The responses to these questions were edited for length and clarity. Each candidate was allotted 150 words for each answer and some answers were trimmed in order to abide by that length requirement. Other edits were made to make sure readers can fully follow and understand the candidate responses.
Campaigning for: US House Georgia District 6
How does your background equip you for the job you are seeking?
As a father, a husband, a small-business owner, a non-profit founder, and a combat veteran I have directly experienced the day-to-day struggles that affect most people in their lives. I know what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck, I know the hardship of no insurance, and I understand the tough choices that impact families in our communities. I feel that this background equips me to better grasp the impact of policy on the normal, everyday American that makes up the bulk of our country.
What role should government have in the lives of Georgians? How would you apply that philosophy to the job you are seeking?
The role of government in the lives of Georgians, and all Americans, should be to make our lives easier. Whether that is by providing assistance to successfully build a small-business, pursue a higher education, or just making sure that there is dinner on the table, helping people should be the top priority of our government.
If you are elected (or re-elected), what problems will you spend the most time solving and why?
Currently, the largest problems facing our nation are the threats to women’s rights and the threat to voting rights. I will work tirelessly to ensure that Roe V. Wade becomes the law of the land so that women have the fundamental rights of self-autonomy and choice. I will also advocate for and support the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act to ensure that the basic right of all Americans to vote is preserved for now and for future generations.
Georgia is a politically diverse state. How will you work to represent Georgians whose political views differ from your own?
In the course of my campaign for Congress, I have served as a panel member on a Tea-Party forum, been the guest on a right-leaning talk-show, and spoken in front of progressive Democrats. My district encompasses all or parts of 6 counties and covers 765,000+ plus people. I know that I will not agree with them all, but it is my job to listen, learn, and do the best I can to bring everyone of those voices to Washington D.C.
Who has been the biggest influence on how you view state government and politics? What have you learned from this person?
The biggest influence in almost every aspect of my life has been my parents. I am fortunate enough to have had two incredible people raise me, mold me, and guide me to the point I am today. My mother, whom I lost to Covid in 2020, taught me compassion and faith are often the best places to start when facing any problem. My father taught, and is still teaching me, that being right and being fair are not necessarily the same thing.
Georgia has a lot to offer current and potential residents, but many parts of the state are becoming increasingly unaffordable. Please explain your proposed approach to address housing affordability through federal legislation and executive actions?
There are numerous programs already available to expand access to affordable housing, not only in Georgia, but across the country. Whether that is through mortgage assistance via Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or service related assistance such as the VA housing loan available to veterans (the path I took), or through the direct assistance programs open to low-income citizens. Unfortunately over the last decade we have seen these programs are poorly managed, poorly funded, and poorly executed.
The first step must be a comprehensive, bi-partisan review of all of our current solutions to determine what is working (and why), and what is failing (and why). From there we can begin the process of building programs that effectively meet the current needs of our communities.
Politics is often about compromise. How do you decide when to compromise and take small, incremental wins, and when to refuse compromise?
The art of governance is the art of compromise. We used to be very good at disagreeing with each other, but still solving problems. Even if we only took tiny steps we have a long history of moving forward. For me, personally, the decision to compromise weighs entirely on the benefit to those I hope to represent. My job is to make their lives better, and my approach to any problem will always begin with that thought at the forefront of my mind.
There were politicians who questioned the outcomes of Georgia elections in 2018 and 2020. Do you think Georgia’s elections are secure and will you stand by the results?
There is not a shred of evidence to support the idea that our elections are anything but accurate and secure. Three different hand recounts of the ballots in Georgia proved beyond a doubt that we got it right. I firmly believe in the election process and will stand by the results as determined by the voters.
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on abortion, state law and local enforcement authority will determine access to abortion. If elected, how will you use your authority in the U.S. House to influence abortion access or enforcement of abortion restrictions?
If elected I will immediately sponsor legislation and/or co-sponsor existing legislation to ensure that that Roe V. Wade becomes the law of the land.
The U.S. Congress often votes along party lines. When would you seek bipartisan action and what issues merit such consensus?
As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango. Rarely, if ever, have any of the problems facing the nation been solved by a one-sided argument. Trying to listen to and understand another point of view is the fundamental role of a representative and it is my goal to live by that ideal every day of my term.