U.S. House Rep. Buddy Carter has become a political force in his two-plus decades of holding elected office, staving off election challenges at the municipal, state and federal levels.
His 2022 midterm opponent, political newcomer Wade Herring, is unlike any he's met before: A well-funded, well-organized Democrat with a well-crafted message.
Carter, the Trump-aligned longtime GOP representative, voted against the certification of the 2020 vote count. Herring says he was spurred to run based on that vote.
Carter has held the 1st District in a vice grip since he first won it in 2014. But Herring has proved an adept fundraiser, with a base strong enough to beat Carter's 2020 challenger Joyce Griggs in the primary runoff.
For Carter, it’s another challenger, and he says he’s not taking anybody lightly. In January, he said there are only two ways to run for office: "unopposed, and scared."
For Herring, it's a chance to literally put his money where his mouth is, and do what he's been saying he's going to do: "beat Buddy Carter."
Credit: File Photo
Credit: File Photo
What is the 1st District rep's role?
Georgia's 1st Congressional District representative is one of 435 House lawmakers, introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments, serve on committees and cast votes on all Congressional legislation. The House is one of two chambers that make up the U.S. Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. Bills and resolutions must achieve Senate passage before going to the president for either signature or veto.
Congressional representatives serve two-year terms.
What happened in the primaries?
Carter ran unopposed in the primary, but he received a late Trump endorsement anyway.
Herring had a tougher fight against Griggs. Griggs was the top vote-getter in the primary, but couldn't clear the 50% threshold to win outright. In the runoff, Herring's strong base in Chatham delivered him the win with 61% of the vote.
What do you need to know about Wade Herring?
Herring, a lawyer at HunterMaclean Law Firm, says he was inspired to run after seeing Carter's reaction to the Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol and his vote to overturn the election results.
Credit: Courtesy Wade Herring
Credit: Courtesy Wade Herring
Herring grew up in Macon, graduating from Central High School in 1976. After that, he attended Dartmouth College and the University of Georgia Law School. This is his first run for an elected position at any level.
Herring's campaign mantra is to "take it to Buddy Carter."
Since Herring started his campaign in June 2021, he has raised $884,942.88, according to the Federal Election Commission database, with most of that money coming from individual contributions.
What do you need to know about Buddy Carter?
Carter, born and raised in Port Wentworth, has had a long career as a politician. He has been a Pooler city council member, the Pooler mayor, a statehouse representative and held a Georgia Senate seat before being elected to his federal post in 2014.
In Congress, Carter serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Budget Committee. He owned Carter's Pharmacy on U.S. 80 in Pooler for 32 years.
Carter believes in protecting the Second Amendment and opposes "efforts to expand gun control and restrict access to legal gun use." Carter is against abortions as well, calling the Roe v. Wade decision "tragic and injudicious" on his website.
Following the 2022 campaigns
Will Peebles is the City Council and County Commission reporter for Savannah Morning News, covering local Savannah and Chatham County decisions. He can be reached at wpeebles@savannahnow.com or on Twitter @willpeeblesSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Buddy Carter to face well-funded challenger Wade Herring in 2022 U.S. House election
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