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Chad Paton

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Chad Paton
Republican Party
Candidate, Georgia House of Representatives District 120
Elections and appointments
Next election
November 3, 2026
Education
Ph.D
The University of Maryland, College Park, 2005
Graduate
Michigan State University, 2002
Graduate
University of Georgia, 2024
Military
Service / branch
U.S. Army Reserve
Personal
Birthplace
Traverse City, MI
Religion
Christian: Protestant
Profession
Professor
Contact
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Campaign X
Campaign Instagram

Chad Paton (Republican Party) is running for election to the Georgia House of Representatives to represent District 120. He declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 3, 2026.

Paton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Chad Paton was born in Traverse City, Michigan. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1995 to 1997. As of his 2026 campaign, he had served in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2014. He earned a graduate degree from Michigan State University in 2002, a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2005, and a graduate degree from the University of Georgia in 2024. His career experience includes working as a professor.[1]

Elections

2026

See also: Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 120

Suzanna Karatassos (D), Ward Black (R), Kris Kendrick (R), and Chad Paton (R) are running in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 120 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
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Suzanna Karatassos (D)
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Ward Black (R)
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Kris Kendrick (R)  Candidate Connection
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Chad Paton (R)  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Chad Paton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Paton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Dr. Chad M. Paton was born in Traverse City, MI and studied at Michigan State University (BS '00 and MS '02), the University of Maryland in College Park (PhD '05), and the University of Georgia (MA '25). He is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Georgia, specializing in nutritional science and human health. He is also an expert in the geopolitics of energy, carbon capture technology, and biotransformation and their role in the economy. Chad is currently a Major in the US Army Reserve where he serves as a Civil Affairs officer with deployments to CENTCOM and AFRICOM. His expertise and insights into civil-military operations and foreign policy analysis, along with his military leadership experience makes him well-suited to serve as the next representative for Georgia's House District 120. His unique blend of scientific rigor, policy experience, and military leadership demonstrates his ability to craft informed, pragmatic solutions that advance public health, sustainable energy, and economic prosperity for a stronger, more resilient Georgia.
  • Empowering America's Youth Through Values-Based Education Our education system must instill pride in American exceptionalism while teaching critical thinking and forward-looking solutions. From early high school, we must offer customizable paths with trade skills, financial literacy, and life preparation to meet diverse needs. Reform higher education to reduce costs, ensure quality outcomes, and eliminate burdensome debt, so we can equip the next generation to lead with innovation and responsibility.
  • Tax reform and economic prosperity We need tax reforms at the State-level that reduce and cap property taxes to prevent excessive hikes that stifle household budgets, while ensuring taxpayers have accessible mechanisms to challenge unfair assessed values for greater transparency and equity. In addition, we need to reduce regulations on small businesses to unleash their entrepreneurial potential and revitalize local economies through job creation. Furthermore, introducing targeted incentives—such as down payment assistance or tax credits—makes homeownership more attainable for first-time buyers, building generational wealth and strengthening communities.
  • Matching infrastructure to growth in North Georgia Georgia's state policy must manage growth in rapidly expanding counties like Clarke, Oconee, Barrow, and Jackson through tax incentives and streamlined permitting, while investing in infrastructure to sustain quality of life. Over the past decade (2015-2025), these counties grew 6-38%, straining roads (needing upgrades to highways like US 441/129 for congestion and safety), schools (requiring new facilities for enrollment surges), and rural broadband (demanding last-mile expansions). The projected 15-30% growth by 2035 requires proactive planning to address these infrastructure needs and ensure sustainable prosperity.
Education, health, and economy.
Integrity, honesty, and objectivity. A congressional leader must act with integrity and honesty in all they do to earn and retain constituents' trust. By engaging with both supporting and opposing viewpoints, they can refine policies to strengthen our district and nation.
I have worked hard in my career to develop 1) disciplined expertise, 2) strategic planning and decision-making skills, and 3) open-minded leadership.
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which occurred on January 28, 1986. I was 10.
When I was 12, I had a paper route for 1 year.
The Bible. It is God's gift to us so that we can live our life in peace and with purpose.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.


Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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External links

Candidate

Georgia House of Representatives District 120
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    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 23, 2025


    Current members of the Georgia House of Representatives
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    Will Wade (R)
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    Eric Bell (D)
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    District 81
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    Republican Party (98)
    Democratic Party (80)
    Vacancies (2)


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