Elaine Padgett returns to ballot in Forsyth County House District 25 race

Elaine Padgett is back on the ballot in Georgia House District 25, giving Forsyth County voters another familiar name in a race that will help decide who represents the area in Atlanta. Early voting for the May 19 Democratic primary began Monday, April 27, and the winner will move toward the Nov. 3 general election for one of the county’s state legislative seats.

The Democratic primary has no incumbent, and it now features Padgett and Metin Vargonen. On the Republican side, Todd Jones and Mathew Philip are running in a separate primary. That leaves District 25 with a crowded field before voters even reach November, when the seat will be decided in the general election.

Padgett has tied her campaign closely to Forsyth County life. She says she has lived in the area for 21 years and is the wife and mother of three children who were educated through the Forsyth County School System. Her youngest child is a junior at Denmark High School, putting her campaign squarely in the same school communities that shape daily life for many district voters.

Her name has already appeared on local ballots before. In 2022, Padgett ran for Forsyth County Board of Education District 5 and lost to Mike Valdes in the general election. Ballotpedia also lists her as having run for House District 25 in 2024, and it reported that she had raised $1,750 and spent $500 in the 2026 cycle as of Jan. 30, 2026.

District 25 is a Forsyth County-based seat under the current Georgia House map, and the race now offers voters a direct choice between candidates with local ties and different political paths. With early voting underway and both parties fielding competitive primaries, the contest is set to shape who carries Forsyth County’s interests into the Georgia House after the spring vote and the November general election.