Mary Ann

 State Representative Mary Ann Santos is a proud 25-year resident of Henry County and a product of the community she now serves. Her family came to the district when they opened their small business, and she graduated from Henry County High School before building her own career and raising her children here as a single mother with the support of neighbors, educators, and local churches.

For more than 20 years, she served in the court system in public service roles, developing the criminal justice expertise she now uses to strengthen our courts and protect children and families. She became a homeowner at 24 while raising her young family, an early milestone that reflected her determination to build stability and opportunity. She later returned to school as a first-generation college student at Mercer University in the district she now represents. While continuing to work full time, she attended classes at night and completed Mercer University’s Criminal Justice Leadership program, a turning point that set her on a path of continued education and public service. She went on to earn a Master of Public Administration from Clayton State University and continues her legal education as part of her lifelong commitment to serving her community.

She is guided by the voices of the families she represents and is focused on expanding opportunity and delivering results for working people across House District 117. When residents raised concerns about dangerous intersections and worsening traffic, she worked directly with the Georgia Department of Transportation and local partners to deliver safety improvements for Henry County drivers and families, while continuing to support the small businesses that are the backbone of the local economy.

Representative Santos helped lead the effort in the Georgia House to create a committee dedicated to raising the age so that 17-year-olds are no longer automatically prosecuted in adult court, and she was a proud co-sponsor of House legislation to raise the age that successfully passed the House. She has sponsored legislation to help keep families in their homes by reforming eviction timelines, to provide free school meals for students in underperforming schools, to strengthen protections for survivors of domestic violence, and to ensure students understand their fundamental rights. She successfully advocated for the removal of a proposed statewide student threat database so that children are not permanently labeled for misunderstandings while still supporting school safety. She also carried legislation to modernize funeral home regulations, helping small, family-owned businesses better serve grieving families in our community.

She made history as the first Latina elected from Henry County to the Georgia General Assembly, reflecting her commitment to expanding opportunity and ensuring every child in the community knows their future has no limits.

This is not just the district she represents. It is the community that helped her rebuild her life. Today, she remains dedicated to serving the families of House District 117 and building a stronger future for the next generation.