reviewed his campaign priorities page and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) DEI We reviewed his campaign priorities page and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. He told the Atlanta Jewish Times it is important that the legislature “represent the state's varied demographics.” Source: [Atlanta Jewish Times — Jewish Democrat eyes November election](https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/jewish-democrat-eyes-november-election/) Marijuana We reviewed his campaign priorities page and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) Data centers Would eliminate Georgia's tax breaks for data centers and redirect the money to renewable-energy incentives. Source: [Adam Cleveland — priorities](https://www.adamcleveland.com/priorities) #### Accountability File None documented. [Campaign site](https://www.adamcleveland.com/) · [DLCC profile](https://www.dlcc.org/candidates/adam-cleveland/) R ### Scott Hilton Republican incumbent · commercial banker; vice chair, House Education Scott Hilton is a Peachtree Corners banker and investment executive — a senior vice president at Bank of America Merrill Lynch for a decade, then at SunTrust/Truist and SouthState Bank — with a finance degree from Georgetown and an MBA from Emory. First elected to the House in 2016 in District 95, he lost that seat in the 2018 Democratic wave to Beth Moore, then served as executive director of Gov. Brian Kemp's Georgians First Commission for small business. He returned in 2022 by winning District 48 over Democrat Mary Robichaux (54.3%) and held it in 2024 over Laura Murvartian (about 55%), who is now the Democratic nominee in Senate District 48. He is vice chair of the House Education Committee. He lives in Peachtree Corners with his wife, Meredith, a wills-and-trusts attorney, and their three children. #### Previously held - State Representative, House District 48 (2023–present); District 95 (2017–2019) - Executive director, Georgians First Commission (Gov. Kemp) - Vice chair, House Education Committee - Commercial banker — Bank of America Merrill Lynch, SunTrust/Truist, SouthState Bank #### Top contributors $405,344 raised and $320,665 in the bank, plus nearly $12,000 in interest earned on it — he has spent only about $90,000. His largest donors include the conservative Old Breed PAC, the law practice owned by his wife, family members in Florida, Peachtree Corners neighbors and House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration. - $6,600.00 — Old Breed PAC (Hudson, WI) - $6,600.00 — Meredith Hilton Law (Peachtree Corners, GA — the representative's wife's law practice) - $6,600.00 — James Andrews (Duluth, GA) - $6,600.00 — Kevin Jameson (Atlanta, GA) - $6,600.00 — Georgians for Tomorrow, Inc. (Gainesville, GA) - $6,500.00 — Robert Hilton (St. Petersburg, FL) - $6,500.00 — Chris Hilton (St. Petersburg, FL) - $6,000.00 — Tim Waddell (Peachtree Corners, GA) - $6,000.00 — Meg Waddell (Peachtree Corners, GA) - $4,600.00 — Chuck Efstration (Dacula, GA — House Majority Leader) **$405,344** raised · **$320,665** cash on hand — as of **Sep 14, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026](https://peachfile.ethics.ga.gov/) · [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) #### Where they stand Education As vice chair of House Education, he sponsored restrictions on students' cellphone and social-media use on school devices during the school day. No voucher or school-funding position is stated on his campaign site. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) · [AJC — Democrats see a path to flipping the Georgia House with these 8 races](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/08/democrats-see-a-path-to-flipping-the-georgia-house-with-these-8-races/) Healthcare We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. He introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting IVF access and voted YES on HB 428 (2025), which created a state right to IVF. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) · [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) Minimum Wage We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. He carried legislation raising wages for workers with disabilities, and voted YES on HB 111 (2025), accelerating Georgia's income-tax cut. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) · [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) 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 — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) · [Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes](https://www.legis.ga.gov/votes/house) Veterans Affairs We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) Immigration We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) · [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) Gun Control We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) · [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) Abortion We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. He was out of office when Georgia's 2019 six-week law passed. He backed IVF protections in 2025. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) · [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) LGBTQ+ Voted YES on SB 1 (2025), which bars transgender women and girls from female school and college sports teams, and YES on SB 140 (2023), which bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Source: [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) · [Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes](https://www.legis.ga.gov/votes/house) DEI We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) · [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) Marijuana Voted YES on SB 220 (2026), the bipartisan expansion of Georgia's low-THC medical cannabis program. Source: [GA Files fact sheet — Scott Hilton](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) · [Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes](https://www.legis.ga.gov/votes/house) Data centers We reviewed his campaign site, legislative record and coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Wikipedia — Scott Hilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Hilton_(politician)) #### Accountability File None documented. [Georgia House — official bio](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/bios/hilton-scott-4899.pdf) · [Campaign site](https://scotthiltonga.com/) · [Full legislator fact sheet](https://thegafiles.com/ScottHilton.html) [⬇ Share image](https://thegafiles.com/share/candidates/house-district-48.png) [⬇ Download for offline](https://thegafiles.com/candidates/house-district-48.offline.html) 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.