State Rep. Mandi Ballinger died after a long battle with cancer, House Speaker Jon Burns announced Sunday.

The Canton Republican served in Georgia’s State House for more than a decade. Voters first elected her in 2012. She most recently served as chair of the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee, representing District 23.

“Her commitment to advocating on behalf of the most vulnerable among us, including children and survivors of domestic violence, has certainly left an indelible mark on countless lives across the entire state of Georgia,” Burns said in a statement.

Ballinger started her career working at a domestic violence shelter and later at a district attorney’s office as a victim advocate. She was later a founding director for a child advocacy center.

In a statement, Gov. Brian Kemp

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