Georgia House of Representatives District 51

Georgia House of Representatives District 51 is represented by Esther Panitch (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Georgia state representatives represented an average of 59,585 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 54,042 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Georgia House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Georgia legislators assume office the second Monday in January.

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Paragraph 3 of Section 2 of Article 3 of the Georgia Constitution states, "At the time of their election, the members of the House of Representatives shall be citizens of the United States, shall be at least 21 years of age, shall have been citizens of this state for at least two years, and shall have been legal residents of the territory embraced within the district from which elected for at least one year."^[1]

GA Code § 21-2-8 states that an individual cannot hold public office if they are "not a qualified voter entitled to vote."^[2]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024^[3]
Salary	Per diem
$24,341.64/year	$247/day

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Georgia General Assembly, the vacant seat must be filled by a special election. If the vacancy occurs during a legislative session, the governor must declare a special election no later than 10 days after the vacancy happens. If the vacancy occurs after the regular legislative session held during the first year of the term of office for members, the governor may order a special election at any time but no later than 60 days before the November general election. If the vacancy occurs between 60 days before the November general election and the next legislative session, the governor is required to order a special election within 10 days.^[4]

The special election must be held no less than 30 days and no later than 60 days after the governor calls for the election. The counties representing the vacant district are responsible for conducting the election.^[4]

See sources: Georgia Code § 21-2-544

District map

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Georgia

In Georgia, both congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. A simple majority in each chamber is required to approve redistricting plans, which are subject to veto by the governor.^[5]

The Georgia Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no similar requirements for congressional districts.^[5]^[6]

2020-2023

See also: Redistricting in Georgia after the 2020 census

The district court's approval of remedial state legislative maps was appealed to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral argument was held on January 23, 2025.^[7]

Governor Kemp (R) signed revised legislative maps into law on December 8, 2023. Legislators in the Georgia House of Representatives voted 98-71 to adopt the new state legislative maps on December 5. The Georgia State Senate voted 32-23 to adopt the state legislative maps on December 1. For more information about the enacted legislative maps, click here.^[8]^[9]

Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for Georgia’s 2024 state legislative elections.

Georgia House of Representatives District 51
before 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Georgia House of Representatives District 51
after 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Esther Panitch defeated Keith Gettmann in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 51 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Esther Panitch (D)	58.1	16,558
	Keith Gettmann (R)	41.9	11,959

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,517
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Esther Panitch advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 51 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Esther Panitch	100.0	2,704

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,704
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 51

Keith Gettmann advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 51 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keith Gettmann	100.0	1,755

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,755
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.