FLOWERY BRANCH -- Four of the five candidates for Georgia's contested 9th District Congressional race made their cases to voters in South Hall County Monday evening at a debate hosted by the South Hall Republican Club.
The only candidate not present was incumbent Doug Collins, as he continued his congressional duties in Washington, D.C. His four challengers - Paul Broun, Mike Scupine, Roger Fitzpatrick and Bernie Fontaine - took turns addressing a nearly full crowd at Chicopee Bluffs Park near Flowery Branch.
Fitzpatrick said he's running because he's worried about the country's financial future.
"We have got to start looking at our fiscal house and we have got to get things in order," Fitzpatrick said. "Because if we don't, I shudder to think what the effect is going to be."
Each of the candidates present was given 20 minutes to speak, and all were given the option to take questions from the audience. Candidates Mike Scupine and Bernie Fontaine said they believed being non-career politicians would be an advantage to them in the race.
"I don't care what Washington thinks. This is the problem with Congress," Scupine said. "If you send someone up there that wants to make a career out of being in Congress, you're going to get someone like Doug Collins."
"I can tell you this about three citizen candidates, and I don't think they'll argue with me," Fontaine said. "We have more skin in the game than we really can afford. If we weren't doing this we could buy a new car or something."
The candidates addressed several issues, ranging from how to handle the national debt to improving veterans health care. One topic that drew ire from several of the candidates was incumbent Doug Collins' handling of the recent "Omnibus Bill." Paul Broun said he was disappointed in Collins' handling of the bill.
"The people of this district did not want him (Collins) to vote for the Omnibus Bill. It does fund Planned Parenthood," Broun said. "And he's denying it. He's not telling you the truth, and his minions aren't either."
The meeting lasted over an hour and a half and was open to the public. Several audience members said they enjoyed the discussion. Glenn Carr of Flowery Branch said he liked the format and how the debate was handled.
"They got more time than we're normally used to having in these forums," Carr said. "It's been limited sometimes to two to five minutes, you can't say anything in two to five minutes except your name."
Joseph Curley said it was the first time he had heard from the candidates in person and that he learned a lot from the event.
"It was very enlightening," Curley said. "I learned a lot about what the incumbent's been doing, what the other people running represent, what they would do, what they say they would do."
The district election is May 24, but early voting for the congressional seat will begin May 2. The candidates will meet again at a forum on May 9 sponsored by AccessWDUN and the Gainesville Times. Details on that forum can be found here.
