A month before elections, Georgia citizens are involved doing several things: putting yard signs of candidates out in the yard, setting up voting registration, and advertising for their preferred candidate.
The previous election for the House of Representatives was on November 2016 which means there will be an election this year since representatives only have two-year terms. Elections for the House of Representatives will be occurring not just in Georgia, but across the nation.
There are 435 seats in the House of Representatives: 193 of those are currently held by Democrats and Republicans holds 235 Representatives. Every state has a different amount of House Representatives based on their population. There are 14 House Representatives which represent the state of Georgia.
A majority of Wesleyan families live in districts six and seven which are currently being represented by Republicans Karen Handel and Rob Woodall. History teacher Dennis Stromie and Seniors Lauren Oakes and Will Rainwater live in areas represented by Republican Karen Handel while Sophomore Jake Lundstedt said, “Rob Woodall represents me in the federal level.”
This year, Handel will run against Democrat Lucy McBath and Jeremy Stubbs, a write-in candidate. McBath is advocating on gun safety and wants to decrease the age requirement for Medicare to 55 years old. If reelected, Handel wants to combat against human trafficking and add more lanes to GA-400 with new funds.
Woodall will be running against Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux. If elected, Bourdeaux would like to expand Medicaid, give well-funded salaries to K-12 teachers, and provide more government assistance programs specifically for college students. Woodall said that he if were to be reelected, he would like to continue refining government regulations and the tax code.
Wesleyan parents, teachers, and students are always involved promoting a certain candidate for the district they live in. Oakes mentioned to have volunteered for Handel by encouraging residents of the district to vote for her. Oakes said, “I am apart of Karen’s 2018 midterm campaign, along with the Fulton County Teenage Republicans (FCTARs). I attend weekly call nights, door knockings and sometimes even parades where we campaign for Handel.”
In addition to the national House of Representatives election, Georgia citizens must also vote for a new state governor. Current Georgia Governor, Nathan Deal, has completed his limit of two four-year terms as governor, therefore, a new governor must be elected. The two candidates running up for this position are Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp.
Rainwater said, “I am supporting Stacey Abrams for governor. She stands for equality and for the rights of all no matter their background, culture, identification and more.” Lundstedt mentions that he has helped advertise for Kemp: “As of right now, I have volunteered somewhere around 32 hours for the Kemp campaign, which has been a blast! This includes canvassing (going door to door), and phone banking (giving voter surveys over the phone).”
Lundstedt encourages people to vote. He said, “It is our ethical and moral responsibility.” Oakes also mentions that “these are the people making decisions that affect your everyday lives, so it is crucial that you are fairly represented.” Rainwater also believes that it is crucial for everyone, who is eligible, to vote; he said, “It is important for everyone to go out and vote to express their opinions and needs. In terms of setting things up for the next elections as well, they are the ones who will redraw the district lines in Georgia.”
The election will occur on Nov. 6. A photo identification is required in order to vote. Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
