An auto executive and political newcomer on Thursday formally entered the race for Georgia lieutenant governor, becoming the first well-funded Democrat in the hunt for Georgia's No. 2 job.
Sarah Riggs Amico joins three Republicans in the race to succeed Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle: Senate Pro Tem David Shafer, state Sen. Rick Jeffares and former state Rep. Geoff Duncan.
Amico is executive chairman at Jack Cooper Holdings Corp., a trucking and logistics firm run by her father, Michael Riggs. Trained at Harvard’s business school, she’s previously worked at talent and literary agencies in New York and Hollywood.
Her campaign roll-out included a video focusing on her executive leadership at Jack Cooper, replete with folks music and images of tractor trailers hauling cars on highways. Her family bought the company during the Great Recession in 2008 and grew it from 120 employees to more than 3,000.
"We literally had suppliers betting on whether or not we would make it through the summer. There were a lot of executives who thought this would be a great time to cut back on healthcare benefits we pay for," she said. "We went the other direction and said we're going to pay for all of it."
She said she "enjoyed being the voice in the boardroom for people who didn't have a voice."
Her campaign platform includes vows to work across party lines with Republicans, expand access to rural healthcare and a pledge to pursue more apprenticeships and vocational educational programs.
She also gave a hint at her campaign strategy with heavy emphasis on her firm's success "doing the right thing" for employees while growing its business.
"We can do the same thing in Georgia," she said. "We need leadership that brings people together to make commonsense solutions, to drive growth without trading our values."
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