Handicapping the 26th State House Race

Early voting has begun in the 26th State House District special election.  That would be for the seat formerly held by Geoff Duncan, who recently resigned.

There are two Republican candidates on the ballot to succeed Mr. Duncan in the 2018 Georgia General Assembly.  They are Navy veteran, businessman and long-time county resident, Marc Morris, who is faced by former Democrat, former lobbyist turned researcher and blogger, Tina Trent, a recent transplant from Dawson County.  For what it’s worth, here’s how I evaluate the candidates in this race.

Marc Morris and Tina Trent

First of all, any candidate who represents the people in state government should be a good listener.  A representative who does not carefully consider the viewpoints of his or her constituents cannot adequately represent them in government, which of course is the job description.

Regarding whether Mr. Morris would listen and carefully consider the opinions of those he represents, my conversations with him give me no reasons for concern.  He speaks humbly and responds naturally.  He is unpretentious and appears gratified to learn what others have to say. I detect no overriding ideological influences or agendas leading me to believe he would not graciously accept input from his constituents, and carefully consider their thoughts in representing them in state government.

Ron Paul-Not Exactly a Communist

On the other hand, while I give Ms. Trent props for her hard work in research, I have deep concerns that certain ingrained ideological perceptions and influences could serve as an impediment to carefully considering the opinions of those she represents.  I say that because, among other strong, questionable statements, Ms. Trent once insisted to me that former US Representative and presidential candidate Ron Paul was a communist propagandist working for Vladimir Putin.  Yes, that’s what she said and she was not joking.  Her irrevocable conclusion was based in the fact that Congressman Paul once sat for an interview on the Russia Today network, and in that interview, Rep. Paul favored a non-interventionist policy in Ukraine.  The many ways I tried to advise her that the well-known libertarian, Ron Paul, perhaps an isolationist in certain respects, was not a communist, or working for Putin, I was unsuccessful.  Ms. Trent became agitated and refused to consider facts that disputed her predeterminations.  That experience leaves me concerned for the people of the 26^th who desire their representative to hear and register their thoughts on the issues.  Any candidate for state representative who really believes that Ron Paul is a communist working for Putin, and cannot be persuaded otherwise, may not be the best listener.

If I were a voter in the 26^th, I would give the “good listener” nod to Marc Morris.

The second quality I look for in a representative is knowledge of the issues.  Ms. Trent is extremely knowledgeable on Common Core, Agenda 21 and the United Nations. In her research, she has constructed an extensive catalogue of various organizations that have taken funds from George Soros.  She has written many blog articles, which are online for voters to read.

I am unaware whether Mr. Morris has performed any recognized research into the matters that form is Ms. Trent’s strong suit.  He is a successful businessman, a veteran and is active in his community.  He is obviously bright, concerned and learned on the issues that impact daily life in Forsyth County, such as the local economy, education, transportation and infrastructure. 

In this second measure of importance, I conclude that both candidates are knowledgeable, but perhaps in different areas.  I call this measure a draw and urge the voters of the 26^th to learn of the candidates, assess their expertise and weigh this criterion according to their own scale of importance.

The 3^rd measure of a representative I believe voters of the 26^th should consider is a candidate’s community involvement.  Ms. Trent has only recently moved into the area and has had limited opportunities to become involved in her new community.  Conversely, for over a decade Marc Morris has served the Forsyth community with vigor.  After 9/11 he joined the Georgia State Defense Force and still serves today. Morris has held various leadership positions in Lanier Forsyth Rotary Club.  He has created and funded programs to honor our veterans.  He has organized road cleanups and shore sweeps.  He has promoted safe teen driving and raised money for driving simulators.  He is a South Forsyth band booster.  He has held various leadership positions in the Cumming Forsyth Chamber of Commerce.  He is active in his church, and the list goes on.  In the very important measure of community involvement, Marc Morris is clearly the more qualified Republican running for the 26^th House seat.

And so if I were voting in this race, I would support Marc Morris.  By every meaningful measure, Mr. Morris meets or greatly exceeds his Republican opponent’s qualifications for office.

But whether you agree with me or not, if you live in the 26^th District and do not vote, you will have no impact in deciding the person to represent your interests in Georgia government.  I therefore urge you to carefully consider the candidates and support the one who best aligns with your views.