Georgia House District 157 Candidates Guide: Micah King vs. Bradley Anderson (2026 Election)

When voters across Appling, Evans, Jeff Davis, and Tattnall Counties cast their ballots in the 2026 General Election, they will decide who represents Southeast Georgia in the Georgia House of Representatives for the next two years.

This seat has seen significant political transition this year. After ten years of service, incumbent Republican Representative Bill Werkheiser was defeated in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary by challenger Bradley Anderson. Voters now face a clear choice between two local residents with distinct backgrounds, experiences, and legislative visions: Micah King and Bradley B. Anderson.

To help voters make an informed decision at the ballot box, this guide provides an objective, side-by-side comparison of the candidates, their professional backgrounds, and their approaches to the most urgent issues facing rural Southeast Georgia.

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Quick Race Overview

Detail	Micah King	Bradley B. Anderson
Party Nomination	Democratic Party	Republican Party
Hometown	Glennville, GA (Tattnall County)	Reidsville, GA (Tattnall County)
Primary Background	Former City Councilman, Educator, Financial Counselor (AFC®)	Small Business Owner, Funeral Director, Former Police Chief & Coroner
Key Issues	Rural hospital stabilization, utility rate reform, family farm tax protection	Small business deregulation, public safety support, traditional conservative values
Campaign Website	votega157.com	electbradleyb.com

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The Candidates: Background & Public Service

Bradley B. Anderson (Republican Nominee)

Bradley B. Anderson is a lifelong resident of Tattnall County and a well-known local business owner in Reidsville.

• Business & Community Roots: Anderson is a licensed funeral director and the owner and operator of Bradley B. Anderson Funeral Home in Reidsville. Through his business, he has served families across Tattnall and neighboring rural counties for decades during times of loss.
• Law Enforcement & Public Service: Prior to his legislative campaign, Anderson’s public service career included work in local law enforcement, where he served as a municipal police chief and as Tattnall County Coroner.
• Primary Victory: In the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, Anderson mounted an active challenge against incumbent Representative Bill Werkheiser, securing the Republican nomination on a platform centered on business experience, public safety, and conservative community values.

Micah King (Democratic Nominee)

Micah King is a former Glennville City Councilman, educator, and financial professional rooted in Tattnall County.

• Municipal Governance: As a member of the Glennville City Council, King worked directly on municipal budgeting, infrastructure maintenance, public works, and community services. His local government service centered on fiscal responsibility and making city hall responsive to daily constituent needs.
• Financial & Educational Background: Professionally, King works as an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) and educator. His career has focused on helping working families, rural workers, and young adults navigate debt, kitchen-table budgeting, utility costs, and career transitions.
• Community Advocacy: King launched his legislative campaign to bring proactive, accessible representation to the Gold Dome, emphasizing constituent service, transparent communication, and quarterly open town halls across all four district counties.

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Where the Candidates Stand on Key Issues

District 157 faces challenges that transcend national partisan talking points. From hospital solvency and utility rates to timber preservation and local school funding, here is how the race frames the central questions facing Southeast Georgia.

1. Rural Healthcare & Hospital Solvency

Southeast Georgia has experienced significant strain on its healthcare infrastructure. Facilities like Evans Memorial Hospital in Claxton and Appling Healthcare in Baxley provide essential emergency care, local jobs, and maternal health services, but operate under tight margins.

• Micah King’s Approach: King views rural healthcare preservation as an urgent economic and public safety priority. He advocates for targeted state stabilization funds for rural independent hospitals, higher Medicaid reimbursement rates for rural healthcare providers, and incentives to recruit and retain doctors and nurses in Appling, Evans, Jeff Davis, and Tattnall Counties.
• Bradley Anderson’s Approach: Drawing from his business background, Anderson emphasizes reducing bureaucratic burdens, lowering state healthcare mandates, and supporting free-market options to expand access while maintaining fiscal discipline in state budget appropriations.

2. Utility Bills, Power Rates & Data Center Growth

Georgia power bills have climbed sharply due to multi-billion-dollar infrastructure buildouts and an unprecedented surge in commercial electricity demand from high-load data centers across the state.

• Micah King’s Approach: King has called for aggressive consumer ratepayer protection. He supports legislation to ensure large industrial power consumers (such as massive AI data centers) pay their fair share of new power generation costs, rather than having utility monopolies shift grid expansion costs onto rural homeowners, small businesses, and church electricity bills.
• Bradley Anderson’s Approach: Anderson aligns with pro-growth economic development, emphasizing that Georgia’s competitive energy sector and business-friendly regulatory climate attract capital investment, create commercial tax revenue, and support statewide job creation.

3. Agriculture, Timber & Family Farm Taxes

Agriculture and forestry are the economic lifeblood of District 157. Local onion growers in Glennville, timber tract owners across Appling and Jeff Davis, and poultry producers face rising input costs, unpredictable weather events, and property reassessments.

• Micah King’s Approach: King strongly supports Georgia Constitutional Amendment 1 on the 2026 ballot to increase the Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA) acreage cap from 2,000 to 4,000 acres, ensuring family farms and multi-generational timber growers are not taxed out of their land. He supports targeted tax exemptions for agricultural equipment and fertilizer inputs.
• Bradley Anderson’s Approach: Anderson supports protecting agricultural property rights, reducing state regulations on farm operations, and maintaining low statewide income and business tax rates to keep Georgia agribusiness globally competitive.

4. Constituent Access & Town Halls

Representation in the Georgia General Assembly requires staying connected to the people back home throughout the legislative session.

• Micah King’s Approach: King has pledged a strict open-door policy, promising to hold regular, quarterly town halls across Appling, Evans, Jeff Davis, and Tattnall Counties. The campaign formally invited Bradley Anderson to a joint candidate debate at the Glennville Town Hall on Saturday, October 17, 2026, keeping a reserved podium open for him to engage directly with constituents.
• Bradley Anderson’s Approach: Anderson has conducted traditional grassroots campaigning, meeting with constituents at community events, civic club meetings, and local small businesses throughout the district, emphasizing his established reputation and deep personal ties as a trusted local businessman.

5. Early Childhood Education, Childcare & Working Families

Accessible, affordable childcare and early learning opportunities are vital for working parents and local employers across Southeast Georgia.

• Micah King’s Approach: In his responses to the non-partisan GEEARS (Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students) 2026 candidate survey, King called for targeted state investment in early childhood education, expanded rural childcare capacity, and funded after-school programs to ensure working parents can balance shift work with family life.
• Bradley Anderson’s Approach: Anderson has emphasized traditional conservative fiscal principles and local control for communities. According to the GEEARS 2026 candidate guide, Anderson did not submit responses to the coalition’s questionnaire.

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District 157 Voting Logistics & Dates

Whether voting early or on Election Day, all registered voters across the district have multiple options to cast their ballots:

• In-Person Advance Voting Window: Tuesday, October 13 - Friday, October 30, 2026
• Mandatory Saturday Voting Days: Saturday, October 17 & Saturday, October 24, 2026
• Absentee Application Deadline: Friday, October 23, 2026
• General Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (7:00 AM - 7:00 PM)

For detailed polling locations, contact information for county election boards, and voter identification rules, review our comprehensive District 157 Early Voting Guide.

To verify your registration status and view your official precinct sample ballot, visit the official Georgia Secretary of State My Voter Page (mvp.sos.ga.gov).

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The Choice for District 157

The representative elected to House District 157 will cast votes on the state budget, tax policy, healthcare access, and rural development that directly affect families in Baxley, Claxton, Glennville, Hazlehurst, Reidsville, and every community in between.

Voters have a meaningful choice between two dedicated local leaders. Make your voice heard by participating in advance voting or casting your ballot on Tuesday, November 3.