El-Mahdi Holly

Every year, the AJC compiles a list of the best dressed lawmakers from legislative session, ranking Holly #4 in 2022.

El-Mahdi Holly has sponsored and/or co-sponsored over 127 pieces of legislation to date, of which several have made it to the floor and signed by the governor. In 2021, Holly sponsored the bill which sought to stop the carving up of incorporated cities. This had major implications leading to the failed movement to de-annex Buckhead from the city of Atlanta. He also co-sponsored a bipartisan measure which was eventually signed into law that stopped worker misclassification. This was a major win celebrated by both parties as it prohibited employers from defrauding the state of Georgia and their workforce in relations to tax obligations. Holly was also the mastermind in getting the City of Locust Grove 100% homestead exemption by placing a local referendum on the 2022 general election ballot.

Holly ran in a special election for the Georgia House to fill the remainder of the term of Brian Strickland in January 2018. In the nonpartisan blanket election, Republican Geoffrey Cauble earned 51% of the 3,652 total votes, while Holly finished in second place with 30%, fellow Democrat Tarji Leonard Dunn got 12%, and Republican Larry Morey received 6%. Holly ran again in the November 2018 general election. After 4 back-to-back races that year, Holly won an upset victory over the incumbent, pulling a 13-point lead and 16,143 votes over Cauble's 12,385 votes, essentially flipping the semi-rural district out of Republican control.

El-Mahdi E. Holly (born February 16, 1976) is an American politician from the state of Georgia. A member of the Democratic Party, Holly has served in the Georgia House of Representatives for the 111th district.