Whitfield GOP hosts candidates for Georgias 14th

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Whitfield GOP hosted candidates seeking to garner the most votes in the party’s primary election. Voters in the May 19th primary election will have to choose between nine Republican candidates who all support President Donald Trump, believe in the Second Amendment, support pro-life and want to battle socialism.

“We’re very fortunate,” said Dianne Putnam, chairman for the Whitfield County Republican Party which hosted a candidate forum on Tuesday night.

Each candidate was given five minutes to speak to the audience of about 150. The audience was encouraged to talk to each candidate individually before and after the event.

Three candidates were unable to attend. Representatives for John Barge said he had a scheduling conflict. Kevin Cooke, who represents the eighth district in the Georgia State House, was wrapping up legislation at the House. A spokesman for John Cowan said he had a family conflict and was unable to attend.

All candidates or their stand-ins voiced support for Trump, voiced concerns about illegal immigration, and touched on Second Amendment and pro-life.

Where candidates differed were backgrounds and experience.

Matt Laughridge

Whitfield GOP

Matt Laughridge

Matt Laughridge said he business experience sets him apart.

“I know what its like to sign the front of the check and the back of the check,” he told the Whitfield GOP. “What we need is someone is going to fight everyday against socialist democrats.”

Laughridge said he believes and will fight for shrinking the federal government, term limits, and finishing the wall.

“Handouts don’t work. I see it every day in my business. It drives down the economy.”

 

Marjorie Greene

Whitfield GOP

Marjorie Greene

Candidate Marjorie Green said she is a political outsider who never considered running for Congress but was inspired by Trump after doing events for him and going to Congress as an independent lobbyist to voice concerns over policies.

She told the Whitfield GOP she was concerned over the Democrats policies to open borders, take over healthcare, and implement costly policies such as the Green New Deal.

“The Green New Deal is $93-trillion, Medicare for al is $54-trillion. I can’t unsee the future ahead for my children,” she said. “These policies are destructive to our country and our children.”

 

Bill Hembree

Whitfield GOP

Bill Hembree

Candidate Bill Hembree the Whitfield GOP he was challenged by former President Ronald Reagan when he was just 17-years-old to go into public service. He met Reagan at an entrepreneur rally and was inspired by the presidents “eternal optimism.”

He was elected into the Georgia House of Representatives at age 26 and started an insurance business.

“The Democrats are trying to destroy what we’re doing. I believe in freedom. We are one nation under God and I will protect and defend the Constitution.”

 

 

Kevin Cooke

Kevin Cooke was not present but his spokesperson said Cooke has experience as he is currently serving in the Georgia State House, representing

Kevin Cooke

district 17, Haralson and Carroll counties.

“He has a record for standing up to even Republicans when they wanted to increase the size of government,” he said.

Cooke currently works for Shorter University as Associate Athletic Director, is a farmer, small businessman and was formerly a law enforcement officer and Southern gospel singer.

 

Ben Bullock

Whitfield GOP

Ben Bullock

Candidate Ben Bullock told the Whitfield GOP his experience as a veteran, primarily working in counter intelligence would give him experience very few in Washington have.

“Only 18% of our representatives are veterans,” he said. Bullock worked at the Pentagon where he supported the Secretary of Defense.

“I want to focus on national security,” he said, adding that economic development, infrastructure, and protecting existing businesses were also important.

 

 

John Barge

Whitfield GOP

John Barge

John Barge was represented by his campaign manager at the Whitfield GOP who cited Barge’s tenure as State School Superintendent and his willingness to stand up to the federal government as reason to consider him for the 14th district. Barge served in the position between 2011-2015, taking the helm shortly after Georgia schools were recognized as coming in first in the “Race to the Top” campaign.

“The result was the federal government told Georgia they were going to change everything, from the curriculum to how it was taught and they threatened to with hold funding if it wasn’t followed,” he said.

Barge tried discussing the matter through emails and phone calls before heading to Washington, D.C.

“He told them if they with held the money, we’d deal with it. It wasn’t worth letting the federal government have control. They didn’t withhold any of the money. We need someone who can stop the madness and tell them no.”

Clayton Fuller

Whitfield GOP

Clayton Fuller

Candidate Clayton Fuller was selected by Trump and his administration to work on national security. The former prosecutor and veteran said he understands what the President faces because he attended the national security meetings and had to defend the President’s decisions in them.

He also said his experience as a cancer survivor, while in service, showed him that a one-payer system isn’t the best system for medical care.

“It almost killed me,” he said.

 

 

John Cowan

Whitfield GOP

John Cowan

Candidate John Cowan was not available, but his spokesperson said Cowan was inspired to run after talking to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.

“Carson saw the quality of man he was,” said his spokesman.

 

 

 

 

Andy Gunther

Whitfield GOP

Andy Gunther

Candidate Andy Gunther said his experience and training as an Army Ranger gives him the tenacity needed to go to Washington, D.C. He said he was a Constitutional Conservatist, believing the Constitution is as important now as when it was first written.

“I believe the first ten amendments were to put a limit on the government, not us,” he said.

He spoke of needing to break America’s dependency on China, something he’s been championing for since 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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