Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones is no stranger to groundbreaking achievements.
First taking state office in 2003, Jones was elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives and served as the majority whip before being elected by her peers to serve as speaker pro tempore. This made Jones the first woman to serve in the role, and the highest-ranking woman in Georgia’s legislative history.
As her retirement in 2026 nears, Jones noted that when she ran for her seats, she campaigned on the merits of her work rather than her gender. At the same time, she expressed her hope that more women strive for running for political office at a younger age, and that seeing women in government leadership would encourage others to pursue elected positions.
Reflecting on her time as majority whip, Jones emphasized the importance of evaluating legislation on the floor and explaining what bills do in plain language to the House members.
Once her role evolved into speaker pro tempore, new challenges and priorities emerged. Jones described the need to consider the state as a whole, not just her own district.
“Although much of legislation will have more particular impact in certain regions in the state, others will affect every county, city, school board, and individual,” said Jones, adding that this perspective helped her to better evaluate the overall impacts of legislation on Georgians.
The 2026 legislative session brought affordability to the forefront, an issue Jones knew well. Jones was first elected speaker pro tempore during the Great Recession, when the state was making “cuts on top of cuts” to its budget.
She recalled a remark by then Governor Sonny Perdue that “unlike businesses, the demand for services for governments goes up during hard times.” The perspective helped inform her decisions on how to prioritize state services during times of tight budgets.
Keeping an eye on the long view informed her approach to the 2026 session, where she prioritized the goal to “provide those services, but yet offering income tax rebates as well.”
“It’s competing priorities, making state government more affordable, but…continuing at the same time the services that Georgians expect and need from state government, particularly when times are hard,” she said.
Jones pointed to increased literacy funding in the 2026 state budget as a personal priority, due to dropping literacy rates in Georgia elementary schools.
At the local level, Jones was involved in the creation of 15 new cities in Georgia, producing new cityhoods for the first time in almost 50 years. The experience showed her how local government can make communities more vibrant, interesting and responsive.
“It results in happier citizens, because they feel that there is someone they can call on their city council that they might know from church or from their children’s school…as opposed to a county commissioner they’ve never met,” said Jones.
Jones championed the creation of the city of Milton, where she resides. In a county with over a million residents, she believed decisions surrounding zoning, parks and land use should be made by a government closer to the people it serves. Jones held several public meetings and town halls, and defended the creation of the city, arguing that it “was not more government, but government that is closer to the people.”
When asked about her advice for new lawmakers entering the General Assembly for the 2027 session, her advice was simple: “stay in their lane.” She encouraged members to focus on the state government and the services it provides, to support local elected officials and constituents, and resist the urge to manage local governments.
Jones also recommended that legislators learn to become both generalists and specialists, developing broad knowledge across issues while building deep expertise in one. She chose education as her area of focus.
Throughout her career, Jones worked hard to stay true to her values. She advised to “not let perfect be the enemy of good,” pointing out that everyday Georgians want decisions that make life easier, not dramatic change.
“They just want to go about their lives, raise their families, focus on their careers and retirement, and don’t want to have to remain aware of what the state legislature is doing, and that is why we should strive to make things better for the long term,” said Jones.
GMA wants to express our deep gratitude to Speaker Pro Tempore Jones for her service and her partnership with Georgia’s cities during her time in the General Assembly, and we wish her and her family well as she retires from her seat at the end of 2026.