SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Three Republican candidates and one write-in candidate in Georgia’s U.S. senate race made a stop in Coastal Georgia on Wednesday, campaigning to Georgia voters ahead of the primary.
The Chatham Area Republican Women hosted a luncheon featuring U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter (R-1) Mike Collins (R-10), along with Brigadier General Jonathan McColumn and write-in candidate Rev. Dr. Christina Clements.
Rep. Buddy Carter
Carter opened the event by highlighting his record in Congress, pointing to his role in passing The Working Families Tax Cut Act and efforts to lower healthcare and prescription drugs costs.
“I will never embarrass you,” said Carter. “I haven’t embarrassed you in the 26 years I’ve been in public service.”
He also addressed the partial government shutdown, emphasizing national security concerns.
“Right now, more than ever, I would submit to you that we need funding for Department of Homeland Security,” said Carter. “We’re involved in a conflict in Iran right now. Our terror alert is up.”
Rep. Mike Collins
Collin’s focused on infrastructure improvements across the Coastal Empire, including funding tied to Georgia’s ports.
“That port hadn’t been dredged fully since 2015,” said Collins. “Then I came up here to Savannah, and it wasn’t three weeks later that the Army Corps changed their mind. And we got 35 million for Brunswick Port, and we got the money to study the widening of the Savannah port. That’s how you deliver for the state of Georgia.”
He also highlighted his support for the Laken Riley Act, opposition to defunding the police and plans to support veterans if elected.
“Our veterans out there need help,” said Collins. “We’ve got homeless vets living under bridges. And here we have an administration that will hold and transport, feed and housing these illegals.”
Christina Clement
Clement, President of Black USA and President of the State of Loc Nation Global Public Benefit Corporation, centered her remarks on economic stability, promoting what she called the “Black Dollar Initiative.”
“We should at least have the basics,” said Clements. “This was a summary of what the majority of citizens who felt unrepresented shared with me while listening to their concerns.”
Jonathan McColumn
McColumn pushed his military leadership experience, emphasizing the importance of that experience for Georgia.
“Fort Stewart, Army Airfield, who’s going to negotiate for them because you don’t have anyone right now in the senate who understands this. We need someone who understands the infrastructure, the priorities, the missions.”
He tied that experience to his stance on federal leadership and the ongoing shutdown.
“If we had an executive leader that was a senator today, the Homeland Security would have been funded,” said McColumn. “When you haven’t led anything or you haven’t been responsible for anybody, then you can’t understand that. When you make $187,000 a year, people working for TSA making approximately $50,000 a year, you can’t see that you’re harming those people. That’s a failure of leadership.”
The Georgia Primary race is set for May 19, when voters decide who will face incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in the general election.
