By John Fredericks / Staff

It's what legacies are made of.

He first came to the Georgia Legislature in 1992, at age 31, winning his first election in a four-candidate open primary with 70 percent of the vote, crushing everyone in the field. His closet competitor got 14 percent. A political novice, he started knocking on doors March 1 -- and never missed a day -- right up to the July 21 primary.

He descended upon the capital a lonely Republican, one of only 33 GOP members out of 180, serving in the perpetual minority under the iron-fisted rule of legendary House Speaker Tom Murphy (D).

Nine terms and 18 years later, Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek) now serves in a legislative body that is solidly Republican, highly conservative and very bold.

A group of 33 formed 18 years ago is now a juggernaut of 105 -- representing the most massive political party turnover of a statehouse in U.S. history.

Toiling tirelessly for nearly two decades to elect those 72 Republican House members in every corner of the state, showing the same determination and work ethic he demonstrated as a first time candidate, he started picking off entrenched Democrats one by one, year by year.

Some say he's had enough rubber chicken dinners and lunchtime hot dogs to feed a traveling circus caravan on a cross-country excursion.

When it was all said and done, Burkhalter was one of the key alchemists who took Georgia from deep and longtime blue to vibrant red.

In 2003, Governor Sonny Perdue, citing the lawmaker's "vision and determination" named him Administration Floor Leader where he became the first Republican to author the state budget since Reconstruction. He was elected with the bipartisan support of his colleagues to serve as the first Republican in 134 years as Speaker Pro Tem, the second ranking position in the Georgia House.

THE YEAR THAT WAS

The last 12 months have, however, proved politically tumultuous for Burkhalter.

He seriously considered a run for governor last year, where he would have immediately been a top tier candidate had he opted in. He ultimately decided against a bid in late April.

Seeking to pursue other career opportunities, the veteran legislator was invited to apply for the Executive Director position of the Georgia World Congress Center in the fall. He quickly earned leading contender status. Going into the winter break, having secured the endorsement of several influential board members, he was on the short list of four finalists for the coveted position. 

Then his political wheel of fortune starting spinning the wrong way and landing on the wrong spaces.

First, former House Speaker Glenn Richardson, after a suicide attempt, was forced to resign in disgrace in December due to a messy and infamous sexual liaison with a noted lobbyist. Burkhalter became only the second Republican House Speaker in Georgia history, and the first from North Fulton County. This turn of events, however, made his candidacy for the top GWCC post untenable --for political reasons. He soon withdrew, presiding over the House for less than a month.

But another business opportunity soon knocked again. Burkhalter, a realtor and entrepreneur, gained several international clients for the consulting arm of his company, who retained his firm to help with European property development projects. From there, he was introduced to another bevy of potential clients in the UK, who were seeking real estate and consulting help in gearing up the for 2012 London Summer Olympics. The savvy businessman quickly launched an burgeoning international division of his company, opened up a London office and set up what is now a thriving land development and consulting subsidiary "across the pond".

In a year of life-changing twist and turns, Burkhalter decided against seeking a tenth House term on Tuesday.  

Speculation is he'll step down after this term and not seek re-election. But icons like Burkhlater don't always follow the path you think they will, often bucking conventional wisdom.

2010 SCORECARD: ONE FOR TWO

Burkhalter went into the 2010 General Assembly with two primary objectives: pass his Dome bill and secure a house supermajority for the creation of Milton County. He went one for two. Milton County failed, but his Dome bill is golden.

The Georgia Dome is now a step closer to a renovation or a total rebuild after state Senate and House legislators voted to allow Atlanta to extend the seven percent hotel-motel tax that pays for the state property.

The Dome will be paid off in 2015, but the former Speaker believes Atlanta might need a better stadium to retain the Falcons. His House colleagues agreed, 127-18.

Now it's up to Atlanta to decide whether to continue the hotel-motel tax. The bill enables the city to reauthorize the seven percent tax through 2050; they must continue to channel 40 percent of that to the Dome. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has endorsed the bill, and so have a majority of the Atlanta City Council, so it’s a done deal.

"WHAT IF" SUCCESSOR SCENARIOS RUN  RAMPANT

Politics being what it is, several local candidates have wasted no time in positioning themselves to succeed Burkhlater in his District 50 Johns Creek House seat should he decide not to seek a tenth term. These include Johns Creek Councilwoman Beverly Miller, a public relations executive with Emory Johns Creek Hospital; retired U.S. Naval Commander and local business consultant Steve Broadbent; a former U.S. Treasury official in the first Bush Administration and the very popular Northside Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley, also from Johns Creek, who runs a CPA firm.

If Riley indeed pursues the house seat, another Johns Creek resident, Councilwoman Liz Hausmann, a sales executive and former Fulton County GOP Chairwoman, will likely run for Riley's commission seat, which is up this fall.

If Burkhalter bows out, a contested primary is expected, although sources say powerful House Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones (R-Milton) is a Miller enthusiast, which would put the one-term local councilwoman in the primary election driver's seat.

But no one knows for sure what Burkhalter will do come next week.

What's for sure is that whoever his successor is -- and whenever it is -- he or she will be attempting to fill the shoes of statewide political eidolon, and fill a "legacy" seat. And that's never easy.