ATLANTA — The death of Georgia House Speaker David Ralston Nov. 16 sent shockwaves among politicians, many who lauded the Republican’s ability to see beyond party lines.

On Nov. 4, his office announced he would not seek the nomination for Speaker of the House for the 2023-24 legislative session, apparently due to health issues.

“Serving as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives has been the honor of a lifetime, and I owe a heartfelt thank you to my colleagues for the trust and confidence they placed in me 13 years ago,” said Ralston, the 73rd Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, at the time. “I need to take time to address a health challenge which has arisen recently, and the House needs a Speaker who can devote the necessary time and energy to the office. I love the House and want to see the honorable men and women who serve in it succeed. I will work the remainder of my term as Speaker to ensure a smooth transition for my successor.”

Ralston was just reelected Nov. 8 to the 7th House district (Fannin and Gilmer counties, and a portion of Dawson County) after running unopposed. He was first elected to the seat in 2002 and was first elected as Speaker of the House in 2010. He was reportedly the longest currently serving state House speaker in the country.

“He cherished the idea of his beloved House being a body that truly represented all of Georgia’s people, and he respected each of the elected members that comprised it, regardless of partisan differences,” said Georgia Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, a Republican. “It takes a genuinely good and decent person to lead that way. That is how Speaker Ralston will be remembered in our hearts and our history, as a genuinely good and decent man.”

“Speaker Ralston cared about institutions in a way that is rare,” Democrat State Rep. Josh McLaurin said. “He showed respect where it was due and asked the same in return. Politics and disagreements are inevitable, but his statesmanship was a choice.”

Ralston, 68, also worked with leaders in both parties to move Georgia forward through bipartisan legislation like Georgia’s comprehensive adoption reform in 2018 and the state’s first-ever paid parental leave policy for state employees and teachers in 2021, according to his office.

In 2022, Ralston led the fight for historic reform of mental health care in Georgia, Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act, and accompanying funding to transform access to and delivery of mental health services and treatment.

“He possessed a formidable mind, served as a thoughtful leader and was a dear, true friend,” said former House representative and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.

“Our politics differed but David never allowed them to permanently divide. God’s peace to a great Georgian who will be missed.”

“I was privileged to serve with David in the General Assembly,” Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer said. “He gets too little credit for his leadership on conservative issues, particularly in the areas of protecting life and securing our Second Amendment rights.”

Ralston’s office said his wife, Sheree, his children and other members of the family were with him when he passed.

Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, R-Milton, will serve the remainder of Ralston’s term, which ends in January.

The Speaker of the House, elected by and from the members of the House on the first day each legislative session, serves as the House’s chief administrative officer. The Speaker also presides over House floor sessions, assigns bills to committees, and calls matters before the House for debate.

The House of Representatives will elect a new Speaker when the House convenes for the first day of the 2023-24 legislative session on Jan. 9, 2023.