Athens attorney Deborah Gonzalez will run as a Democrat for the Georgia House District 117 seat currently held by Republican Regina Quick, also an Athens attorney.

The bulk of the district is in southern Jackson County, but it includes Athens-Clarke County roughly from Tallassee Road westward, extending into the Bogart and Malcom Bridge areas of Oconee County, and also into a small section of eastern Barrow County.

Gonzalez quietly announced her candidacy on June 10 at Bishop Park in Athens-Clarke County, and has launched a campaign website at http://votedeborahgonzalez.com. She has additional social media for her campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DG4GA and on Twitter @DG4GA.

Gonzalez’s announcement comes nine months before qualifying begins for next year’s partisan primaries in advance of the November 2018 general election. Quick has not yet indicated publicly whether she will seek re-election to the District 117 seat, where she is currently serving her third two-year term.

Gonzalez, who has been practicing law for more than 20 years with a focus on media and entertainment and social media and technology, says she is running to lessen Republican dominance in the state legislature. On her campaign website, Gonzalez writes, "We need to flip this seat [from Republican to Democratic] so we can be at the table. We need to flip as many seats as possible so that our voice can be strong and clear."

Currently, the five-member delegation to the Georgia General Assembly whose districts include at least part of Athens-Clarke County has just one Democrat, Spencer Frye, whose district lies solely within Athens-Clarke County.

The campaign for the House District 117 seat is Gonzalez’s first attempt at seeking public office, but her campaign website notes that she has been "an active advocate for issues affecting our community and the future of our democracy including: the protection of children and lobbying with the organization Street Grace on the issue of Domestic Minors Sexual Trafficking Act; participating in various protests and rallies regarding women’s issues and human rights; leading a series of First Amendment sessions for creatives in a time of resistance; organizing and participating in various pro bono legal clinics with Nuci’s Space [an Athens nonprofit organization that provides access to health care and other resources for local musicians] and the Georgia Lawyers for the Arts over the years; and more."

Gonzalez also says on her website that the results of last year’s elections, which saw New York real estate mogul Donald Trump elected president, were a factor in her decision to run for the state House seat.

"On November 9, 2016 my life turned upside down," Gonzalez wrote. "As I watched the final results that morning I realized that all the things I had told my daughters – they could do anything, they could be anything, bad people pay consequences, women and human rights were being upheld, prejudice and racism were being addressed, good and justice win out – all that felt like a lie. I knew I had to do something."

Gonzalez’s campaign website outlines her views on four issues: health, education, jobs and internet security and information technology infrastructure.

On health issues, Gonzalez says, "Women and children, the poor and the elderly are the ones who suffer most. Their rights must be protected."

She advocates a broad-based approach to education, writing on her website, "We must make sure we are teaching students the skills they need to meet the job requirements for the near- and long-term future, whether that be mechanical engineering or mechanical repair. Our communities need both."

Gonzalez goes on to advocate infrastructure repair and support for small businesses as keys to creating new job opportunities.

And, Gonzalez says she will use her expertise in information technology to help implement measures to address computer hacking and to protect personal privacy, both of which she sees as "a part of the overall strategy for homeland security on the state level."