Carmen A. Rice, 50, of Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia, United States has been reelected as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 139th district of the state. On April 9, 2024, she and Sean Knox defeated their fellow Republican candidate Donald Moeller and independent candidate Robert Mallard in a special general election for the position.
Columbus is the county seat of Muscogee County. Rice served as the chairwoman of the Muscogee County Republican Party.
Carmen Rice
On May 7, 2024, Rice defeated Knox in the special general runoff election. On May 21, 2024, she defeated him again in the Republican primary while Carl Sprayberry run unopposed in the Democratic primary for the position.
On October 16, 2024, Rice turned 50. On November 5, 2024, she was reelected by defeating Sprayberry and Mallard in the general election for the position.
Mallard, an independent candidate, received 40 votes. Rice won with 19,069 votes.
Sprayberry finished second with 10,665 votes. He works full-time as a chef at an upscale restaurant in Columbus.
Born in Columbus, Sprayberry turned 32 on June 3, 1992. In 2020, he ran for state house in Georgia and lost to Richard Smith.
Born in Wrightsville, Georgia, Smith served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from January 10, 2005 until his death on January 30, 2024. He was succeeded by Rice.
From 1997 to 2002, Smith was a city councilmember in Columbus. On March 9, 2023, he turned 78.
Rice obtained a high school diploma from the Christian Heritage Academy in Columbus. She worked as a party activist.
In 1997, Rice and Steven Rice got married. They have four children together.
As a former foster parent, Carmen advocates for foster and adoption care reform. Her children have attended public school and private school and some of them were homeschooled and she supports school choice.
CONAN Daily 