Former Representative Ben Harbin Found Dead At Augusta Hotel

Former Georgia House of Representative Ben Harbin was found dead Wednesday evening at a hotel on Washington Road in Augusta.

Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen said he was called to the Fairfield Inn in the 3000 block of Washington Road after Harbin was found unresponsive in his hotel room. No foul play is expected. Bowen pronounced Harbin dead at 7:12 p.m.

Harbin, who no longer lives in Evans, was reportedly in Augusta to attend a family function and never made it there.

Bowen said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of his death. No other information is being released at this time.

Current House Speaker Jon Burns issued a statement saying, "Please join us in lifting up his family, and the entire Augusta community, as they face the difficult days ahead."

Harbin was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, serving the people of Columbia County for nearly 20 years. Before that, he was chair of the Richmond County Republican party.

He held key leadership positions over the course of those nearly 3 decades including Vice Chair of the Health Appropriations Committee, Chair of the Telecommunications subcommittee of Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, and Chair of the Sales Tax Subcommittee of Ways and Means.

Harbin was a huge supporter of small businesses in Georgia, receiving the Champion of Small Business Award in 2011. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce also named Harbin the Legislator of the Year in 2009.

Harbin announced in 2015 he was resigning from his house seat at the end of the 2015 legislative session to take a job with a national lobbying firm.

Harbin joined Southern Strategy Group, which represents health care clients, including the Medical Association of Georgia. He eventually left that position to become a senior adviser at BakerHostetler law firm.