Conservative announces campaign against U.S. Rep. Johnson

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An Atlanta corporate executive and self-called conservative is the latest candidate to announce a bid for U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson's seat.

Cory Ruth will announce his bid for Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Library Coffee Company on Caldwell Road in Atlanta.

Ruth, 32, joins business consultant Liz Carter and retired naval officer Larry Gause on the Republican ticket. In addition to Johnson’s bid for a third term, DeKalb County Commissioner Connie Stokes and former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones are running as Democrats.

Ruth said his campaign will focus on advocating for free markets to lower taxation and stimulate corporate investment. He also wants to require the federal government to provide each taxpayer an itemized receipt of how their income tax dollars are spent.

“My goal in every piece of legislation I would sponsor would be to increase take home pay of average Americans by decreasing the tax burden,” Ruth told the AJC Friday.

Ruth, an information security manager at Fiserv, said he has never run for political office before. However, he has worked as a political analyst for a Philadelphia think tank.

Ruth runs Atlanta charity Helping Our People Emerge, which partners with churches to feed 200 families a week by collecting donations at area barber shops.