There's a growing movement under the Gold Dome to lower the minimum age for candidates to run for state House or Senate seats. But even if it passes, the leader of the effort still couldn't seek office for at least six years.
C.J. Pearson, all of 12 years old, started a group called Young Georgians in Government to engage more young people in politics, back youthful candidates and advocate for this lower minimum age.
The legislation he's backing would decrease the age for House candidates from 21 to 18, and for Senate hopefuls from 25 to 21. He's lined up state Rep. Ben Harbin, R-Evans, to carry the bill and seven co-sponsors, including Reps. Barry Fleming, R-Harlem, and Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville, to sign on.
Pearson says he was inspired by Saira Blair, an 18-year-old West Virginia University freshman who became America's youngest state lawmaker when she trounced her Democratic opponent last month.
"Once Saira became the youngest state lawmaker in the country, I had the drive to do the same," said Pearson. "I also wanted to make a difference for all of Georgia, no matter how old or how young, by giving Georgians the choice of electing fresh young individuals to represent our values and beliefs in the state Legislature."
Pearson is well on his way. A young man with obvious Republican leanings, he's helped a half-dozen or so campaigns, including U.S. Sen.-elect David Perdue, whose staff raved about him. He was also the Columbia County chair for incoming state school superintendent Richard Woods.
Pearson also has his political rhetoric down. When we asked him why he bothered to get involved, here's what he had to say:
"I strongly believe that young people, all across our state, are capable of leading and representing the people of Georgia, and that we need to give them the opportunity."
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Until he said he wouldn't, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss was insisting he would run for re-election in 2014. Over at zpolitics, longtime GOP plotter Randy Evans tells us why we should believe his colleague, Johnny Isakson, when he says he's ready for a third term:
More significantly, virtually all of the potential challengers to Isakson have either just lost in the bid for the open Senate seat created by Chambliss's departure, or will be promoted in the new leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives. For example, Sixth District Congressman Tom Price is slated to become the chairman of the powerful Budget Committee in the U.S. House.
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Michelle Nunn isn't a candidate for anything any more, but she's making use of her vast email list to support another southern Democrat.
She sent out a dispatch urging donations for embattled Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, an underdog in Saturday's race against Republican Bill Cassidy. Writes Nunn:
For Louisianians, this Senate race is about who can best represent Louisiana. And time and again, Mary Landrieu has proved that she fights and delivers for Louisiana and brings a strong and independent voice to Washington.
Nunn, by the way, was spotted yesterday in the U.S. Senate chambers with Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who was head of the party's failed effort to retain control of the body.
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We told you Tuesday that Paul Bennecke, the Georgia GOP strategist, would be the next executive director of the cash-heavy Republican Governors Association.
Now we find out that the fellow who was once Karen Handel's go-to consultant has gotten a promotion. From Politico.com:
"Rob was instrumental in helping us win this historic majority and now he's going to lead our efforts to keep it and help Members build the best campaigns possible," said NRCC Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.) said in a statement.
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Over at Redstate.com, Erick Erickson has taken up for Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, who has suspended one month without pay after surprising City Hall by publishing a book critical of homosexuality. Writes Erickson:
Specifically, the accusation is that by being honest about his orthodox Christian views on sex and marriage, Chief Cochran is undermining the public trust in him. You'd think the government would appreciate Kelvin Cochran being a role model to young black men in Atlanta, but they are instead much more focused on not offending the gay rights community.
Side note: How strange, and somehow appropriate, to have a fire chief named "Kelvin."
Updated at 4:15 p.m.: Reed spokeswoman Anne Torres has sent the following statement:
"The City of Atlanta employs a diverse workforce. The Reed Administration expects all city commissioners and managers to respect every employee's personal religious beliefs and sexual orientation. By identifying himself as the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Chief in his book, Chief Cochran disregarded the city's anti-discrimination policies. He also failed to notify the Mayor of the book before it was published. City policy requires employees to notify their supervisor if they are publishing a book identifying themselves as City of Atlanta employees.
It is also important to note that Mayor Kasim Reed is a Christian.
"Let's not get distracted by the issue at hand by making false claims that mislead the public."
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There's a side effect to the cityhood pushes in DeKalb County: Pockets of unincorporated areas cut off by the new city limits.
State Rep. Rahn Mayo, D-Decatur, filed legislation that would ban new cities from spawning "unincorporated islands." LaVista Hills, the 72,000-person proposed DeKalb city, was squarely on his mind.
"County police and fire departments would have to travel through this new city to reach these areas," said Mayo. "This is to be considerate of DeKalb and any other county that's being carved up by incorporation. We want to be mindful and efficient with our resources."
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Atlanta attorney Guy Davis, who was the Republican candidate for governor in 1986, has died after a six-month bout with cancer. He was 72.
See the complete obituary here. One of Davis' four sons is Shawn Davis, the GOP consultant from Cobb County and a lobbyist.
That ’86 campaign, an attempt to thwart the re-election of Democratic Gov. Joe Frank Harris, occurred during the Republican wilderness years and was a lonely affair. Guy Davis, a former Fulton County prosecutor, was able to raise only a few thousand dollars – much of it his own cash. Davis garnered 29 percent of the statewide vote.
Here are a few paragraphs of from an AJC piece, written by the one of us who was old enough to do so, from that adventure:
You’ll remember that 1986 was the year that Mattingly lost to Democrat Wyche Fowler. Though it's been long forgotten, the GOP emphasis on protecting Mattingly created some bad blood. On election night that year, the treasurer for the Davis campaign was spotted kicking up his heels -- at the Fowler victory party.
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