Georgia › Clarke County › Georgia House District 120
2 candidates are tracked for Georgia House District 120, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Gary "Ward" Black Jr. and Suzanna Karatassos. Candidate information follows official Clarke County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Gary "Ward" Black Jr. (Republican), Suzanna Karatassos (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Rep. Houston Gaines (Republican), the sitting member per the General Assembly's roster, is not on the November ballot. Party nominees were chosen at the May 19 primary and June 16 runoff (majority rule); independents qualified by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's certified November 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Gary "Ward" Black Jr. is the Republican candidate for Georgia House District 120 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's certified candidate list. Black is the 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 and supply chain logistics, per Main Street News. He is a University of Georgia graduate and the son of former Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, per the same report.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Infrastructure investment to reduce traffic congestion
- Strengthen early literacy in K-12 schools
- Support small businesses and farmers
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
Suzanna Karatassos spent 17 years in the apparel industry, including a year working in Amsterdam, before returning to the Athens area during the COVID-19 pandemic, per Main Street News. She lives in Jackson County with her husband and daughter, per Flagpole.
2026 priorities (per the Flagpole)
- Affordable healthcare
- Lower utility and housing costs
- Fully funded public schools
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
