The responses to these questions were edited for length and clarity by the Georgia Decides team. 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: Lieutenant Governor
What role should government have in the lives of Georgians? How would you apply that philosophy to the job you are seeking?
Georgians in every corner of our state deserve elected officials who are not scared to stand up and fight for them. I am committed to elevating the voices of every single Georgian and working tirelessly to ensure our government is putting the people of Georgia before special interests.
If you are elected (or re-elected), what problems will you spend the most time solving and why?
The residents of Georgia deserve a lieutenant governor committed to solving the unique issues impacting Georgians. From hospitals closing, the ability to pay medical bills, public safety, and fully funding our public school system, I am committed to ensuring that Georgia’s government is putting people first.
Georgia is a politically diverse state. How will you work to represent Georgians whose political views differ from your own?
I’m an eight generation rural Georgian and UGA graduate. I believe that we all deserve the same dignity, respect, safety, justice, and opportunity for our kids to lead a better life than the ones of previous generations. I understand that what makes us American is not where we were born. It’s not where your parents work, the color of your skin or your zip code. What makes us American is the idea that every single person is equal and deserves a voice in our democracy. As lieutenant governor, I will fight everyday to ensure we uphold those values.
Who has been the biggest influence on how you view state government and politics? What have you learned from this person?
Having grown up on a farm in rural Georgia, I feel blessed to have a family who not only taught me the significance of hard work and dedication, but also the true meaning of compassion. Waking up every morning as a kid, I worked on the farm, living by the example of my grandparents. The meaning of hard work and caring for community became second nature to me. These values have driven my career as a prosecutor as I fought to get justice for those most vulnerable in our state. Now, I am taking that fight to the state Capitol as I work to serve as your next lieutenant governor.
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 legislation and executive actions?
Housing affordability is one of the most important issues we face today. Our economy, education and even public safety relies on stable and affordable housing. I am committed to ensuring that the people of Georgia have the resources to buy and rent homes to keep their families safe. I am also committed to expanding access to housing opportunities for all Georgians.
Politics is often about compromise. How do you decide when to compromise and take small, incremental wins, and when to refuse compromise?
Georgia elected officials must make serving the people of the state their No. 1 priority. Whether the economy, expanding access to health care, or expanding opportunities for Georgians to get a good education, Democrats and Republicans must be willing to come together and do what is best for Georgia families.
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?
Fighting to protect our voting rights while ensuring trust in our election outcomes is the cornerstone of our democracy. My opponent, Burt Jones, sought to undermine the voices of thousands of Georgians in the 2020 election. (He backed former President Donald Trump’s false assertions that the presidential election was stolen, and served as a fake Republican elector who participated in an effort to overturn the election results.) Now more than ever, we must fight to defend our democracy from those who believe they are above the law and seek to silence Georgians.
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 to influence abortion access or enforcement of abortion restrictions?
Women deserve the right to make medical decisions over their own bodies. The right to choose must be protected and I will fight to ensure we codify Roe v. Wade into law. My opponent, Burt Jones, believes that he is more qualified than women to make these medical decisions for women.
Under what circumstances would you expand Medicaid in Georgia? What would factor into your decision-making process?
Access to quality affordable health care is at the forefront of my fight to become your next lieutenant governor. It is imperative that we expand Medicaid in Georgia. We must reopen the eight rural hospitals that have closed, as well as the urban hospitals, including Atlanta Medical Center, which is slated to shut its doors on Nov. 1. We must work to cover the 600,000 Georgians who don’t have health care coverage. Georgians are already paying for Medicaid expansion, but our state Capitol has been refusing to do what is right and ensure the Georgians have access to health care.