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: State House District 106
How does your background equip you for the job you are seeking?
I am a dedicated husband and father of five amazing children. I am an honorably discharged U.S. Navy NCO (non-commissioned officer) and a former police sergeant with a lifetime of volunteering and community service. My current job title is physical security analyst with an emphasis in cybersecurity. I am directly and indirectly responsible for the safety and protection of thousands of people and billions of dollars in assets. I also possess lengthy experience in assisting attorneys with tort claims and real estate matters. I hold a Bachelor’s of Science degree in criminal justice administration. But above all else, I have a strong desire to serve and represent my district.
What role should government have in the lives of Georgians? How would you apply that philosophy to the job you are seeking?
Government should have the least amount of interference as possible in the lives of Georgians. In my role as a state representative, I will continually seek input directly from everyone in my district as to how I can best serve them. I will commit to them that I will do my best to serve them and accurately represent their values at the state House by using an app called SyncToUs.
If you are elected (or re-elected), what problems will you spend the most time solving and why?
I am focused on fighting inflation, bringing higher paying jobs to Georgia, and vastly improving safety in all Georgia’s schools. Inflation is a huge problem in our communities and it is affecting all Georgians. Reasonable steps must be taken to stem inflation and help those Georgians that are economically disadvantaged and those that are on fixed incomes. Georgia is a diverse state and will do well in any industry. I want Georgia to succeed in being a national leader in jobs. School safety is a concern for every parent. I commit to improving, updating, and systematizing school safety programs throughout the state.
Georgia is a politically diverse state. How will you work to represent Georgians whose political views differ from your own?
I view the role of state representative as just that — a representative of my district. Although I have my own personal values, I commit to accurately representing the values of my district as a whole and will provide a way for all voters in my district to hold me directly accountable to them via an app called SyncToUs.
Who has been the biggest influence on how you view state government and politics? What have you learned from this person?
Bruce Lee. Use what actually works and discard what doesn’t.
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?
I will seek to institute laws that will prevent or limit the purchase of Georgia residential real estate by foreign investors and out-of-state investment firms in order to decrease the overall strain on housing. I will also support actions that will lead to increased job growth with higher paying jobs throughout the state.
Politics is often about compromise. How do you decide when to compromise and take small, incremental wins, and when to refuse compromise?
I simply decide to use the app SyncToUs to accurately represent the values of my district and let my district hold me directly accountable through the data gathered on the app by positing a question in a short 2-minute or less video and getting real-time answers. If I ever feel as though I cannot represent the values of my district, I will go to the voters and they will let me know directly how they feel on a subject and I commit to represent their collective views.
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?
As I do have a background in law enforcement and cybersecurity, I think it is a misnomer to say that any election is ever 100% secure or accurate. The recent primary election in DeKalb County Commission’s District 2 seat is clear evidence of this. There are still issues surrounding absentee ballots that must also be addressed. However, I do believe that Georgia has done its best to make elections more secure since 2020. So long as there is no overwhelmingly obvious fraud, I will likely stand by the results.
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on abortion, state law and local enforcement authority will determine access to abortion.
I will use the new app “SyncToUs” to posit questions to my district regarding this issue and I will commit to publicly sharing the results and to accurately represent District 106 at the general assembly.
Are there any programs/legislation you’ve sponsored or created to help people with disabilities?
The recent mental health parity act that was passed by the general assembly last session needs to be revised to better protect those that are vulnerable due to mental health issues. Police officers are not medical enforcement officers and should not be making medical decisions regarding someone’s mental health status or whether or not that person should be forced into a mental health receiving facility. This puts police officers at more risk of liability, and puts those struggling with mental health issues at more risk of harm and having their constitutional rights violated.
Georgia closed out its budget year with a “likely record surplus, billions of dollars in federal aid and a growing economy.” Georgia spends more than half of this money on education and health care. What would you want to see in the budget in terms of spending or taxes?
School safety must be a top priority for Georgia’s budget. I commit to working with Georgia’s Department of Public Safety and the Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council to sponsor legislation that will enable all public schools in Georgia to have no less than one permanently assigned, well-trained, and accountable school resource officer who will be tasked with the first priority of immediately responding to any active shooter or other active threat in order to protect our children and save lives. I also commit to working with health care providers, foster care providers, and adoption agencies to sponsor legislation that will increase funding and accountability in the areas of neonatal health care, foster care, and adoption to help mothers and fathers create strong families.
The Legislature often votes along party lines. When would you seek bipartisan action and what issues merit such consensus?
I commit to voting the values of my district. I view myself only as a member of the district who has been selected to represent the district’s collective values. I use the new app, “SyncToUs” to gauge the values of my district by positing a two-minute or less question and getting direct feedback from all voters in my district. That data is then captured in a clear and accurate statistical report that I can share publicly so that my district can hold me directly accountable. I commit to representing my district’s values at the general assembly.