DALTON, Ga. — Six candidates qualified for the state House of Representatives District 5 seat left vacant after the death of Rep. John Meadows.

Qualifying are:

• Matt Barton, a Republican and former member of the Calhoun City Council and the Calhoun Board of Education. He is the owner of a medical transport and delivery service and attended the University of North Georgia and Dalton State College.

• Steve Cochran, a Republican from Calhoun. He lists his occupation as retired.

• Larry Massey Jr., a Republican from Resaca. He is a retired aviator who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a real estate investor and property manager. He was appointed to fill a vacant post on the Gordon County Board of Education in 2017 and has a business management degree from Kennesaw State University.

• Scott Tidwell, who listed his occupation as pastor and insurance agent. Tidwell lost to Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, in the Republican primary earlier this year. Payne won by 440 votes out of the more than 9,500 votes in the primary and easily won in the general election over Democrat Michael Morgan. Tidwell is originally from Cobb County and moved to the area five years ago. He has a bachelor’s degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary and currently pastors Prayer Baptist Church.

• Brian Rosser, a musician from Calhoun whose Facebook page says he is a member of the Gordon County Democratic Committee. Rosser was the Democratic candidate for District 5 in the November General Election and was defeated by Meadows by 81.56 percent to 18.44 percent.

• Jesse Vaughn, a Republican and an attorney in Calhoun with Vaughn & Clements. P.C. He earned his law degree from Mercer University and was formerly on the board of directors for the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce.

Meadows, the chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, died of stomach cancer in November. He was 74. Meadows was first elected to the District 5 seat in 2004.

The special election for the District 5 seat is Jan. 8, 2019. A runoff, necessary if no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote, would be Feb. 5. District 5 comprises parts of Gordon and Murray counties.