LAKELAND — A Lanier County businessman has thrown his hat into the ring to fill a Georgia House of Representatives seat.

Franklin Patten, owner of Southern Financial Systems, Computer Design and co-owner of Patten Blackberry Farms, announced in a statement this week he will seek the House District 176 seat being vacated by Jason Shaw.

Shaw has been appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the Public Service Commission starting Jan. 1, forcing a special election for his House seat.

District 176 covers all of Lanier and Atkinson counties and portions of Lowndes and Ware counties.

Patten will run as a Republican.

He serves as chairman of the Lanier County Board of Education and previously served on the Lakeland City Council and the Lakeland/Lanier County Development Authority. 

He was also a board member of the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. He served in the Lanier County Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, the Cancer Society and the Oak Lawn Foundation. 

Patten received his bachelor of science degree from Valdosta State University and graduated from The Georgia Banking School at the University of Georgia and The Carl Vinson Institute of Leadership at the University of Georgia.

“In the Statehouse, I will work hard to champion the interests important to our families and businesses – strong schools, rural health care, more jobs, expanding rural broadband, promoting our agriculture industry and protecting our conservative values,” Patten said in a statement.

“I believe with my experience in elected office, as a successful businessman, and as a leader in this community, I am prepared to serve the people in the district.”

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.