ATLANTA – Democrats will stick with their current state House of Representatives leader after gaining nearly a dozen seats in this month’s election.

House Minority Leader Bob Trammell, D-Luthersville, has led the caucus since last year, when Stacey Abrams stepped down to run for governor. Trammell faced a challenge from an Abrams ally, Rep. Carolyn Hugley of Columbus.

Democrats backed Trammell with a 43-to-27 vote in a closed-door meeting held Monday at the state Capitol.

All told, Democrats picked up nearly a dozen seats in the House because of a massive shift in suburban Atlanta – and that’s with Democrats losing three seats in rural Georgia.

Of the 180-member House, Democrats now hold 75 of the seats. Republicans still hold a comfortable majority in both chambers.

Trammell said afterwards that while he was proud of the electoral gains under his leadership, his pitch for reelection was focused on what Democrats should do with the increased strength.

“The work gets harder,” Trammell said. “Now that we have greater numbers, it’s a heightened opportunity but also a heightened obligation to take those numbers and achieve something legislatively, whether that be good policy – we’ll certainly continue to push for Medicaid expansion – or whether it be stopping bad policy.”

Trammell said his caucus would remain vigilant in opposition to religious freedom bills, any proposals that would create barriers to vote and controversial cityhood bills such as the failed effort to carve out a new city from the existing city of Stockbridge.

“It’s a results-oriented process,” Trammell said. “And constituents want to know that we’re using our time in the legislature to get good things done.”

Trammell, who was first elected in 2014, is an attorney who represents a mostly rural district in middle Georgia.

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for The Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI’s newspapers and websites.