|
VOX ROX the Vote
Find out about the candidates who are battling for office this Nov. 7
By John Henry Hinkel / VOX Staff
One of the most amazing advantages to living in the United States is the right to vote for local, state, and federal government leaders. Unlike citizens of many nations where there is little to no freedom, Americans have the right and the responsibility to elect politicians they hope will best represent their viewpoints in creating laws and running the country.
During the election season, many adults remember with nostalgia the first time they voted. Come election day – Tuesday, Nov. 7 – teenagers 18 and older will be able to share that experience and create their own memories of having a say in who runs this country. (Even if you’re not yet 18, you can still vote in VOX’s special online election poll. Simply read this election guide, visit the candidates’ Web sites for more information and then cast your ballot at here.)
Even though the U.S. President isn’t up for election this year, this election has special importance because there is chance that the Democratic Party could claim a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate if enough Republican incumbents are voted out of office. Some people see that this could create a huge challenge for President Bush and others see it as a good check on his executive power. The hotly debated issues shaping this election are the current administration’s handling of the war in Iraq, rising health care costs and the economy.
On a state level, Georgians will be voting to fill the positions of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Superintendent of Schools, Attorney General, state senators and representatives and U.S. representatives. The following is a brief guide to what each position entails, and a summary of those candidates running to fill the positions.
Georgia Governor
Think of the Governor as the president of the state. He or she has the power to veto bills passed by the state legislature. Also, he appoints cabinet members to head certain state departments and he appoints the state judges that interpret that law. Sometimes the governor may issue an Executive Order; for example, limiting the amount of water used per house during a drought, which has the effect of a law. The governor is in charge of the state military forces, and during emergencies can call in the National Guard. This November there are two main candidates for Governor: Republican incumbent, Sonny Perdue, and former Lt. Governor, Mark Taylor, a Democrat.
Sonny Perdue
*Education: University of Georgia
*Political Experience: Governor, Senate Majority Leader of Georgia State Senate, President Pro Tempore of Georgia State Senate
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: As governor, he has focused on reforming state government by advocating for comprehensive ethics reform legislation. Under Perdue, Georgia went from last place to 46th place in SAT scores. Perdue wants to improve the quality of programs that deal with children, restore the public’s faith in government, and attract new businesses to Georgia.
*Official Web site: www.votesonny.com
Mark Taylor
*Education: Emory University and University of Georgia
*Political Experience: Lt. Governor, State Senator representing Albany and Dougherty County
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: As a State Senator, Taylor helped to pass the HOPE Scholarship program and he helped create the Peachcare program, which helps uninsured children receive health care assistance. He also advocated for a state DNA database which led to the solving of more than 300 previously unsolved crimes. He wants to improve education and health care in the state.
*Official Web site: www.marktaylor.com
U.S. Senators
Each state elects two senators to serve on the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C. Senators serve six-year terms, which make them more influential and less sensitive to sudden shifts in the political climate. The Senate is considered the “upper house” of Congress because senators have the power to try the impeachment of a federal figure and can advise on and approve presidential appointments and treaties.
The current Georgia senators are Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, both Republicans. They are not up for re-election this year.
U.S. Representatives
Each U.S. state is proportionally represented in the U.S. House of Representatives based on its population. Currently, Georgia has 13 representatives. Each representative serves a two-year term and can be re-elected to an unlimited number of terms. Both senators and representatives vote on bills, however any bill authorizing the spending of federal funds must first begin in the House of Representatives. The House has the right to impeach federal officials, although the trial is held by the Senate. If no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House may elect the president.
This year, Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the controversial representative of Georgia’s 4th District (DeKalb County and Rockdale Area), was defeated in the Democratic primary by Hank Johnson, a former DeKalb County Commissioner. Johnson will run against Republican candidate Catherine Davis.
Hank Johnson
*Education: Clark Atlanta University and Texas Southern University’s Marshall School of Law
*Political Experience: DeKalb County Commissioner representing District 5, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners’ Budget Committee, member of the DeKalb County Community Service Board
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: According to his Web site, Johnson wants to improve the education. He is against the war in Iraq and wants to pull troops out. He believes health care insurance should be available to all.
*Official Web site: www.hankforcongress.com
Catherine Davis
*Education: Tufts University and University of Bridgeport School of Law
*Political Experience: None. She has run for office several times. She is Sprint Nextel’s Human Resources Manager for the South
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: Davis believes in social security reform, the Fair Tax bill, which allows taxpayers to keep 100 percent of their paychecks (minus state income taxes) and only pay taxes on purchases. She believes in educational reform and wants health care to be more affordable.
*Official Web site: www.catherinedavis.org
Another notable Atlanta-area representative up for re-election is Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who represents Georgia’s 5th District (Fulton Country area). Lewis has run unopposed for this position since 2002 and will run in 2006 unopposed.
John Lewis
*Education: Fisk University
*Political Experience: Chairman of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Director of the Voter Education Project, Atlanta City Council and U.S. Representative.
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: Lewis is against the war in Iraq. He wants economic reforms that will benefit the working class and the poor. He supports gay marriage and the renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which mandates that examiners conduct voter registration and has increased black voter registration dramatically over the years.
Georgia State Senators and Representatives
In Georgia, state senators and representatives carry out the same duties as their federal counterparts, but at the state level. In Georgia, 56 senators and 180 representatives represent different regions of the state. The representatives and senators are supposed to reflect the people they serve. Given the diversity of the state — rural, urban, farming areas, and industrial areas — the priorities among senators and representatives can be very different. Each year, the Georgia General Assembly (the combined session of the Senate and House) addresses a broad range of issues from agriculture and conservation to law enforcement and health.
Teenagers are most affected by laws relating to education and motor vehicle safety. An example of a new law dealing with motor vehicle safety is Joshua’s Law, which mandates that teenagers have a driver’s-education course to obtain their license at 16. The law also created the Georgia Driver’s Education Commission to deal with driver’s education.
To find out who your state representative and senator are, you can go to the Georgia General Assembly’s Web site, www.legis.state.ga.us. All are up for re-election this year.
Georgia State Superintendent of Schools
The school superintendent is in charge of the Georgia Department of Education. The Department establishes state policies regarding schools and supports local schools in implementing these policies. The current State Superintendent is Kathy Cox, a Republican. Her Democratic challenger is Denise Majette.
Kathy Cox
*Education: Emory University
*Political Experience: She was a teacher before spending two terms in the State Legislature. In 2003, she was elected State Superintendent of Schools.
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: Cox oversaw the creation and implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards, a more rigorous statewide curriculum. According to her Web site, she has “removed politics, micro-management and suspicion from the Georgia Department of Education and turned it into a policy-driven agency focused squarely on student achievement and teacher excellence.” In 2005, she proposed that students have parental permission before joining extracurricular clubs. Some felt that this proposal was targeted at the many Gay/Straight Alliances in Georgia high schools. The Georgia State School Board voted against it.
*Official Web site: www.kathyforeducation.com
Denise Majette
*Education: Yale University and Duke University School of Law
*Political Experience: Staff attorney on the Court of Appeals of Georgia, Special Assistant Attorney General, Judge in the State Court of DeKalb County, Congresswoman from the 4th District, and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: Aside from her extensive political career, Majette is a mother of a public-school student. According to her Web site, she believes that “many of our school systems suffer from unequal treatment. Where you live should not determine the quality of your school.” She hopes to equalize and improve the quality of education in Georgia. She wants the Georgia public schools to be the best in the South.
*Official Web site: www.denisemajette.us
Georgia Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor is the second highest elected official in the state. Similar to the vice president, if the Governor dies, the Lieutenant Governor serves out the rest of his term as Governor. The Lt. Governor can’t vote in the state Senate, but can get advocates in the Senate to introduce legislation in his or her name. The current Lt. Governor is Mark Taylor, who is running for Governor and must vacate his seat. The candidates this year are Democrat Jim Martin and Republican Casey Cagle.
Jim Martin
*Education: University of Georgia
*Political Experience: 18 years in the state House of Representatives, served on various committees such as the Judiciary Committee, and the Ethics Committee
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: Martin advocates making health care more affordable for those who need it: children, the elderly, the chronically sick, and the disabled. He believes the state needs to raise the salaries of teachers as well as provide second-chance schools for kids who aren’t succeeding in regular school settings.
*Official Web site: www.jimforgeorgia.com
Casey Cagle
*Education: Attended Georgia Southern University and Gainesville College, but did not receive a degree from either
*Political Experience: State Senator from Hall County
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: Cagle wants to create more jobs, lower taxes, improve education and create a more efficient state government. He wants to preserve more green spaces for recreational use. He is pro-choice, against same-sex marriage and supports voluntary school prayer.
*Official Web site: www.caseycagle.com
Georgia Attorney General
The Georgia Attorney General serves as the attorney and legal advisor for all state departments, agencies and authorities. He or she represents the state of Georgia in all civil cases, capital felony appeals, cases before the Supreme Court and public corruption cases. The Attorney General can conduct investigations into various state agencies or companies that have done business with Georgia to prevent fraud. The current Attorney General is Democrat, Thurbert Baker. His Republican challenger is Perry McGuire.
Thurbert Baker
*Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Emory University Law School
*Political Experience: Lawyer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State Representative for DeKalb County, Assistant Administration House Floor Leader, Administration House Floor Leader, and Georgia Attorney General
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: According to his Web site, Baker has “focused on fighting crime, corruption and consumer fraud.” He has fought consumer fraud by creating the financial identity fraud statute. He toughened penalties on domestic abuse and increased penalties for child pornographers.
*Official Web site: www.thurbertbaker.com
Perry McGuire
*Education: Valdosta State University and Georgia State College of Law.
*Political Experience: State Senator representing Carroll and Douglas Counties. He has served on the Transportation, Appropriations Special Judiciary, Higher Education, Science and Technology committees
*Achievements/Goals/Opinions: According to his Web site, McGuire wants to “hunt down and prosecute sexual predators” and stand up to the American Civil Liberties Union to stop them from preying on Georgia’s communities and chipping away at our conservative values.” He wants to enforce immigration laws and prosecute people guilty of identity theft.
*Official Web site: www.perrymcguire.com
|
