Undecided: 2018 Georgia Governor
I, Marian of ~MA Redpine~®, have already endorsed four candidates for California’s next Governor and three U.S. Senate seats in the 2018 U.S. elections so far. While I’m currently residing in Georgia for four years, I remain undecided about the best candidate who I plan to endorse or vote for the next Governor of Georgia in 2018. Georgia’s Republican Governor Nathan Deal, a former U.S. House Representative, is term-limited and cannot seek the third re-election, per the state’s policy. For your information, I have never met any of the candidates for Georgia’s next Governor but I would like to met them one day. Who knows.
I regretfully missed the 2014 Georgia election and did not make to the voter registration until 2016 in which I voted for U.S. Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and her running mate, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA). Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, a 2014 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Georgia state senator, would easily be my first endorsement as if he had decided to run for Georgia Democratic Governor again. Unfortunately, he has ruled it out and is not running for the Governor at this time. Bummer!
Once I gather information of the issues from all candidates in both Democratic and Republican parties, I will make the final decision to pick the right candidate for my current state’s Governor. My endorsement or vote is strictly non-partisan based on what is the best for my current state in my political opinion. Although I’m proudly a “conservative” moderate Democrat for many years, I can vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate depending on my current state’s serious concerns about the specific issues. As of today, there are currently six candidates in the two major parties for Georgia’s 83rd Governor in the 2018 statewide election: two Democrats and four Republicans.
The two women from Georgia’s House of Representatives are competing for Georgia’s 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nomination so far. They are also lawyers. Regardless of the political party, if elected, either one will become the first female Governor of Georgia ever in this state’s history.
Rep. Stacey Abrams of DeKalb County (Atlanta): She has been the top Democratic leader in Georgia State House for a few years. She has fought for the civil rights of all types (i.e. women, blacks), voting rights, and children’s better education. When Governor Deal signed a legislation bill to get enacted to allow people carrying the guns on the college campus a few months ago, Abrams and I are in common that we strongly oppose the gun rights that are too dangerous in public such as numerous horrible terrorisms everywhere in the world in the last two or three years. As a Governor, Abrams has the visions: ensuring that the state’s laws work for everyone; protecting the taxpayer investments (tax hikes); defending the civil rights of all types. Like most Democrats, she will ensure that everyone gets equality access to everything from A to Z. Since she is far-left liberal, I have serious concerns about her that I don’t agree with her on some liberal issues--especially illegal immigration; tax hikes on all Georgia citizens; opposition to the constitutional rights of any type; and voting rights for the violent criminals, illegal immigrants and dead/non-resident persons. If elected, she will become America’s first black female governor of a state ever in the U.S. history.
Rep. Stacey Evans of Cobb County (Smyrna): I really don’t know this young woman of around 30s very well. The youngest candidate is very new to me when her name is mentioned as one of Georgia’s gubernatorial candidates replacing term-limited Nathan Deal. I watched the state congresswoman’s video about her personal experience of past life prior to her current position that she was raised by a single mother and lived in 16 different houses. That is still not enough for me to get know her political background. Although Evans simply mentions on her campaign website that she is running for the Governor to restore the hopes to the people of Georgia, I don’t know what are exactly her visions or goals as a Governor. Also, I don’t know whether Evans is conservative, moderate or liberal in the Democratic Party. Like former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his grandson Jason Carter, former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell Miller and myself, I usually endorse the conservative or moderate Democratic candidate for any political position. I keep my eyes on Evans and find out more information about her political background throughout around Spring 2018.
Four candidates are currently running to compete for Georgia’s 2018 Republican gubernatorial nomination. I put them in order from the most moderation to the far-right conservatism. Notably, all four Republican candidates strongly support the gun rights per the 2nd Amendment in which I strongly oppose for everyone’s safety from the horrible terrorism incidents. Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are moderate conservative. Hunter Hill and Michael Williams are right-wing conservative.
Casey Cagle of Hall County (Gainesville), Lt Governor of Georgia, is the most moderate Republican candidate. If elected as a Governor, Casey has the visions: cutting taxes by $100 million in the first 100 days of his administration; creating 500K jobs during his first 4-year term; implementing the 10-year strategic infrastructure plan; developing the world-class education system; fighting to cut the wasteful (government) spending to maintain a balanced budget; protecting the constitutional rights; protecting all pro-life matters. Also, he has been endorsed by over 50 sheriffs to protect the Georgians by eliminating the dangerous sanctuary cities in the Peach State.
Brian Kemp of Athens-Clarke County (Athens), Georgia’s Secretary of State, is slightly more conservative than Casey. Brian has the visions on his four-point plan as the Governor but I pick the most important issues you and I need to know his political visions: (1) fighting for small businesses by eliminating burdensome mandates, red tape and streamline state government and standing firm against the ObamaCare healthcare reform; (2) reforming state government by eliminating wasteful programs, tax incentives and bureaucracy; (3) giving rural communities the same opportunities as the rest of Georgia; (4) bringing high-speed Internet to rural Georgia; (5) putting Georgia first. When he puts Georgia first, his goals are: defunding sanctuary cities and campuses; stopping the taxpayer funded subsidies for illegal immigrants; protecting Georgia’s traditional values; putting the needs of hardworking Georgians ahead of special interests.
Hunter Hill of Cobb County (Smyrna), Georgia’s state senator and an Army combat veteran, is more right-wing conservative than the first two Republican candidates above. Hunter has the visions as a Governor: fighting to protect the fundamental constitutional rights; limiting government spending; eliminating the state income tax to drive our economy to create more jobs, attract more businesses and leave more money in the Georgians’ pockets; strongly opposing to the sanctuary cities (where harbor illegal immigrants from deportation); supporting the military members, veterans and their families; protecting the religious liberty and beliefs of all Georgians. Also, he opposes the complicated “Common Core” system in the state’s education schools. He stands with U.S. President Donald Trump as well, although he occasionally mentions Trump’s name on his social media accounts.
Michael Williams of Forsyth County (Cumming), Georgia’s state senator and former Georgia co-chair of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, is the most far-right conservative and strongest pro-Trump candidate ever in Georgia’s gubernatorial race. As I dislike President Trump based on his bigotries, reckless insults of women and well-known bad tempers in public, I’m seriously troubled by Williams’ pro-Trump copycat politics that really scare millions of Americans to death. Being fearless conservative, he strictly wants to keep it simple: No career politicans and no bureaucracies; talk less and get more results. Whoa! As the Governor, Michael’s visions are similar to Hunter Hill’s on the issues: protecting the constitutional rights; limiting government spending; eliminating the state income tax; strong opposition to the sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants; protecting the religious liberties. Williams has the stricter visions: power to veto any liberal or non-conservative legislation bill that he opposes (in his political opinion); banning the casino gambling in the statewide; implementing the term limits for all statewide elected offices. Whew! That’s too much! OUCH!
That is not very easy for me to make the decision. I still have concerns about all those six candidates in both major parties. All four Republican candidates support the gun rights in part to protecting the 2nd Amendment. I have more serious concerns about three of the six candidates in order: Stacey Abrams, Michael Williams and Stacey Evans.
- Stacey Abrams: She is very liberal on half of the issues that I don’t agree with her, especially illegal immigration and tax hikes. I always wonder whether Abrams has ever supported the illegal criminal immigrants instead of innocent U.S. citizens. That’s good guestion. You need to think twice about that point before you decide to vote for one candidate to become the next Governor of Georgia. Beware, the sanctuary cities for the illegal immigrants are more dangerous than the gun rights because many refugees have turned out to be the secret terrorists killing the innocent people everywhere in the world. She needs to realize that Georgia is strict with the required voter ID laws to prevent the threat of the violent criminals, illegal immigrants and dead/non-resident persons casting voter ballots. I’m so sick of Abrams continuously playing games with politics on the voter registration issues and voting rights. She whines too much and gotta stop!
- Michael Williams: While I mostly oppose to the Trump administration on many issues, Williams’ strongest pro-Trump conservative politics are too much for the people of Georgia including myself that reminds us of the potentially pro-Confederate supporter. I don’t want my current state of Georgia go back to the Confederate slavery states again ever! NO Thanks! Also, Williams has frequently mentioned Trump’s name on his social media accounts. Too much about Trump stuff that sickens my stomach. Yikes!
- Stacey Evans: I have not counted her out yet. Unlike all five other candidates, I’m deeply troubled by Evans’ lacks of the detailed visions as the Governor than just one thing--bringing hopes back to the people of Georgia. As a constituent from Georgia, I have my rights to know what are types of her political visions as the Governor before I make the final decision to pick the best candidate to become Georgia’s next Governor. I hope that she will add more issues on her campaign website as soon as possible before numerous constituents may move on to vote for another candidate instead of her. Keep in mind that I’m still open to learn about her political background.
In my mind, I feel like OUCH with my eyes wide, shaking my head in disbelief! Well, for now, I’m unbiasedly narrowing to the top three candidates in order: Cagle, Kemp and Hill. However, I prefer to wait and see whether more candidates will join in the respective Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primary races before deadline of filing in early 2018. Most likely, I won’t make my decision to pick the best and right candidate for Georgia’s next Governor until early 2018 at the earliest. I wish all those candidates Good Luck!