VOTERS GUIDE SUNDAY, July 15, 2018 ♦ MDJ C

GUNFIGHT
at GA corral

Cagle, Kemp in a duel while Abrams awaits result

By Ricky Leroux
rleroux@mdjonline.com
Secret audio recordings. Accusations of trading legis-
lation to hurt a political rival. Millions of dollars raised
and spent. Ads featuring guns, chainsaws and explosions.
It’s been an interesting race for the Republican nomi-
nation for governor.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp
are locked in a runoff for the support of the GOP heading
into November. Polls show Cagle and Kemp neck and neck
heading into July 24th’s runoff election, a shift from the
May primary that saw Cagle finish with about 39 percent
of the vote compared to Kemp’s 25.6 percent.
The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Stacey
Abrams, the former Georgia House Minority Leader, in
November.
At a recent debate, each tried to frame the race around
issues of trust.
In secretly recorded tapes of Cagle speaking to Clay Tip-
pins, who finished fourth in May’s GOP primary, that have
emerged over the last few months, Cagle can be heard say-
ing he backed what he called “bad public policy” in order
to hurt the campaign of one of his political opponents.
Another recording that features a portion of Tippins’
conversation with Cagle, released by Kemp this week, has
Cagle on tape saying the GOP primary had all the candi-
dates taking a sharp right turn in their rhetoric, that the
race came down to “who had the biggest gun, who had
the biggest truck and who could be the craziest.”
Cagle’s campaign says the comments have been taken
out of context, that they were referring to Kemp’s cam-
paign tactics and not voters.
Kemp’s campaign ads have drawn national attention for
their images of the secretary of state, holding a shotgun
and surrounded by other firearms, pretending to threaten
a young man interested in his daughter. In another, Kemp
says he’ll rip up regulations while revving a chainsaw,
that he’ll blow up government spending while standing
in front of a small explosion in a field and that he’ll use
his “big truck” to “round up criminal illegals and take
’em home myself.”
At a debate Thursday, Kemp brought up the secret-
ly-recorded conversations several times, accusing Cagle
of “trading legislation for money.” Cagle’s response was
to accuse Kemp of colluding with Tippins to hurt his
See GOP, C2

Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 24

INSIDE THIS SECTION
♦ State School Superintendent C2 ♦ Georgia House of Representatives - 36th District, C6
♦ Secretary of State, C3 ♦ Cobb Board of Commissioners - District 1, C6
♦ Secretary of U.S. House of Representatives - 6th District, C3 ♦ Smyrna City Council - Ward 6, C6
♦ Lieutenant Governor, C4-5 ♦ Sample Ballots, C7
C2 ♦ SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2018 ♦ MDJ ♦ VOTERS GUIDE

GOVERNOR
CASEY CAGLE
Occupation: Lieutenant governor, president of
Casey Cagle Properties LLC
Residence: Gainesville
Family: wife, Nita; three sons;
three grandkids
Education: Degree from Brenau
University
Q: There are some projections
that Georgia could grow by up
to 4 million people over the next
15 years and much of that would
be in the metro area. How would
you approach this explosive growth so that
we’re not all living on top of each other?
A: As governor, my job is not just simply to plan
for that growth, but also to shape the growth of the
state and shaping that means that we do need to
put a special emphasis on the rural parts of Georgia.
There are communities that are losing population,
not gaining population. And again, we can create the
right incentives and the right leadership to provide
economic prosperity in those communities. And
in order to do that, we also have to be focused on
the infrastructure needs of our state. I think all of
us witnessed what took place with the I-85 bridge
collapse. Our infrastructure was built for half the
size of the population that it is today. So we have
to be committed to building out the infrastructure
of tomorrow. And that infrastructure requires us to
be focused on utilizing our assets that we currently
have in the most efficient way through reversible
lanes and movable barriers. But we also have to
look at the elevated road systems as well, which is
equally as important. We spend more on right of
way acquisition today than we do road construction,
and the elevated road systems allow you to continue
to have the flow of traffic with limited disruption
with elevated systems. We have to analyze a tunnel
under Atlanta. The last study that was done on that
demonstrated about a 70 percent reduction on the
downtown connector. This is a big bold initiative,
but it’s one that needs to be analyzed on what the
return on investment could look like. And we have to
do things in the context of a 10-year strategic plan
around transportation. It says what are our greatest
needs and how do we allocate our resources to those
needs first, and then how do we look innovatively in
ways in which we solve that. So it’s certainly roads,
but it’s also looking at a rapid transit system, a bus
transit system that has a dedicated lane that allows
us to deploy this in a much faster way.
Q: Casinos were a big issue a couple of years
ago. If elected would you support bringing
casinos and horse track racing, that kind of
thing, to Georgia?
A: I don’t see the added benefit of casinos, and
when you look at a state like Georgia, particularly
with Atlanta and Cobb for that matter, there are a
lot of venues that are here that you’re able to fill up
with various acts whether it be musical or theater,
that you need the ability to do that. Casinos do have
a way of basically moving a lot of those to them and
not to a lot of our venues that we have. So I just don’t
see the added benefit at this point.
Q: Do you support arming school teachers or
other school personnel to increase safety?
A: I’m in favor of local control, and there’s already
laws on the books that afford the ability for local
school systems — if they want to do so — they have
the right to do that under existing law today. That
would be a local decision. What I would encourage
every school system to do is obviously make sure
that there is a strong training component that goes
along with that if they so choose to go down that
path. But the issue of school safety is real, and we
don’t have to look very far to recognize that. When
you look at the fact that virtually every other sector
is more safe and secure than what our schools are,
that’s a problem. And so we have to have greater
emphasis on that. No different than we do fire drills
within the schools. We need to be prepared to do
the same as it relates to a shooter or a locked-down
environment. There needs to be resources allocated
for resource officers that are also trained and
equipped, and there needs to be greater security as it
pertains to entrance and exits.
BRIAN KEMP
Occupation: Small business owner, Georgia’s secretary of state
Family: Wife, Marty; three teenage daughters
Residence: Athens
Education: Bachelor of Science in agriculture, University of
Georgia
Q: There are projections that our state could grow
by four million people in 15 years and that most of the
growth is going to be in the metro area. What is your
plan to manage such growth so that we’re not tripping
over one another?
A: We’re already bumping into one another without the
growth. Obviously from the metro perspective, we’ve got to continue to deal
with transportation ... I’m certainly supportive of county approaches and
regional approaches to dealing with congestion ... and will be a governor that
would support things like that where there’s some sort of regional SPLOST for
transportation or whatever, but also understand that people that aren’t living
here don’t want to pay for Atlanta’s congestion relief. But I do think the state can
be involved in doing projects that do have the best return on investment, and
one of those that’s in the long range plan for DOT is to four-lane from Macon
over to LaGrange and then take 27 and make sure it’s four-laned all the way up
to Chattanooga so you can get a lot of that truck traffic and container traffic that
doesn’t have to come to Atlanta diverted around the metro area where they’re
not getting onto 285, they’re not coming through the Downtown Connector.
Q: If you’re elected governor, would you support bringing casinos to
the state of Georgia?
A: I’ve been on the record for quite a long while as opposing that. When I look
at the juice versus the squeeze, I just don’t see it being beneficial. I think there’s
a lot of negative things that come with that and we’re not a state that really
needs that to be successful like a state like Mississippi or maybe Alabama.
Q: Do you support arming public school teachers to help with school
safety?
A: I don’t have a problem arming educators or people in the school system
that are properly trained to be able to handle some type of firearm or weapon
as long as the local control in the local community agrees with that. I don’t think
you need a state-mandated, top-down approach on that. But I wouldn’t want
to mandate that. That being said, I do have concerns too because I’ve heard a
superintendent the other day talking about how at least 10 times he has had
physical altercations with students in high school that were completely out of
control, that just completely lost it, and physically tackling them to the ground.
And he said he was a firm believer that if he had had a gun, if he was allowed to
carry in school and had a gun or a firearm on his ankle, I completely believe that
the students would know who’s carrying in school, because there’s no secrets in
school, which I get that.

GOP responding to accusations with

From C1
campaign and went on to allege
that Kemp took improper cam-
paign contributions.
The debate was mostly a war
of words, with each candidate
more accusations.
Both Cagle and Kemp are
attempting to run in the mold
of President Donald Trump and
frequently invoke his name and
campaign styles.
A Cagle ad opens on a picture
of Trump with the words “Trump
gets things done” on screen, then
fades to a shot of Cagle with the
words “Conservative Casey Cagle –
Just like President Trump” below.
Kemp, meanwhile, ends his
chainsaw, explosion and truck
ad by saying, “If you want a
politically incorrect conserva-
tive, that’s me.”
The rhetoric seems to be work-
ing with campaign donors.
From March 31 to June 30,
Cagle reported raising $3.7 mil-
lion and spending $6.9 million,
according to campaign finance
documents. With his past fund-
raising hauls, Cagle still had about
$1.3 million in cash on hand at
the end of June.
Kemp, over the same period,
raised about $1.6 million and
spent $2.5 million. He had about
$711,000 on hand as of June 30,
according to campaign finance
reports.
Meanwhile, Abrams received
$2.75 million in campaign con-
tributions over that period and
spent about $2.1 million. She has
$1.5 million in cash on hand, cam-
paign finance reports show.

STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

Vying for the Democratic nomination for state school superintendent are National They are running for the chance to challenge Republican incumbent State School
PTA President Otha Thornton Jr. and Sid Chapman, former president of the Georgia Superintendent Richard Woods, who was first elected in 2014.
Association of Educators. The state school superintendent is the head of the Georgia Department of Education,
Thornton finished first in the May primary with about 43.9 percent of the vote which oversees public education in the state. The superintendent, elected to a four-
while Chapman took about 36.5 percent. year term, also carries out the actions of the state school board.

Sid Chapman (D) Otha Thornton Jr. (D)

Age: 59
Family: Single
Occupation: Certified
Social Studies teacher,
employed by Clayton
County Public Schools.
Immediate past president of
the Georgia Association of
Educators.
Residence: Griffin
Education: Emmanuel College, B.S.;
Mercer University, Master of Education;
Walden University, Doctor of Education
1. What’s the most important issue
facing Georgia’s public schools and how
would you address it?
Fully funding Georgia’s public schools is
the most pressing issue and must be at the
forefront of the Governor, Legislature, and
every concerned parent’s mind as we face
the future. To provide a quality education to
the children of Georgia, adequate funding is
the key. Georgia has experienced $9 billion
dollars in cuts to the public education budget
over the past decade resulting in the loss of
teachers, support services, and oversized
classrooms!
2. What steps would you take to
decrease the achievement gap between
white and minority students?
Alternatives to zero tolerance to prevent
the school to prison pipeline, provide early
childhood intervention and after school
programs, partnerships with community
services entities to provide adequate food,
healthcare and counseling, decrease class
size, and eliminate overuse of standardized
testing. Teachers need the freedom to use
creativity and not teach to a test. Students
learn differently! All students should be
allowed the opportunity to study science,
technology, engineering, the arts, and
mathematics. All students should be given
the opportunity to seek job preparedness if
so desired.
3. What are some factors you
believe must be taken into account
if the state rewrites its public school
funding formula, also known as the QBE
formula?
QBE is outdated and difficult to fully
fund as written. I believe the equalization
component is of the highest importance,
in that, rural areas and low-income areas
are suffering financially to provide quality
teachers and other benefits of public
education. I believe we must prioritize the
funding of public education to assure a
brighter future for the children of Georgia.
Age: 50
Family: Wife, Caryn;
children Candice and Otha
Thornton III
Occupation: retired
lieutenant colonel, U.S.
Army; 53rd National
Parent Teacher Association
president
Residence: Richmond Hill
Education: Morehouse College, B.A.;
Michigan Technological University, M.S.;
Michigan Technological University, honorary
Ph.D.; U.S. Army Command and General
Staff College
1. What’s the most important issue
facing Georgia’s public schools and how
would you address it?
Poverty. A child’s basic needs must be
met before they can maximize their learning
potential. The solution to this problem
is providing wrap around services. Wrap
around services include social, medical, and
mental services for all children. We need to
provide services for every child to identify
factors that will impede their educational
experience and outcomes. This investment
will ensure that every child has a fair
opportunity for a great education.
2. What steps would you take to
decrease the achievement gap between
white and minority students?
Ensuring that every child, no matter what
zip code, received equitable resources
for their schools and classrooms. Also,
encouraging cultural competence training for
teachers and school districts.
3. What are some factors you
believe must be taken into account
if the state rewrites its public school
funding formula, also known as the QBE
formula?
The three biggest factors to take into
account must include: social and mental
services, technology, and workforce
development. As our society and families
have evolved, so have social and
psychological issues that we must address.
The next area is technology. Technology has
grown leaps and bounds since the original
QBE formula was written. In a vibrant global
economy, our schools, students, teachers,
and classrooms must have access to current
technology. The last area is workforce
development. We need to partner with
businesses and invest in programs that
provide, internships, apprenticeships, and
work experiences that provide a smooth
transition from high school into technical
schools, colleges, military, or the workforce.

ABOUT THE COVER

Staff reports

The illustration for

the MDJ’s Voters’ Guide
cover is the work of
Snellville artist David
Skinner.
When the May 22
primary whittled the
GOP gubernatorial
field to two, “I couldn’t
help but recall an old
black-and-white movie
scene, where the two
combatants squared
off, back-to-back, with
their dueling pistols,” Skinner said, with Democratic
candidate Stacey Abrams as the “trusted representative”
in the middle. With both GOP candidates “carrying”
in their advertisements, dueling pistols were replaced
with shotguns.
Skinner is a musician, graphic designer, art director,
writer and cartoonist. His editorial cartoons have
appeared in a number of newspapers across the
Southeast, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
and the Gwinnett Daily Post, and his 20-foot-wide bas
relief sculpture currently welcomes football fans into
the University of West Georgia’s football stadium.
Skinner also produces the online literary e-magazine
SouthernReader.com. Cover illustration was modeled after this photo of a movie duel. / Special
C4 ♦ SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2018 ♦ MDJ ♦ VOTERS GUIDE
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Q&A: Geoff Duncan
By Ricky Leroux
rleroux@mdjonline.com
Former state Rep. Geoff Duncan,
R-Cumming, sees himself as the underdog
in the race for the Republican nomination
for lieutenant governor.
Duncan, a former minor league baseball
GEOFF DUNCAN (R)
Q: Why should voters
choose you as our next
lieutenant governor?
A: I think I start with my
perspective. I think folks
recognize around the state that
I’m the father of three kids in a
public school system, a small
business owner, married my
high school sweetheart. I look
at solutions through ... the free
markets environment. (I’m) not
a career politician, and I think
that means a lot. I think folks
want solutions to problems that
involve we, the people, and not
we, the government. I’ve said in
every stop I’ve made, a million
times, when I win this race, the
state of Georgia is going to hold
me accountable to this. I believe
in policy over politics. And I think
Georgia is ready to see policy over
politics play out. ... And so, you
know, I wrote three big ideas.
First one was the Cargo Theft
Act. ... Georgia was third in
the nation in cargo theft, and
organized crime had moved in,
taken over our shipping lanes,
were stealing ... hundreds of
millions of dollars — ... could
have been billions — worth of
cargo because if you stole a truck
in Georgia, you went to jail for
a couple of weeks for stealing a
truck and not the cargo. ...
(The second was) Michael’s Law,
which raised the (age of) bouncers
to 21 and created accountability
for those that were breaking
the laws. And the Rural Health
Care Bill (was third). The Rural
Health Care Bill was one of the
bigger ideas that have come out
of health care. I might argue the
biggest idea that’s come out of
the General Assembly in a long
time. (It) created a funding model
that’s (more than) $200 million
over three years — I believe the
General Assembly just expanded
that even more than the three
years now — to 54 rural hospitals.
I just got wind yesterday
that over $32 million this year
alone has arrived to just 54 rural
hospitals.
Q: Remind me when you
were in the House?
A: (I served from) 2013 through
last September, so I served five
sessions.
Q: So David Ralston was
the Speaker (of the House)
the whole time?
A: The whole time.
Q: Were you happy with
his leadership?
A: I personally didn’t have
issues with it. I had three big
ideas, and those three big ideas
got passed. I was probably more
conservative than what, probably,
leadership would have wanted me
to be. I voted no on over a billion
dollars’ worth of tax increases. …
I voted no because I promised
an entire legislative district that
I was going to be behind smaller
government, lower taxes.
And that’s what I did. ... I think
it was my 10th legislative day at
the General Assembly, I voted
no in the hospital bed tax. ... It
was just an automatic no, and I
felt like I was going to have, you
know, a ton of people voting no.
… I don’t know what the number
was. I think there was 19 of us
that went no. And here’s what
happened to me. They ring the
bell, I vote no. I look at the
outcome. (The) session was over
for the day. I get in the car, and
I’m driving up 400 to head home
and I almost had tears in my
eyes because I just realized at
that moment that I did what I
said I was going to do.
Regardless of whether it
was popular, I didn’t cave or
succumb. I represented what
the people expected me to. And
in all the years since that vote at
the General Assembly — that was
2013 — I have yet to have one
single person in Forsyth County
come up to me and complain
about that vote. ... That’s really
been the big, I think, easy to see
wedge between Mr. Shafer and
I, ... those billion dollars’ worth
of no votes. I voted no on the
hospital bed tax. … I also cast a
clear no vote against the hotel/
motel tax. …
The hotel/motel tax is
something that flew in at 11
o’clock at night on a bill and
(they) said, you have an hour
to vote yes or no on this. This is a
player and currently a small business
owner, was elected to the state House in
2012, winning the Republican primary for
the district’s seat by 55 votes. He was
re-elected twice and resigned in 2017
to run for lieutenant governor.
Duncan faces state Sen. David Shafer,
R-Duluth, in a July 24 runoff for the
$250 million dollar tax on every
community in Georgia that has a
hotel or motel. It’s $250 million
a year. And I couldn’t imagine
... how in the world could we
bring that in at 11 o’clock and
then vote on it an hour later and
think it made sense. Nobody in
Georgia had an opportunity to vet
it. And industry hadn’t vetted it.
Towns like Augusta that’s on
the border, Columbus, that’s on
the border, Valdosta that’s on
the border — it puts them at a
competitive disadvantage. This
is why it’s a point in this race. …
Q: One of the big criticisms
of the way that the
Legislature runs is these last
minute bills. … And one of
our state senators, Lindsey
Tippins, has criticized this
before, that these legislators
don’t have enough time to
read what they’re going
to be voting on. If you are
elected lieutenant governor,
what would you do to try to
alleviate those issues?
A: One of the reasons I’m
running is because of that last-
minute debacle that happens,
right? … You (see) five or six
or seven ideas that failed the
process all the way through the
General Assembly. And for 39
days, it was a bad idea. And then
all of a sudden, in the middle of
the night, it finds its way onto
a bill.
And so one of the reasons
I’m running is because I think
it’s a flawed process. I think
if we shared with 10.5 million
Georgians on both sides of the
aisle what that process actually
looks like, they would disagree
vehemently about it. …
So for me, I want to A, be able
to lean more into the committee
process. I want to lean into the
members of that committee
process, and as lieutenant
governor, you get to play a large
part in trying to pick those. But
secondly, you get to control the
throttle on what legislation comes
forward. And I’m going to make it
very, very, very clear to everybody
that we are not going to trick the
voters. We are not going to trick
the taxpayers.
And this has been a big issue
in this campaign. I have a track
record that has voted no on a
number of measures on Day 39
and Day 40 throughout my time
in the General Assembly. I voted
no on, you know, some of these
crazy bills that come through with
15 minutes to go in session. David
Shafer, on the other side of this
equation, has spent a great deal
of effort trying to talk about he
wants to be a change agent and
he wants to change the process. …
He was the (president) pro tem. If
he wanted to stop these measures
from happening, as the number
two person in the Senate, I believe
he had all the power he needed to
stop. And so, he hasn’t. …
Q: What steps would you
take to make the Senate
more transparent? One
of the criticisms is that
lawmakers are not subject
to open records laws the way
that county commissions
and school boards and city
councils are. Would you take
steps to bring the Legislature
Republican nomination for lieutenant
governor. In May’s primary, Shafer
finished first with 48.9 percent of the
vote, followed by Duncan, who took
about 26.7 percent. Finishing third
was former state Sen. Rick Jeffares,
R-McDonough, who took about 24.4
percent of the vote. Jeffares has endorsed
under the Open Records Act?
A: Yes. You know, one of the
biggest surprises to me when I got
sworn into the General Assembly
in 2013 was how un-transparent
so much of the process is. You’re
able to operate in the shadows
in way too much of what’s going
on. I mean, we are in a point
in time where so many people
distrust elected officials all over
this country.
And so I look at this as a process
to earn the trust. If you’re not
embarrassed about what you’re
doing, then let everybody see it.
I think we need to open the open
records process to those that are
in elected office. I think we need
to look for opportunities to do
that. I think we need to record
floor votes on amendments in
the Senate. …
Q: We haven’t seen a lot
of action on this in the last
couple of years, but the
issue of casinos and horse
betting keeps coming up in
the Legislature or has been
over the last few years. What
are your thoughts on that? Do
you support bringing that to
Georgia or would you oppose
that?
A: Yeah, I do not support
bringing casinos to Georgia. And
here’s why. One, I don’t think
we’ve actually had the discussion
around casinos in Georgia yet.
What we’ve had a discussion about
is the casino industry creating the
shiny object out here and saying,
‘Hey, look over here, we’re going to
save all these different programs,
and we’re going to create more
dollars for these programs.’ I think
if Georgia has an opportunity to
really truly vet the casino question,
Georgians don’t want casinos,
in my opinion. With it comes so
many strings attached.
And I don’t believe this is a
state that is ready for casinos to
come here. And there’s too many
other examples of how casinos
have failed across the country and
(in) so many towns and brought
an atmosphere that’s not what it
looked like before those casinos
got there.
Q: With this new transit
bill that’s come out, Cobb
County is working on deciding
whether to do a countywide
tax to raise money for transit
projects or do a special
district and only impose
the tax there and only build
projects within that district.
Do you support one of those
approaches over the other?
A: … I do support communities
being more engaged in their
decisions and not just the state
trying to jam things down the
communities’ throats, but I
wrote an op-ed recently and
got it published in a couple of
different places about my ideas
around transportation and being
able to utilize more technology
than just infrastructure.
We’re never going to build
enough lanes and roads
and overpasses to solve the
transportation issues we have
here in Georgia. One, we’re never
gonna be able to stay out in front
of the growth curve, and two, we’ll
never be able to afford it. It’s got
to be a combination.
And so technology is something
Shafer in the runoff.
The winner of the runoff will face
Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico in
November’s General Election.
Duncan sat down for an interview at
the MDJ’s offices on June 28, and the
transcript of that interview is below. It
has been lightly edited for space and style.
that through lots of means —
there’s through autonomous
vehicles … moving freight in and
around the city, looking at ways
to incentivize companies to move
freight from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.,
looking for ways to incentivize
people to work from home and
telecommute ... My concern with
transit is we keep talking about
expanding it. I think we need to
talk more about how to actually
make it more successful before
we start talking about spending
billions and billions and billions
and billions of dollars. ...
This is going to be a multifaceted
solution, but here’s what taxpayers
are getting tired of: They’re
tired of every time the state
government talks about transit
or transportation, it becomes their
problem. …
Q: So in terms of
countywide or district, you
think that should be left up
to (the county)?
A: Yeah, I think the more
decisions we drive local, the more
often we’re going to get better
solutions. I think we take that
around education.
We take that around
transportation. We talked around
economic development. You
know your community better
than somebody sitting in a cube
in downtown Atlanta knows their
community. …
Q: … Why do you believe
you’re the underdog?
A: So it’s the name ID, right? The
system’s not built for somebody
like me to win. The 1990s playbook
says this: raise more money, get
more endorsements, stay in the
game as long as you possibly can
and then you win a race. That’s
changed.
Ten years ago, a guy like Geoff
Duncan could have never had a
successful statewide campaign.
… We knew David Shafer, the
first day he started this race, was
going to have $2 million and Geoff
Duncan was going to have zero. …
We had to get to the runoff and get
the dollar advantage more even
and allow the grassroots fire to
keep burning.
That’s what this process has
been about, and so I think
I’m the underdog because I’m
underfunded. ... I have to tell you: I
would rather be the underdog right
now than be the establishment’s
favorite. ... I’ve lost count (of) the
number of rooms I’ve walked into
(and heard someone say), ‘Geoff I
can’t be publicly supporting you,
but I’m going to vote for you. My
wife’s going to vote for you.’ I’ve
lost count. …
That’s how I got the votes
because it’s not popular to get
up to root for the underdog yet.
Q: You mentioned that
you would support policies
over politics, and that leads
into this next question. Clay
Tippins had this secret
recording of Casey Cagle —-
A: I’ve heard a little bit about
that.
Q: He talks about how he
pushed this thing that he
knew to be bad policy, but
he did it for political reasons.
Do you believe that that action
was moral or ethical?
A: Which action?
Q: The action that he
♦ Age: 43
♦ Residence:
♦ Family: Wife, Brooke; sons, Parker,
16; Bayler, 12; Ryder, 7
♦ Education: Chattahoochee High
School, Georgia Tech
♦ Occupation: Small business owner
took as a lawmaker, that
he pushed this bad bill to
deprive a political opponent
of campaign donations?
A: Yeah. So I think if you talk to
every person in the Capitol, even
those that don’t support me, there
would be no person that told you
I ever played one single game of
politics. As lieutenant governor,
I’m going to tell you what I think
to be the truth, whether you like
it or not. And so I would never
support saying one thing and doing
something else. I don’t support
that in my own life. I don’t support
that in my marriage. I don’t
support that in raising my kids.
I don’t support that in running the
companies that I’ve been able to
run and start. I don’t support that
with my neighbors. I want to be
honest. I want to be transparent
even if people don’t like what I’m
telling them.
Q: So you would say that
what Casey Cagle did was not
moral or ethical?
A: Yeah, I don’t believe it
fits the job description. I don’t
believe it fits the job description.
As lieutenant governor, you are
given the trust of 10.5 million
people. Even those that didn’t
vote for you, you’re representing
them and you’re representing some
of the most important issues. ...
The rest of the world watching
how we solve our problems in
Georgia, right? How are we going
to better educate?
How are we going to really
truly lead substantive tax reform,
all these big issues. If we play
backroom, petty politics, we’re
going to disappoint the world.
If we actually create a policy
discussion around each one of
these big issues, we’ll go find the
right answer to a lot of this stuff,
and we’ll attract the world to come
here. That to me is the best foot
forward. So I don’t believe saying
one thing and doing something
else fits the job description of the
lieutenant governor.
Q: Cagle’s opponent,
(Secretary of State Brian
Kemp), has also faced some
controversy. He’s being
sued for allegedly failing to
repay a $500,000 loan for an
agricultural business. What
are your thoughts on that?
A: That’s a private sector
problem. I think the free
markets have a way of dealing
with it. ... Look, I’m running for
lieutenant governor not governor,
so I’ve spent very little time and
bandwidth trying to figure out
their race. I’ve got all I could eat
running for lieutenant governor.
So that, that’s a private markets
discussion. I think, you know, I
was proud to put my tax returns
on display in this race to show
that I think (my wife) Brooke and
I have been responsible. I think
we have been conservative, and
we work hard to raise our family
and do the things we need to do.
Q: Stacey Abrams is the
Democratic nominee (for
governor). If you were to
become lieutenant governor,
obviously you would need to
work closely with her. What
would you say are her greatest
strengths and weaknesses as
candidate from where you sit?
A: I served in the House with
Minority Leader Abrams. She
was extremely well-versed on all
the issues. She was always well
studied.
I had some very engaging
conversations with her on a
number of issues, especially
around my Rural Health Care Bill.
I just think there’s a number of
issues that she’s wrong on.
It doesn’t represent the
conservative majority here in the
state of Georgia. But look, my job
is to continue, as I said, policy over
politics, and so I would love to
engage in policy discussions with
Stacey Abrams and with anybody,
for that matter, regardless of what
letter is behind their name.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Q&A: David Shafer
By Ricky Leroux
rleroux@mdjonline.com
State Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth, a
candidate for lieutenant governor, is a
longtime fixture in Georgia politics.
Shafer was the executive director of the
Georgia Republican Party in the early 1990s
David Shafer (R)
Q: Why should voters choose
you as the next lieutenant
governor?
A: You know, all Republican
candidates basically say the same
things in their campaign speeches.
They’re conservative. They’re for
the Second Amendment. They’re
pro-life.
They like Donald Trump. And
then Republican primary voters
have to sort between these
candidates who are all saying the
same things. And what I advise
voters to do is to look carefully at
the records that the candidates have
compiled while they’re in public
office because the way a person
has behaved in public offices is
a better indicator of how they’ll
behave in the future than anything
they say in their campaign speeches
or write in their advertisements.
And if you look carefully at the
records of the two candidates in
the Republican primary runoff for
a lieutenant governor, you will see
that I have led on the issues that
Republicans care about for the
last 16 years. And my opponent
pretends like he has never served
in the General Assembly, but he
was there for a half decade and he
has a record as well. ... I wrote the
state’s zero-based budgeting law.
When I was elected to the state
Senate in 2002, when they would
put the budget of the state on our
desks, it was a document three
or four inches thick and it only
described about 3 percent of the
state spending, the new programs.
And once a new program
was approved by the General
Assembly and signed into law
by the governor, it automatically
rolled over into each succeeding
budget of the state under a single
line item called ‘continuation.’ So
we were voting on multi-billion
dollar spending plans where 97
percent of the money that we were
approving was on a single line. And
the rest of the document described
all of the new programs.
You know, the very first year that
I was elected to the state Senate
and every two years for the next
decade, I introduced legislation to
abolish continuation budgeting and
put us on a system of zero-based
budgeting so that we’re rebuilding
the budget from scratch.
Under the law that I wrote, we
now rebuild one eighth of the
budget each year by scratch so that
over an eight year period of time —
the typical period that a governor
served (is) two terms — the General
Assembly’s looking at all proposed
spending. It helps us be a better
steward of tax dollars. I wrote the
constitutional amendment that
capped the state income tax. I
would like to see the income tax
lower, and we passed legislation
to begin lowering it during this
session of the General Assembly.
But we’re the only state in the
union that has enshrined in its
constitution the promise that we
will forever remain a low-tax state
because the General Assembly is
prohibited from raising the income
tax above the level it was at when
that constitutional amendment
was adopted.
Q: What is the level of the
cap?
A: It was at 6 percent when
we passed it. And so I probably
passed 50 or 60 bills in the 16
years that I’ve served on a range
of very important topics. I rewrote
the telecom law, recognizing the
convergence of cable and telephone,
which were two distinct industries
20 years ago, into the same
industry. I rewrote the HMO Code
for the first time in 30-some years.
I passed a bill that requires
all occupational regulations to
be rejustified every seven years.
I wrote the Corporate Good
Samaritan Law, which provides
immunity to corporations that are
helping out in times of declared
natural disaster. I mean, it’s a
very extensive record leading on
issues that conservatives care
about. That’s what distinguishes
me from the individual that I’m
running against in the runoff. ...
I think he’s passed three or four
bills. One increased the penalty for
stealing from a truck. One raised
the age of bar bouncers. I mean they
were important to somebody. ...
Q: One of the big criticisms
that the Legislature gets every
year is that right at the end
of the session, there’s just
and ran for Secretary of State in 1996, though
his bid was unsuccessful.
He was elected to the state Senate in 2002
and has served in that chamber ever since.
He was president pro tem of the Senate
until he stepped down from that position
to run for lieutenant governor.
Shafer faces former state Rep. Geoff
a flurry of activity. Bills go
through quickly without
lawmakers having enough
time to read and consider
what their constituents want.
Sen. Lindsey Tippins has
objected to this in the past.
And a lot of people say that
it’s to the benefit of lobbyists.
Things go in very quickly
without people having enough
time to scrutinize it. Would
you make a commitment to
changing this practice and
giving lawmakers more time
to read legislation if you
become the next lieutenant
governor?
A: Absolutely. … I was elected
in February of 2002 in a special
election during the 2002 legislative
session, and I was sworn in on
day 20 of that 40-day legislative
session.
And on the day I was sworn in,
we voted on three bills, and then the
next day, we voted on one bill, and
the next day it was two bills. And it
continued like that: one, two, three,
four, five bills until the second-to-
last-day of the session when we
had 80 bills on the calendar and
met till 1:30 in the morning. And
I said to myself, ‘They are doing
this to us on purpose so that no
one will understand what we’re
voting on and people outside this
building cannot figure out what’s
happening here.’ And it’s been a
source of frustration to me. And it
is a broken process that I’m going
to do my very best to fix. ...
There is a human temptation
to procrastinate ... but a lot of
this is by design and the log jams
are deliberately created so that
unrelated bills can be traded one
for another. And that almost always
results in multiple poorly-thought-
through bills being enacted.
And, you know, I’ve done a
couple of things in my role as a
senator and as president pro tem
of the Senate. I’ve pushed to move
up Crossover Day.
So the session is 40 days long.
When I was first elected, Crossover
Day was Day 33, which meant that a
bill had to pass out of one of the two
chambers by the 33rd legislative day
to still be alive. Well, that only lasts
seven days for the other chamber
to consider the bill. So we moved
that up to Day 30, and then we’ve
moved it up to Day 28. And I’d like
to move it up even further. And I
would like all the committees to
pace their work better. ...
If you watch us closely, we spend
the first 10 or 15 days engaged in
ceremonial activities, and we don’t
really get down to business until the
session is a third or halfway over.
And so I’d like to see us pace our
work better. I’ve also pushed for
some things that make the Senate
operations more transparent.
As president pro tem, I chaired
the Senate Committee on
Administrative Affairs and found
the money and led the effort to
wire all of the committee rooms
in the Capitol so that the committee
meetings of the Senate would be
broadcast live on the Internet ...
and archived forever so that you
don’t have to drive to Atlanta or
take off time from work to watch the
General Assembly do its business.
Now, in fairness, the House did
this a full 10 years before we did.
VOTERS GUIDE ♦ MDJ ♦ SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2018 ♦ C5
Duncan, R-Cumming, in a July 24 runoff
for the Republican nomination for lieutenant
governor. In May’s primary, Shafer finished
first with 48.9 percent of the vote, followed
by Duncan, who took about 26.7 percent.
Finishing third was former state Sen. Rick
Jeffares, R-McDonough, who took about 24.4
percent of the vote. Jeffares has endorsed
It was a little easier for them
because most of their committee
meetings are held in the legislative
office building across the street,
which is a relatively modern office
building with drop ceilings. It was
much less expensive to wire. Almost
all the (Senate) committee meetings
(are) held in the Capitol building
itself, which wasn’t designed for
electricity. ...
Q: As I’m sure you know,
the Legislature is exempt
from open records laws, so
to ensure more transparency,
would you change those
rules and the laws so that
the Senate, if you’re elected,
would become subject to open
records requests?
A: I would be in favor of making
the records of the Senate available
to the public. I mean, most of our
records are publicly available. I
think our financial records ought
to be publicly available as well.
... Because the members of the
General Assembly are part time,
we’d have to set up some sort of
mechanism for the three-day rule,
maybe have all of the requests
for open records go through the
Secretary of the Senate and put the
obligation on him because he’s a
full-time employee of the state to
gather the information. So we’d
have to think it through, but I’m
in favor.
I believe that the records of the
General Assembly ought to be
available to the public and that the
meetings of the General Assembly
ought to be open to the public.
Q: There hasn’t been a lot
of action on this in the last
year, but would you support
bringing casinos or horse race
gambling to Georgia?
A: I’m not in favor of expanding
gambling in the state. ... There’s both
the larger philosophic issue and then
you have to look carefully at the
legislation that is being proposed.
I support the HOPE Scholarship,
and I worry that, you know — let’s
take the horse racing proposal as an
example. Under the horse racing
proposal, they would have ... created
a needs-based scholarship and I
believe would’ve drawn money
away from the HOPE Scholarship.
Now, the person that shows up
at the track to bet on a horse race is
probably not a lottery ticket buyer,
but a person that goes to an off-track
betting site, which was included
in the proposal, is somebody that
probably would have been a lottery
customer.
And so I worried that the HOPE
Scholarship, which is already
financially strained, would have
been ... even further strained by
money being diverted away from
it to the other scholarship fund.
So my concern is twofold. I
don’t know that there’s much
benefit from expanding gambling
societally, but also I worry that
some of the specific proposals
would undermine the integrity
of the HOPE Scholarship program.
Q: With the new transit
bill that passed, Cobb
County needs to decide
whether they’re going to do
a countywide sales tax or if
they’re going to do a special
district somewhere within
the county or nothing. What
is your take on that? Do you
Shafer in the runoff.
The winner of the runoff will face Democrat
Sarah Riggs Amico in November’s General
Election.
Shafer sat down for an interview at the
MDJ’s offices on June 20, and the transcript
of that interview is below. It has been lightly
edited for space and style.
think that one approach is
better than the other?
A: I mean, that’s really a decision
for Cobb County to make. We made
changes to the bill specifically for
Cobb County to consider a partial
transit plan, and that’s really a
decision best made by the county
and its leaders in terms of how
they see their future growth.
I do believe that transit does play
a role in solving our transportation
challenges but not in the same way
that it does in Chicago or New
York or Washington, DC, because
there’s not the population density in
Atlanta as there are in these other
states where ... mass transit has
been more successful. ... My point is
that there’s obviously less density,
and it makes it less attractive as
an option, although I do believe
it is part of the overall plan.
Q: So, what is your vision for
mass transit in metro Atlanta
to relieve traffic congestion?
... For instance, state Sen.
Lindsey Tippins says really the
only thing that’s going to cure
this is if you get a second outer
loop to divert all that traffic
and go around it, to which I
think (Lt. Gov. Casey) Cagle
said we’ve got to be practical
here and that property is
already gone and we’ve got
to think within the realms
of what can we do. So if you
were given the power to solve
metro Atlanta’s (congestion)
with mass transit, what would
you do?
A: Well, there’s geographical
challenges with the outer loop. The
area of the original plan (for the)
outer loop has been developed,
and you can’t move it just a little
bit north because of Lake Lanier. I
mean we’re not going to span Lake
Lanier with a bridge. And so you
have to move it very far north in
order to do it. And that may not
be practical.
Rail is very expensive, and ... it
can’t be moved. I mean, there’s no
flexibility once you’ve laid down
the rail lines, so we have to be very
careful and think through any sort
of rail improvements that we make.
The governor announced (last
month) a bus rapid transit plan
on 400, which I think will provide
some relief. And obviously, bus
rapid transit is — if we can get
people to ride buses — a much
more flexible response to the
problem because it’s easier to
make adjustments in routes than
it would be to reroute a rail line.
Q: I’m sure you’ve seen the
news about Casey Cagle and
this recording of him speaking
with Clay Tippins. And if you
are elected, he would be your
predecessor. And he admits
in the recording that he
supported legislation that he
felt to be bad legislation, but
he did it in order to prevent
one of his rivals from getting
campaign contributions from
an outside organization. So
the question to you is: Do you
believe that that action was
moral or ethical considering
that you will be in a position
to do the same thing?
A: Well, I supported the
legislation because I believed it
was good legislation, and obviously,
there are political considerations
♦ Age: 53
♦ Residence: Duluth
♦ Family: Wife, Lee; daughter, 16;
stepson, 26
♦ Education: B.S. in political sci-
ence, University of Georgia
♦ Occupation: State senator; com-
mercial real estate owner
with every piece of legislation, but
no one should support legislation
that they believe is bad for Georgia.
Q: So do you believe he acted
unethically?
A: I have not actually listened
to the tape. I mean, I’ve read the
coverage of the tape, but I have
not actually heard his words with
my own ears.
Q: Right. But you’ve read the
reporting on it, you’ve read
what he said in the recording.
So what is your opinion?
A: If he opposed the bill, he
should have opposed the bill.
Q: His opponent is
(Secretary of State) Brian
Kemp. He’s being sued for
allegedly failing to repay
a $500,000 loan for an
agricultural business. What
are your thoughts on that?
A: Well, it’s a pending legal
matter. I have not reviewed the
— I’ve not looked at the note that
he signed or allegedly signed or
any of the pleadings in the case.
Q: You don’t have an opinion
one way or the other?
A: You know, I’ve invested in
businesses that have not been
successful. I’ve not defaulted
on any loans as a result, but I
do understand that, you know,
particularly during the recession
that many business people found
themselves in difficult situations.
But I really don’t know enough
to make the comment or make
judgements about either of those,
either of those cases.
Q: Stacy Abrams is the
Democratic candidate for
governor. There’s no runoff
there. What do you think
are some of her greatest
strengths and weaknesses
as a candidate?
A: ... One of the great academic
debates about how to win an
American general election is
whether you should try to excite
and turn out the base of your
party or whether you should
move to the middle and appeal
to independents or those who don’t
align with either party. (Four) years
ago, the Democrats nominated —
they followed the latter strategy.
They nominated Jason Carter (for
governor) and Michelle Nunn (for
U.S. Senate), who were relatively
moderate, in an effort to appeal to
independent voters, and it did not
— the strategy did not succeed. And
so the lesson that Stacey Abrams
appears to have learned from that
experience is that she should make
absolutely no effort whatsoever
to appeal to people in the middle
and to focus entirely on exciting
and turning out the most left-wing
elements of the Democratic Party.
And we’ll see whether or not that
works.
Q: So are you saying that’s
a weakness or a strength?
A: Well, it’s more of an
analysis. ... I’m a conservative
and I’m constantly working
toward advancing conservative
principles, but that does require
a level of cooperation with people
who don’t necessarily have the
same end goals in mind for you.
And the kind of strategy that she’s
pursuing will make it difficult for
her to accomplish anything if she’s
ultimately successful. ... I think we
have to take her seriously as an
opponent, but I mean she’s taking
positions that I do not think are
reflective of the mainstream of
Georgia politics. ... We’re having
a debate about the appropriate
way to remember our ancestors —
well, actually none of my ancestors
fought for the Confederacy — but
the ancestors of many Georgians
who fought in the Confederacy, but
sandblasting Stone Mountain is
not within the realm of responsible
debate. And so she’s taking these
very — she’s taking positions that
are outside the mainstream that I
think will make it difficult for her
in the general election and difficult
for her if she’s elected.
C6 ♦ SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2018 ♦ MDJ ♦ VOTERS GUIDE
GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – 36TH DISTRICT
After 30 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, state
Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, announced earlier
this year he would not seek re-election.
The two Republicans looking to fill his seat include Ginny
Ehrhart, a radio host and Earl Ehrhart’s wife, and Tom Gray,
the senior pastor at Mars Hill Community Church.
Ginny Ehrhart (R)
Age: 53
Family: Husband, Earl; children, Quentin, 27, Rebecca, 26, Kelly, 25,
Catherine, 23, John, 21, Jack, 21
Occupation: Owner, Southern Sisters Enterprises, and radio host,
Southern Sisters Radio
Residence: Powder Springs
Education: Auburn University, B.S. in international trade
1. What approach should Cobb County take regarding the recently-
passed transit bill? A countywide referendum or a special district?
Why?
Any approach the county takes toward the transit bill needs to also reflect
the transportation-based needs of West Cobb. Meeting my district’s need for traffic gridlock
relief through road improvements and better traffic flow should go in tandem with the transit
plans for other parts of Cobb. I believe many in the county favor a countywide referendum
and I will support that. Ultimately, the voters will decide how Cobb moves forward on the
transit issue.
2. Would you support a bill allowing casinos in Georgia?
I’m opposed to casino gambling in Georgia for multiple reasons. I’m particularly opposed
to linking such an endeavor to educational funding. It has proven to be problematic in other
states. Georgia deserves better.
3. Is Georgia in need of a Religious Freedom Restoration Act?
Yes. With our citizens and businesses under daily assault for expressing their dearly held
religious beliefs, a Religious Freedom Act would be a powerful safeguard for religious liberty
in our state. All Georgians could freely express their faith without fear of retribution, and
ALL religious faiths could flourish on a level playing field without the threat of legal action or
government retaliation. We must protect this most basic American right.
COBB BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – DISTRICT 1
The winner of the Republican runoff to represent
District 1 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners is almost
assured to take office in January as no Democrat qualified
for the seat.
Incumbent Commissioner Bob Weatherford, first elected in
Bob Weatherford (R) (I)
Age: 68
Family: Three grown children, two grandchildren
Occupation: Motorcycle safety instructor
Residence: Acworth
Education: Huntington College, B.A. in math, minor in physics
1. Cobb Chairman Mike Boyce has proposed raising the county’s
general fund millage rate by 1.7 mills. Do you support this proposal?
Why or why not?
I have utilized my experience to work hard on the budget and our current
shortfall for months. Over the last several weeks, I have listened to citizens
across District 1 and their feedback. I will take that feedback into account
when voting on the budget July 25th, but my belief is that I will vote in a public meeting,
not in the pages of the press. I encourage District 1 constituents to continue to contact me
with their feedback. I am leaning toward a combination of cuts in certain areas as well as a
millage increase.
2. What is the biggest issue facing District 1 and how would you work to address
it?
The budget remains our most pressing issue currently especially as it pertains to dealing
with the shortfall while maintaining our stellar services, protecting public safety, and
protecting taxpayers. Beyond that, I will continue my commitment to enhancing public safety
and promoting smart growth.
3. What approach should Cobb County take regarding the recently-passed transit
bill? A countywide referendum or a special district? Why?
House Bill 930 dictates our direction and I and the BOC as well as our legislators will
collectively decide the ballot referendum. I believe it is too early to predict the direction we
will take.
SMYRNA CITY COUNCIL – WARD 6
The two candidates vying to fill a vacant seat on the Smyrna
City Council are Idella Moore, who is retired, and Tim Gould,
a small business owner.
The seat has been vacant since former council member Doug
Stoner resigned earlier this year ahead of his unsuccessful run
for Georgia’s Public Service Commission.
Idella Moore
Age: 66
Family: Daughter, 26
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Smyrna
Education: Valdosta State University, B.A. in philosophy; Florida State
University, M.A. in history
1. What’s the most important issue facing Smyrna and how would
you address it?
The most important issue facing Smyrna is managing its rapid growth
and transition from a small, quiet suburb to a growing, modern city without
losing its charm and uniqueness. City officials and administrators have to
balance what they consider wise development strategies with the community’s overwhelming
desire to keep Smyrna’s small town feel and look. I bring the skills, the willingness and
the understanding of how to work with the various stakeholders to forge a bright future for
Smyrna.
2. What best describes your vision for Smyrna: Pro-growth, slow growth or
somewhere in between?
I subscribe to the concept of smart growth. That is an approach to development that
encourages a mix of building types and uses, the repurposing of existing buildings, protection
of historically important features, maintenance of a common city aesthetic, diverse housing
and transportation options, compatible development within existing neighborhoods,
commitment to a healthy and sustainable environment and community engagement. I will use
a smart growth lens when looking at development, redevelopment and planning and zoning
applications.
3. How should the city address increased traffic on its western border due to the
Braves stadium?
Increased traffic is an ongoing concern all around Smyrna. Even before the new stadium
was completed, traffic levels on Smyrna’s major thoroughfares were steadily increasing
travel times for residents and commuters. Our Spring Road Corridor Study and the Windy
Hill Project are sound examples of the proactive approach Smyrna is taking to address traffic
problems here. Improvements to road surfaces, lane designs and coordinated signaling will
continue to enhance traffic flow and ease congestion.
In May’s primary, Ginny Ehrhart finished first with about
47.5 percent of the vote, followed by Gray with about 43.7
percent. The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Jen
Slipakoff, a stay-at-home mom and LGBTQ activist, in
November.
The district includes a wide swath of west Cobb.
Tom Gray (R)
Age: 52
Family: Wife, Dana; son, David, 18, freshman at U.S. Air Force Academy;
son, Daniel, 14; daughter, Abby, 14
Occupation: Senior pastor, Mars Hill Community Church
Residence: West Cobb
Education: Vanderbilt University, Bachelor of Arts, history, minor
in economics; Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity; Vanderbilt
University, MBA
1. What approach should Cobb County take regarding the recently passed transit
bill? A countywide referendum or a special district? Why?
I read that an attorney for the Legislature issued an opinion that, under the bill that passed,
the entire county would be on the hook financially in the case any special district ended up
not being able to meet its financial obligations. For that reason, I am against the special
districts. The concept that those who use the infrastructure and/or transportation should be
the ones who pay for it sounds great. We just need to make sure what we’re selling matches
what we end up getting. As far as county-wide referendums: I believe our government leaders
need to be specific, clear and truthful with our citizens. I also believe that if the clear, specific
and truthful plan is what is best for the community and its residents, then our leaders should
be able to build consensus across the county, validated by a county-wide referendum. If the
plan requires a county-wide financial commitment for up to thirty years, then yes, absolutely,
it should be validated or refuted through a referendum.
2. Would you support a bill allowing casinos in Georgia?
Absolutely not.
3. Is Georgia in need of a Religious Freedom Restoration Act?
Absolutely yes!
2014, finished first in the May primary with about 40.8 percent
of the vote. Accountant and consultant Keli Gambrill finished
second in the four-person primary with about 26.2 percent.
The commission district lies in west Cobb, roughly the portion
north of Macland Road, and includes Acworth.
Keli Gambrill (R)
Age: 49
Family: Husband, Bob; son, Robert, 17
Occupation: Accountant/consultant
Residence: Marietta
Education: Sienna Heights College, Bachelor of Arts in accounting
1. Cobb Chairman Mike Boyce has proposed raising the county’s
general fund millage rate by 1.7 mills. Do you support this proposal?
Why or why not?
No, I do not support the 1.7 mills proposed. We have a strong economy
which will provide close to $25 million dollars to our revenue with NO millage
increase using 2018 property values. This increase will more than cover the well documented
$21.5M deficit. We do not have a lack of revenue, but an unwillingness to stick to priorities,
including Public Safety, parks, libraries and senior centers.
2. What is the biggest issue facing District 1 and how would you work to address
it?
People have chosen West and Northwest Cobb for its pastoral lifestyle. Single family homes
on half acre plus size lots, low crime rates and great schools. The benefit of this lifestyle
outweighs the burden of driving into Atlanta on a daily basis in stop and little go traffic. Our
dream of rural neighborhoods diminishes with each rezoning application considered and
will require active involvement of the government, community and development interest to
maintain this lifestyle.
3. What approach should Cobb County take regarding the recently passed transit
bill? A countywide referendum or a special district? Why?
County wide referendum. I will work with the legislative delegation to ensure we have a
flexible Cobb solution not a one size fits all solution. Our current system fails as we cannot
collect people in mass. We need to look at utilizing existing resources and get creative in
solving the east-west traffic that flows into the north-south. Some of the best transits solutions
could be found within our own communities – and we need to use these resources.
In May’s nonpartisan primary, which saw five candidates
campaign for the seat, Moore finished first with about 28.5
percent of the vote, followed by Gould, who took about 24.3
percent.
Because this is a special election runoff, the winner will take
office later this year.
Tim Gould
Age: 50
Family: Wife, Judy; children, Abbie, 14, Jack, 12
Occupation: Small business owner
Residence: Smyrna
Education: University of Buffalo, B.S. in mechanical engineering;
Fordham University, MBA
1. What’s the most important issue facing Smyrna and how would
you address it?
We are very fortunate that our challenges in Smyrna come from growth. To
keep Smyrna a desirable place to live, we need to ensure we prioritize smart
growth and encourage continued community support of Smyrna schools.
We need to make it easy for residents to take on community leadership roles. The future
of Smyrna will be shaped by our many involved residents who are engaged and passionate
about contributing to the long term success of our city.
2. What best describes your vision for Smyrna: Pro-growth, slow growth or
somewhere in between?
My vision for Smyrna is smart growth. This means we make thoughtful decisions that keep
Smyrna livable, we work to support and promote our schools, and ensure our neighborhoods
are protected. We build upon the strategic planning that is underway and encourage more
residents to take on community leadership roles. Engaged residents and aligning city policies
with our values is the key to a thriving Smyrna.
3. How should the city address increased traffic on its western border due to the
Braves stadium?
Increasing congestion and traffic is caused by a range of issues that have been years in
the making. Any plan needs to include safe, efficient, financially sustainable transportation
and growth strategies that make life easier for our residents. Locally, this includes sidewalks,
bike lanes, live-work-play developments and coordination with regional mass transit plans.
The City’s long term plan for the Spring Road Corridor is an example of planning that will help
retaining Smyrna’s unique identity.