Hall County will soon have a new representative in the Georgia Senate as Shelly Echols (R) and Jody Cooley (D) face off in the 2022 midterm election cycle for State Senate District 49.
The district, which covers the majority of Hall County, was represented by Butch Miller (R) until he ran unsuccessfully for Lt. Governor in the May 2022 Primary.
Echols has served as the District 3 representative on the Hall County Commission since 2018. Her website states she has lived in District 49 her entire life. She serves on the board of Choices Pregnancy Care Center in Gainesville as well as on the board of Avita Community Partners.
Echols said in a recent interview on WDUN's The Martha Zoller Show that the voters she has spoken with have been concerned about the economy.
"The Democrats have made a mess of things right now, and voters are sick of it," Echols said. "They want to make sure, first of all, that the Georgia legislature doesn't turn Democrat. But they also want to make sure that we have strong leaders in place that will fight that and continue the red wave that's going throughout the country."
Echols said that she would like to look at the state's finances if elected.
"I think that we need to make sure that our reserves are what they can be," Echols said. "I know that there are caps on those, we need to make sure everything is capped off and that we're tucking money away where we can, because I just don't see the economy continuing to do as all as in the past. I think we're on the verge of a recession and I think we need to be prepared for that."
When it comes to Northeast Georgia specifically, Echols said the state should continue to work hard to attract quality jobs to the region, along with workforce development.
Echols described herself as "pro-life of a person as you can find," in an interview on WDUN's Newsroom, and said she believes Georgia's heartbeat bill is adequate. She said she has worked to meet with people and learn about issues as much as possible leading up to the election.
"I've spoken with people with the school system about school funding, because I think that's something that's going to be addressed in the legislature, and I want to make sure I understand that already," Echols said.
Jody Cooley, a Hall County lawyer, said in an interview with WDUN's Newsroom that he has lived in Hall County for 35 years. He previously served on the Gainesville City School Board. His website describes his run for state senate as a “purple campaign.”
"I've always been one to want to serve," Cooley said. "I love people. I feel like I have a voice and the experience to represent well the people of the 49th district. In a certain way, it's kind of consistent with what I've done throughout my life."
Cooley said he has represented several municipalities in the area over his time in law, which he said gave him an understanding of conflict.
"I believe I offer a little bit different view, not so much a democratic view, as a view on some things that are really important to people," Cooley said.
Cooley said he would look into increasing the pay of both teachers and law enforcement if elected to the state senate.
“If you talk to our law enforcement leaders, they will tell you that the state needs to be more involved in base pay for police officers,” Cooley said. “And the state also needs to be more involved in standardizing retirement for law enforcement officers across jurisdictions.”
Like Echols, Cooley said inflation seems to be the big problem among the voters that he has spoken with.
“Inflation is a very real issue for all of us,” Cooley said. “I don’t know what the Georgia legislature can do about inflation other than continuing to work on economic development projects that improve the job situation for our people, and continue to offer some relief to the effects of inflation such as rebating some of the federal COVID funds and suspending the gas tax. I support both of those initiatives.”
Cooley’s website states he supports the right for women to receive an abortion and will work to “reinstate and protect that right,” if elected.
More information about Echols can be found on her website, while more information about Cooley can be found on his website.
Voters looking to learn more about the 2022 Midterm Elections can view AccessWDUN’s Voters Guide here. Early voting is now underway. Election day is set for November 8.
