On Monday’s edition of WDUN’s “The Drive at 5,” Gainesville Mayor and Republican candidate for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District Sam Couvillon gave updates on his campaign.

“It’s hard to believe that I announced six, seven months ago, and have been out working hard, trying to get my name out, meeting people,” Couvillon said. “I took this very seriously when I was getting into the race.”

Couvillon is going to be a part of a crowded primary, with incumbent Andrew Clyde and Hall County Commissioner for District 3 Gregg Poole also in the race.

Couvillon announced he would be running back in January, and he spoke on WDUN’s “The Martha Zoller Show” in February.

During that conversation, he brought up Rep. Clyde voting against farm aid in the wake of Hurricane Helene. 

In response, Rep. Clyde told AccessWDUN in February that he supports farmers, but he wants to be fiscally responsible.

“I totally support farmers,” Clyde said. “But we have to be fiscally responsible as well. That bill was a part of the big Omnibus CR at the end of last year, which was chock full of other priorities.” 

Couvillon said on Monday that farmers did not feel supported by the December 2024 decision. 

“They feel like they were not supported,” Couvillon said. “Farming is our number one industry in the state of Georgia … our congressman voted no on that, that is not a good feeling.”

One thing that Democrat challenger Nick Alex spoke about on the Sept. 16 edition of “The Drive at 5” was Trump’s tax and spending cut bill, otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“I call it the big bad bill because it is,” Alex said. Taking $850-million to $1-trillion of Medicaid benefits that will happen right after the election.”.

The Associated Press reported in July that the bill delivered $4.5-trillion in tax breaks for Americans, but will cut more than $1 trillion over a decade from Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). They also reported that the bill will add $3.3-trillion to the national debt.

Couvillon said although he would have voted yes like Rep. Clyde did, he would have liked to have seen the bill broken up into smaller sections and voted on independently.

“What I would love to see is us not have that size of bills that we are voting on,” Couvillon said. “I thought it was important that we did pass that bill, but there were probably a lot of things that I would have liked to have seen voted on individually.” 

Couvillon also added that he has been traveling around the district recently, being in Habersham County with the Habersham and White County Chambers of Commerce, in Rabun County with the Rabun County GOP last Saturday, the Hall County GOP the same day, and was also in Union County to meet with their GOP this past weekend. 

He left from there to go to the 9th District golf tournament and finished his Saturday at Clermont Days.

“It’s been very busy,” Couvillon said. “I feel like things have been well-received out there.” 

Couvillon also spoke about fundraising, with Federal Election Commission (FEC) data showing that he has raised over $436,000 from January 1 to June 30, over two-and-a-half times the over $165,000 that Clyde has raised through two quarters. The mayor said on the show that he has raised $465,000, but the third quarter's data won't be available until around Oct. 15.

“In order to get out to 900,000 people, you’ve got to have money to be able to do mailers, to do advertising …85-90% of my money has come from inside the district,” Couvillon said. “I do think that is … an endorsement of sorts that people are getting behind me.”

Couvillon is having an event at Carroll Daniel Construction’s rooftop on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

“We’re going to keep working hard and trying to gain your trust and your vote, and I think we’re on the right path to do that,” Couvillon said.