State Senator Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, has been elected by his peers to serve as president pro tem of the Georgia Senate, making him the second highest-ranking member of the chamber.
Miller's election took place Thursday evening during the Senate Republican Caucus retreat. When Miller is officially named to the position by the full Senate in January, Hall County officials will occupy the top two spots in the chamber. Lt. Gov. and Senate president Casey Cagle is also from Gainesville.
The victory marks Miller's second run for the position, having lost to Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth, in 2014. Shafer left an opening this year when he resigned the leadership post to run for Lt. Governor.
Commenting Friday morning, Miller said Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, nominated him for the position, with Sen. Larry Walker, R-Perry, seconding. Miller said Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, and others encouraged him to assemble a coalition and run for the post again.
"So what you do is you go around the state, and you visit with folks. It's a great opportunity to realize what's important to all parts of Georgia."
Miller's rise to the position is somewhat analogous to current Gov. Nathan Deal's political path. Deal, also from Hall County, served as Senate president pro tem before his time in the U.S. House of Representatives and later as Governor.
"Let's not read anything into that. Let's tend the garden we've planted," Miller said. "It's a nice parallel and analogy...,but I want to take care of my constituents in the 49th District and do the very best job I can with the job I've got, and we'll go from there."
Miller, who has served as a floor leader for Deal, said he's honored to be selected president pro tem.
And while he said his primary focus will be to serve the constituents of the district as their Republican Senator, Miller noted the ideological and political divide in recent times.
"It will give me the opportunity to work across the party lines and pass legislation that's good for all Georgians," Miller said. "When you take that oath, you take the oath to represent everyone, and that's very, very important to me."
By profession, Miller works as general manager and vice president of Milton Martin Honda, a vehicle dealership in Gainesville.
