Dubnik, Calmes face off for Georgia House District 29

Last election in Georgia House District 29, incumbent Republican Matt Dubnik secured his seat as the incumbent, and this year, he faces off against political newcomer Democrat Pat Calmes. Both are seeking out a better Georgia, with businessman Dubnik training his eye to a perfectly balanced budget, and Calmes seeking out justice reform in the state system she previously worked with for almost 30 years.

If Matt Dubnik has his way, a better Georgia House District 29 will focus on perfecting the needs of the economy, and taking a careful look at budgets is something he says is his forte. Born and raised in Gainesville, Dubnik graduated from Georgia Tech and Lakeview Academy, and now resides in the city with his wife and two school-aged sons. He and his wife, Katie, are the small business owners of Forum Communications, a marketing agency. He and his family attend First Baptist Church of Gainesville where he has served as a Deacon for three years. He is also engaged in civic organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited, the Georgia Chamber Board of Directors and the Junior Achievement of Northeast Georgia Board of Directors

Politically, Dubnik said his grandfather-in-law encouraged him to “pay a little rent” to your community, which is why he decided to run for office, taking the seat in 2016.

The self-proclaimed “numbers guy” during an interview with Martha Zoller on WDUN’s Morning Talk, was appointed Secretary of Appropriations in early 2020.

"We are a balanced budget state… The only thing the legislature is required to do is to pass a balanced budget,” said Dubnik. “So when you jump on to appropriations, sit down and really get into the weeds you realize it’s a giant Excel spreadsheet, it fits my personality and the way my brain works. But I say all that to answer your question, I believe we’ve seen a lot in my first four years, but it’s shown me there’s still a lot that we can do for our budget and be good stewards of tax payer dollars. Look, the pandemic has changed everything, changed the way we look at everything, say in private business or small business, if you’re not growing you’re dying, and if you’re not adapting to the times, you’re probably not going to survive. Government can’t be exempt from that.”

Other current leadership responsibilities include Deputy Whip for the Majority Caucus, Vice Chairman of the Juvenile Justice Committee and Vice Chairman of the Game, Fish & Parks committee.

Dubnik told Zoller he was eager to keep government from acting as a battleship that moves slowly, but making it more “effective, efficient and nimble.”

As for the pandemic element, Dubnik said that they didn’t have any sort of “playbook” to help the legislature out as the landscape changed.

As projections of population increase, Dubnik said he felt infrastructure expansion and balance is the biggest challenge facing Gainesville and Hall County specifically. “If we continue to grow, can we grow those efficiently and effectively, and can we see businesses continue to invest in this community?”

Matt Dubnik encouraged anyone who wishes to contact him to visit dubnikforhouse.com for his email address and cell phone number.

Pat Calmes is a political newcomer, but she’s not new to Georgia, making it her home in 1978, raising her three daughters here, working for the state, and joining in philanthropic and civic work. Calmes said she felt like she has a servant’s heart, something she has strived to prove as an employee for the state of Georgia in social services, specifically with high-risk parolees. 

Calmes said she noticed changes from her first day at the State Parole Board in 1984 to when she retired. Initially, parole officers carried their weapons concealed and under a jacket, but Calmes said after the Olympics in 1996, there was a rapid change, including new uniforms and visible, at-the-ready glocks.

"The mentality slowly changed to being one of more of a warrior-type mentality," she said. "I was very uncomfortable with that, at that point. My whole view with working with parolees was helping them be successful, to be able to transition back into society and be able to have a successful life, and of course, a crime-free life. And those things weren't encouraged too much at the end."

Teaching cognitive skills to parolees, specifically thinking before they act to help the re-acclimate to society better, was Calmes’ specialty on the job. She also shared that she supported the Newtown Florist Club’s recommendations to reduce police brutality in Gainesville, supported Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish’s efforts to increase training, and that she’d like to see House Bill 838 repealed. The full text of HB 838 can be found here. 

Calmes is retired now from her job with the state, but she isn’t retired from being a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She has been raising a total of four grandchildren for one of her daughters who struggles with mental health and substance abuse problems.

Calmes received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska and a master’s degree from what was then North Georgia College. Curious voters can find out more about Calmes on her website, where she opened up about her life as well as her platform.

Initially, Calmes said she felt it was important for a Democrat to be on the ballot, but as she followed where her campaign trail led her, she said she saw a bigger message.

"The longer I've been in, looking into what's going on in the state of Georgia, I feel like there need to be some changes made in the leadership," said Calmes. "I want the future to be a better place for my grandchildren."