For the first time in seven election cycles, Bryan County voters won't find Georgia House Rep. Jan Tankersley's name on the Republican primary ballot when they go to the polls Tuesday.
Tankersley is retiring after serving in the Georgia General Assembly for 12 years.
District 160 voters will find Lehman Franklin's name on their ticket instead. The Statesboro car dealer was the only candidate to qualify to succeed Tankersley. The district includes parts of Bulloch County as well as Bryan.
Credit: Photo by Lori Grice
Credit: Photo by Lori Grice
Franklin was prepared to contend with several hopefuls to replace Tankersley. Even the consulting firm he hired told him nine to 10 people would jump in the race. But no one else submitted their qualifying paperwork by the March 11 deadline.
Franklin joked that running unopposed might not be a good thing.
“I said 'Well this is great,' then I thought maybe I am the sucker," Franklin said. "But on a serious note, it is very exciting. I’m looking forward to it. I didn’t know what to expect about running for an office, but when I got out there, I really enjoyed it.”
Franklin launched his campaign shortly after Tankersley announced her retirement in February. She told the Statesboro Herald "it's time to, God-willing, enjoy retirement with my husband Hughie in Brooklet."
Tankersley declined interview requests from the Savannah Morning News.
Credit: Jan Tankersley
Credit: Jan Tankersley
She ran for the Legislature after 15 years in local government, 10 on the Bulloch County Commission and five with the Brooklet City Council. She has been an influential voice at the Georgia Capitol and chaired the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee in the most recent legislative session. In that role she shepherded all local legislation or bills that primarily affect only one political subdivision, such as a city or a county.
During her six terms, Tankersley she worked on numerous projects to advance the quality of life in her district. According to her House bio , Tankersley helped "expand the Volunteer Fire Department to include countywide substations and hired a chief to ensure training and adequate equipment for volunteers. That resulted in a lower ISO rating and reduced insurance premiums for homes, schools and businesses located within a five-mile radius of a substation."
In addition, Tankersley is credited with participation in a number of counties in the Coastal Georgia region "to provide transportation services at an affordable rate for citizens to travel to and from appointments in any of the participating counties and completed a new building for the Georgia State Patrol Office."
As for Franklin, he is general manager of Franklin Toyota in Statesboro and Vice President of the Franklin Automotive Group. Although he had no challengers, Franklin said going door-to-door was time well spent as he garnered much needed support.
“The reception we got in the community was so encouraging,” said Franklin. “Everyone seemed to like the idea of it, and it was really humbling. As soon as I announced, I started calling people for a couple days. Everyone was so helpful, kind and encouraging.”
District 160 covers Bulloch County, as well as part of northern Bryan County to include Ellabell and Pembroke. Franklin said he is passionate about taking care of small towns and wants to protect both counties from bills that could impact them in a negative way.
“One of the things I want to do is make sure the laws passed in Atlanta don’t harm this district,” said Franklin. “There may be some things that pass in Atlanta that make sense for them but it may not work for us down here.”
His three areas of focus will be education, economic development and infrastructure. But he knows development will be met with opposition as a growing number of residents are unhappy with how quickly their county has increased in population. The district includes the Bryan County megasite, the future home of a Hyundai assembly plant and battery factory that is projected to employ 8,100 workers
Franklin said he trusts the commissioners to make sound decisions when determining what is best for the county.
“They have a hard job coming up but we have some really good people and I think they can handle it,” said Franklin. “Where I can contribute is to get the proper finances and money to facilitate growth in a good way. Our area is going to be exploding in growth in the next five years. It has so many things going for it in the fact that it is a great place to raise a family. It’s critical we make sure that process is being managed properly. Growth is going to happen. Everyone benefits from it if it is done right.”
Franklin said he has always been interested in politics and has more time to devote to his community now. Politics intersect at every area of life and with his business background, Franklin feels he can continue providing the best quality of life for residents within the district.
“Now is great because I have established in my business the time to serve in my capacity,” said Franklin. “Politics are important for business, arts or anything you do because the decisions made affect everyone. My motto is ‘here for you.’ If it ever gets to the point where it’s not, then someone else needs to get involved.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Bryan County to get new Georgia House rep as Tankersley retires after 12 years
