Meet Steve Townsend candidate for Georgia House District 8
Election, Election 2020 May 14, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – With the Georgia Primary less than a month away, Steve Townsend (R) hopes his message of principled politics, religious freedom, and small business liberties win over voters in Ga-8.
Townsend entered the race in the eleventh hour. He just made the Friday deadline on March 6 because he was only approached about running on Thursday, March 5.
Conceding, he didn’t have a lot of time to think about the prospect of becoming a representative. Townsend started making phone calls and praying about it.
“People kept saying go for it,” said Townsend. “The Lord began to confirm over and over to run this race.”
One of the calls he made was to current District 8 Rep. Matt Gurtler who Townsend considers to be a good friend. Gurtler encouraged him to enter along with several other Rabun Republicans. However, Gurtler hasn’t endorsed Townsend at this point.
According to Townsend, the rest of District 8 has responded with enthusiasm to his bid even though no one can meet because of the coronavirus shutdowns. Social distancing presents unique problems to all those seeking office in 2020, but Townsend believes people are beginning to resonate with his message.
One could feel the animation in his voice when he spoke about representing the “good old, rugged individuals” found in the North Georgia mountains and his plans for the area.
The biggest issue facing Union, Rabun, Towns, and White is the economy. Townsend commended former Gov. Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal for incentivizing Georgia for businesses but believes more actions could be taken to make small businesses more lucrative. Namely, eliminate the state income tax to put more money back in Georgian’s pockets. Sales tax would be used in place of the income tax. People would only be taxed on what they spend.
“If people have money in their pocket, they still spend it,” explained Townsend. “People would still put [money] in the economy if we eliminated income tax.”
Townsend believes that Georgians and Americans, in general, are taxed too much and only 40 to 50 cents of every dollar ends up in a person’s personal bank account. He also spoke about providing tax relief to retirees who live on a set income and many of whom live in the mountains. As a country, Americans need to “cut down the appetite of the government,” and tax reform is how Townsend wants to accomplish it.
Also, now that Georgia’s slowly returning to normal, he said now is a good time to find new opportunities for the mountains. Up here, people can spread out and take advantage of all the space safely.
Additionally, during the times of “cancel culture,” when individuals and businesses are bullied for voicing differing opinions, Townsends wants all businesses to have the right to operate according to the owner’s belief systems. Yes, he means if a gay couple requests a cake with sayings on it that contradict the baker’s beliefs, then the baker can refuse to fill their order.
“Good, conservative business owners have the right to stick to their beliefs,” affirmed Townsend. He brought up the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which grants owners the protection to operate according to their “conscience and deeply held religious beliefs without fear of attack or repercussion.”
Another principle that Townsend doesn’t believe will win him any favor with Georgia House Speaker David Ralston is his support of HB 982 or Hailie’s Amendment. The bill would change the legislative leave clause and eliminate trial continuances for sexual and violent crimes.
As the interview progressed, it became apparent that Townsend doesn’t necessarily approve of everything Ralston does in the General Assembly.
When questioned about his ability to work with Ralston, he said, “I’ll work with him; I’ll work with anybody. I’m a preacher I’m used to working with people, but would he be willing to work with me?”
Townsend also suggested that the group of Stan Gunter supporters in Rabun County are also Ralston supporters and that the speaker would like for Gunter to win the race. Gurtler expressed a similar line of reasoning before he decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives District 9.
However, Gurtler earned the reputation of “Dr. No” because he often wouldn’t compromise with his fellow legislators to move agendas forward.
When pressed if Townsend would continue this tradition of no votes, he conceded that District 8 shouldn’t suffer because of political squabbles.
“I would represent the whole Eighth District not just my own personal agenda,” he said. However, if he felt something was morally wrong or sent Georgia into debt, he would be compelled to vote against it.
Townsend agrees with the job President Trump as done so far even if Trump wasn’t his first choice in the primary. Trump keeps his promises, which you don’t see from politicians expounded Townsend.
As for Townsend’s background, he moved to Clayton, Ga on Jan. 1, 2001, and served as a preacher for 14 years. After resigning he thought he would go to another church, but he ended up at Write Your Congressman, an organization dedicated to informing elected officials on the opinions of their constituents. He and his wife have five children, three daughters and two sons.
Townsend with family minus the eldest daughter.
The Georgia Primary takes place on Tuesday, June 9. Please find out from your local election office about any special protocols in place due to COVID-19.
Read our interview with the other District 8 Stan Gunter, here.
Georgia Primary moves to June 9 after extension of public health emergency
Press Release, State & National April 9, 2020
(ATLANTA) — Today, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced that, pursuant to the authority vested in him by O.C.G.A. § 21-2-50.1, he is postponing the Statewide General Primary/Presidential Preference Primary Election until June 9, 2020.
Yesterday, Governor Brian Kemp extended the current public health state of emergency until May 13, 2020. Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and Speaker of the House David Ralston concurred in the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency.
“Due to the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency through a time period that includes almost every day of in-person voting for an election on May 19, and after careful consideration, I am now comfortable exercising the authority vested in me by Georgia law to postpone the primary election until June 9,” said Secretary Raffensperger. “This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe and secure when in-person voting begins and prioritizes the health and safety of voters, county election officials, and poll workers.”
Throughout this crisis, the Secretary of State’s office has been in close contact with county election officials across the state. Over the past week, the reports of mounting difficulties from county election officials, particularly in Southwest Georgia, grew to a point where county election officials could not overcome the challenges brought on by COVID-19 in time for in-person voting to begin on April 27. Additionally, current modeling by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projects the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia will peak around April 24, only days before in-person voting was scheduled to begin. While challenges will certainly remain on June 9, these additional three weeks will give the Secretary of State’s office and counties time to shore up contingency plans, find and train additional poll workers, and procure supplies and equipment necessary to clean equipment and protect poll workers.
Emergency authority is something that should be exercised carefully, and moving an election should only take place in the rarest of circumstances. While Secretary Raffensperger previously expressed concern that he did not have the authority to move the primary election again, the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency to a time that includes almost every day of in-person voting for a May 19 election is sufficient to allow the Secretary to exercise the emergency authority given to him by O.C.G.A. § 21-2-50.1 and move the primary election to June 9.
“I certainly realize that every difficulty will not be completely solved by the time in-person voting begins for the June 9 election, but elections must happen even in less than ideal circumstances,” said Raffensperger. “Just like our brave healthcare workers and first responders, our county election officials and poll workers are undertaking work critical to our democracy, and they will continue to do this critical work with all the challenges that the current crisis has brought forth. This postponement allows us to provide additional protection and safety resources to county election officials, poll workers, and voters without affecting the November election.”
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
The voter registration deadline for the June 9, 2020 election will be May 11, 2020. Early voting will begin on May 18, 2020. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-501, moving the primary election to June 9, 2020 will move the primary runoff to August 11, 2020.Pushing back the primary to June 9 gives Georgia election officials additional time to put in place contingency plans to allow for safe and secure voting, but pushing back the primary election any further could potentially have negative consequences on preparation for the November 3, 2020 General Election. Given existing deadlines to prepare and send ballots for the November election, particularly for military voters, moving forward on June 9 is the best way to ensure a successful election year in Georgia.
Absentee ballot applications for the upcoming primary election will continue to be accepted and processed by counties even if the application said May 19. Once county election officials properly verify the signature on the application, the voter will be sent an absentee ballot for the primary election now to be held on June 9.
UPDATE: Ralston sends another letter to Raffensperger regarding Georgia Primary
Featured, News April 8, 2020
UPDATE: April 8, 2020
ATLANTA, Ga – After announcing his support of extending the Public Health State of Emergency through May 13, House Speaker David Ralston has again asked Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to move the Georgia Primary to June 16.
Ralston has been very vocal about moving the election until Georgia can overcome the COVID-19 outbreak, which has a death rate in Georgia of 3.65 percent.
“We have seen many reports recently about how impactful a May 19 primary will be on the
ability of poll workers to report. Paramount is the health of voters, poll workers and others who
must be at polling precincts on Election Day,” stated Ralston in the letter.
Letter to Secretary of State 4.8.20
Copy of the April 8 letter.
Original Story from March 26, 2020 below:
ATLANTA, Ga – Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston (Ga -7) sent a letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) asking him to please move Georgia’s May 19th primary due to novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
In the letter, Ralston asserts that he would like the primary to be moved to a date of June 23 or later. He cites several other southern states that have already moved their May Primaries to June or July as a precautionary measure to keep the public safe.
An exert from the letter below:
“At the present time, our state, the entire nation and the world are confronted by a public health emergency of unprecedented magnitude.
Our prayer is that we will be on the other side of this difficult period sooner rather than later. However, the inescapable truth is that we do not know the duration of the immediate health peril. Reputable scientists and physicians cannot agree on its duration.
All of which means that the precautionary measures recommended by the CDC and adopted in executive order by Governor Kemp will continue for an unknown period of time.”
The Georgia Speaker of the House also addresses the right to vote as one of America’s “cherished freedoms” and it “should be free of impact from circumstances which create obstacles to its exercise.”
The May 19th primary puts Georgia over a month ahead of anyone else in the south.
View the full letter here. Secretary Raffensperger 3 26 2020
On Tuesday, March 24, Raffensperger announced that the Secretary of State’s Office would be mailing out absentee ballots to 6.9 Georgia voters for the May 19th primary. This was his answer to ensuring the health of Georgia voters and poll workers during the pandemic.
In a press release issued by Raffensperger on the absentee ballots, he said,
“Times of turbulence and upheaval like the one we Georgians face require decisive action if the liberties we hold so dear are to be preserved,” said Raffensperger. “I am acting today because the people of Georgia, from the earliest settlers to heroes like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis, have fought too long and too hard for their right to vote to have it curtailed. Georgia has faced challenges before and overcome them, and we can do so again through the grit and ingenuity that has made America a shining example for democracies around the world.”
In the 2016 and 2018 November elections, around 95 percent of Georgia voters opted to cast their ballot in person versus the 5 percent who did so by mail. With social distancing as the most important tool for limiting the spread of coronavirus, providing alternatives to voting in person is crucial. All Georgia voters can request and vote an absentee ballot for any reason.
While Secretary Raffensperger is encouraging as many voters as possible to vote by mail, some rely on in-person voting to exercise their right to vote privately and securely. People without internet or mail access, such as those experiencing homelessness; Georgians who need language assistance; and people with disabilities who rely on voting machines to cast their ballot will still be able to do so in person on the state’s new voting system. Additionally, research from the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law shows that eliminating “in-person voting could disproportionately disenfranchise Black, Latino, and young voters”. Their right to vote too needs protection.
To that end, Raffensperger is taking extra steps to limit the threat of COVID-19 at the polling place. Poll workers will receive additional resources to clean the equipment regularly. In-person voters who show up to vote in person will be instructed to maintain a safe distance when waiting to vote.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
These measures will protect poll workers as well. Understanding the extra risk Georgia’s generally elderly poll workers face, Raffensperger is working to help counties hire more and younger poll workers. Extra staff will allow those who feel sick to be absent from the polls without significantly impacting continuity while a younger pool of workers will increase resiliency in the face of the COVID-19 threat.
Speaker Ralston asks Raffensperger to move Georgia Primary
Featured, News March 26, 2020
ATLANTA, Ga – Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston (Ga -7) sent a letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) asking him to please move Georgia’s May 19th primary due to novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
In the letter, Ralston asserts that he would like the primary to be moved to a date of June 23 or later. He cites several other southern states that have already moved their May Primaries to June or July as a precautionary measure to keep the public safe.
An exert from the letter below:
“At the present time, our state, the entire nation and the world are confronted by a public health emergency of unprecedented magnitude.
Our prayer is that we will be on the other side of this difficult period sooner rather than later. However, the inescapable truth is that we do not know the duration of the immediate health peril. Reputable scientists and physicians cannot agree on its duration.
All of which means that the precautionary measures recommended by the CDC and adopted in executive order by Governor Kemp will continue for an unknown period of time.”
The Georgia Speaker of the House also addresses the right to vote as one of America’s “cherished freedoms” and it “should be free of impact from circumstances which create obstacles to its exercise.”
The May 19th primary puts Georgia over a month ahead of anyone else in the south.
View the full letter here. Secretary Raffensperger 3 26 2020
On Tuesday, March 24, Raffensperger announced that the Secretary of State’s Office would be mailing out absentee ballots to 6.9 Georgia voters for the May 19th primary. This was his answer to ensuring the health of Georgia voters and poll workers during the pandemic.
In a press release issued by Raffensperger on the absentee ballots, he said,
“Times of turbulence and upheaval like the one we Georgians face require decisive action if the liberties we hold so dear are to be preserved,” said Raffensperger. “I am acting today because the people of Georgia, from the earliest settlers to heroes like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis, have fought too long and too hard for their right to vote to have it curtailed. Georgia has faced challenges before and overcome them, and we can do so again through the grit and ingenuity that has made America a shining example for democracies around the world.”
In the 2016 and 2018 November elections, around 95 percent of Georgia voters opted to cast their ballot in person versus the 5 percent who did so by mail. With social distancing as the most important tool for limiting the spread of coronavirus, providing alternatives to voting in person is crucial. All Georgia voters can request and vote an absentee ballot for any reason.
While Secretary Raffensperger is encouraging as many voters as possible to vote by mail, some rely on in-person voting to exercise their right to vote privately and securely. People without internet or mail access, such as those experiencing homelessness; Georgians who need language assistance; and people with disabilities who rely on voting machines to cast their ballot will still be able to do so in person on the state’s new voting system. Additionally, research from the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law shows that eliminating “in-person voting could disproportionately disenfranchise Black, Latino, and young voters”. Their right to vote too needs protection.
To that end, Raffensperger is taking extra steps to limit the threat of COVID-19 at the polling place. Poll workers will receive additional resources to clean the equipment regularly. In-person voters who show up to vote in person will be instructed to maintain a safe distance when waiting to vote.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
These measures will protect poll workers as well. Understanding the extra risk Georgia’s generally elderly poll workers face, Raffensperger is working to help counties hire more and younger poll workers. Extra staff will allow those who feel sick to be absent from the polls without significantly impacting continuity while a younger pool of workers will increase resiliency in the face of the COVID-19 threat.