MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — When state Rep. Edwards Culver “Rusty” Kidd III leaves office soon, it will bring an end to a family legacy that has spanned more than seven decades in Georgia politics.

Kidd, the only independent candidate to ever be elected and serve in the Georgia State Legislature, decided to withdraw as a candidate for another term in the Georgia House of Representatives. He cited medical reasons for the decision.

“This will be the first time that a Kidd will not be in the halls of that capitol in 70 years,” Kidd lamented during a recent in-depth interview with The Union-Recorder. “Daddy started in 1946, and I’m finishing in 2016.”

Before he and his father served Georgians as state lawmakers, his great grandfather and grandfather served in such positions.

“I would have loved to have stayed in the race,” Kidd said.

He said his doctors had informed him that he needed to give his health issues his utmost attention.

Kidd, a former star football player at Baldwin High School who went on to quarterback the undefeated Baylor team in 1964 before he received a full scholarship to play football at the University of Tennessee, was later paralyzed from his chest down following a 1999 motorcycle crash.

The 70-year-old Kidd served as state representative of District 145 from 2009 through 2016. The district includes all of Baldwin County, as well as a portion of neighboring Putnam County.

Kidd, who won the state House seat once held by former state Rep. Bobby Eugene Parham, said he still plans on being involved in political affairs.

“I’m going to continue to be involved in different things, because I think a lot of those things are important things,” Kidd said. “I plan to go to Atlanta sometimes during the upcoming General Assembly, but obviously, I won’t be as involved as I have been in past years.”

Kidd, a native son of Milledgeville and Baldwin County, is one of several family members who have served as state lawmakers.

He was named after his father, Edwards Culver Kidd Jr., who served as a state representative for 18 years and state senator from Milledgeville and Baldwin County for 28 years. His father was often referred to in political circles as “The Silver Fox.”

The elder Kidd, who waged an unsuccessful bid to become lieutendent governor in 1962, served as a state lawmaker for 46 years.

Another big influence in Rusty Kidd’s political life was his oldest sister, the late Tillie Fowler, who served as a member of U.S. Congress. She represented the state of Florida for eight years.

“She was known as the Steel Magnolia,” recalled Rusty of his oldest sister, who passed away several years ago.

Kidd’s son, Edwards Culver Kidd IV, who works as an assistant district attorney in Charleston, S.C., also is interested in politics. He ran for a state House seat in South Carolina this past November.

“Politics has run in my family for many, many years,” Kidd said with a big smile. “I grew up in politics.”

Prior to becoming elected a state representative, Kidd served many years as a state lobbyist where he got to know lots and lots of politicians in both the Republican and Democratic parties.

“Since I knew that bills could be passed quicker by those with more experience in the state legislature, I asked them to help me,” Kidd said. “I did that a lot of times. I didn’t give a damn whose name was on it, just the bottom line was all that counted.”

In a few days, Rick Williams will take the oath of office as the person who replaces Rep. Kidd. Williams defeated Floyd L. Griffin Jr. in November’s general election.

Kidd said he believes Williams will become a “fine” state lawmaker. Williams becomes the first Republican ever elected to the Georgia House of Representatives from Milledgeville and Baldwin County.

Asked if he was going to miss the job as state representative, Kidd quickly replied that he would miss the role he played for several years.

“But I’ll say this, as I’ve told a lot of people, my door was open before I ran for the state legislature, and my door will be open after my term is over with,” Kidd said.

He said he had made a lot of good friends through the years working as a lobbyist for 38 years, and later a state lawmaker.

“I’m going to miss seeing and talking with them on an everyday basis during the General Assembly, but they are still going to be my friends, and I plan to stay in touch with many of them,” said Kidd, whose career as a lobbyist began in 1972.

Kidd said he hopes that Milledgeville and Baldwin County, as well as Putnam County, will continue to grow in years to come.

“I’d like to see a lot more jobs created in this area by new industry, and I’d like to see something done about rural healthcare so we can some of the hospitals that find themselves in all kinds of bad shape, financially,” Kidd said.