ATLANTA — Emory Dunahoo Jr. is officially Hall County's newest legislator.

Joined by new colleagues in the legislature and his family, the Oakwood businessman was sworn into his position Wednesday morning as representative of Georgia House District 25. It was just a week ago that he won a runoff election to fill James Mills' unexpired term.

"This is going to be a new challenge," Dunahoo said in brief remarks following the oath. "I'm looking to build bridges to islands and make new friends."

He spent the rest of the morning meeting his secretary, finding his office, obtaining his legislative parking passes and taking his first seat in the District 25 chair in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Before Wednesday's ceremony, Georgia House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones told Dunahoo the coming experience would be "one of the most exciting" of his life.

"You're not playing baseball anymore. You're not playing soccer. But you can come down here and make a difference for Georgians, for your district," Jones said.

She and Majority Whip Ed Lindsey attended the ceremony to welcome Dunahoo into what Jones called "the family."

As for Dunahoo's blood family, it was the first time his father, Emory Dunahoo Sr., had stepped foot in the Capitol in some 60 years, since he visited the Gold Dome on a school trip, he said.

He watched from his son's future seat in the chamber as Dunahoo Jr. joined his legislative "family."

Like an older brother, Lindsey offered a few bits of advice to the newly minted representative, telling Dunahoo he had "huge shoes" to fill.

Mills resigned from the post in October after 18 years.

He now serves on the state's board of Pardons and Paroles.

Dunahoo, who is Mills' brother-in-law, will complete the final year of Mills' legislative term. The legislative session begins in January.

"James was a towering individual in this House," Lindsey said. "Your job is to, quite frankly ... make us forget about James. This is your seat now."

Dunahoo was one of seven men to sign up for the job once Mills left. None received the majority of votes cast in a November election, but Dunahoo received the most votes then and in a Dec. 6 runoff snagged nearly 63 percent.

Dunahoo has a background in trucking logistics as a former partner in K&D Transportation in Oakwood. Today, Dunahoo is partly involved in poultry sales.

He is an avid outdoorsman, having helped organize bass tournaments for Challenged Child and Friends and planned JAKES day at the Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center for the last decade.

He awaits assignments to House committees. Dunahoo has already expressed interest in the committees on banks and banking; health and human services; game, fish and parks; and transportation.

"Wherever they put me, I'm going to serve," he said.