Get to Know Your Representative

By population, Georgia is the eighth largest state in America. Like our federal counterpart, we have three branches in our state government: the Executive Branch (our Governor), the Judicial Branch (our Supreme Court) and the Legislative Branch (our General Assembly — the House of Representatives and the Senate). Georgia has 180 representatives and 56 senators. Each representative has approximately 55,000 constituents. Each senator has approximately 180,000 constituents.I am honored to serve as your representative for House District (HD) 22. HD 22 covers east Cherokee County (parts of Woodstock, Canton, Holly Springs and all of Ball Ground, Hickory Flat, Nelson and Macedonia). The district also extends into part of Forsyth and Fulton counties. Overall, HD 22 is 80% in Cherokee, 15% in Forsyth and 5% in Fulton.

It’s important to understand that, unlike many other states and the U.S. Congress, Georgia has a citizen legislature, which means being a legislator is considered a part-time job. Georgia pays its legislators, whether representative or senator, the same salary (just over $17,000 a year). Georgia has decided that it wants legislators who also have regular jobs.

My fulltime job of just over ten years is that of being the young-adult pastor at Woodstock Baptist Church. My other fulltime job is being a husband and a dad. I love my church, and I love my jobs.
I am committed to being completely transparent and accessible. For example:

I give my cell phone number to anyone who wants it. You can call or text 770-722-7526, and I will answer or call you back. My constituents should be able to reach me if they need me.

I answer all my emails. I have a government email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. However, sometimes government email is unreliable, so the best email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Email me anytime with a question or concern you may have.

I post all my votes to Twitter and Facebook. My Twitter handle is @wcantrell, and you can easily find me, friend me, or message me on Facebook. I stand behind all my votes, and I’m happy to discuss any of them with you.

My suggestions for you:

Discover who is your representative and senator. Call/email them to introduce yourself, and let them know what’s important to you. Invite them to coffee or a meal. Let them know that you will be praying for them.

If you have children aged 12-18, sign them up to page at the capitol. For more information about this, visit WesCantrell.com.

Come visit us at the capitol. I enjoy hosting people during session or giving tours when we are not in session.

I’ve found that most of my colleagues welcome the opportunity to get to know their constituents and their concerns. I look forward to hearing from you!