Late Georgia House Speaker Ralston honored at Capitol with portrait at entrance of chamber where he presided

A portrait of the late Speaker David Ralston, who died unexpectedly in late 2022 after leading the chamber for more than a decade, will soon greet lawmakers as they enter the House chamber.

The painting was formally unveiled Thursday on the House floor during a ceremony that featured two former governors – Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal – and the sitting one, Gov. Brian Kemp.

“Speaker Ralston had a generational impact on our state,” said House Speaker Jon Burns. “Now I’ll tell you it’s pretty special today that three gentlemen that have led this state that were friends of Speaker Ralston are here to help us pay tribute.

“But I think the measure of a person is built on relationships like this but, more importantly, is built on that relationship and caring about the least of us.” 

During his last session, Ralston put his political capital behind a landmark mental health bill that helped rally bipartisan energy around lifting Georgia’s lagging system of care.

His portrait was created by Gainesville artist Travis Massey and commissioned by the University of North Georgia, where Ralston earned a degree. 

It will be hung to the right of the center entrance, providing a counterweight to former House Speaker Thomas Murphy’s portrait on the other side of the doorway. Murphy remains one of the longest serving speakers of a state legislature, and Ralston was the currently longest serving speaker when he died. 

Ralston’s portrait will replace that of George B. Hamilton, who was a longtime state treasurer. 

House lawmakers capped Thursday’s ceremony by singing happy birthday to Ralston, who would have turned 70 Thursday.

Over in the Senate, lawmakers honored Ralston with a resolution encouraging the University of North Georgia and University System of Georgia to name a new academic building at its Blue Ridge after Ralston.

But that chamber’s tribute briefly took a turn when north Georgia Sen. Colton Moore used the moment to criticize Ralston for his use of legislative leave during his time as speaker.

Moore has already been booted from the GOP caucus in the Senate, and now he’s no longer allowed inside the House chambers. After Moore’s speech, which was cut short by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who said Thursday was not the time or place for the remarks, the speaker made the rare move of banning Moore from the House he once served in.