Collins and Zoller Race to Pick up Bicknell’s Endorsements

In the wake of Ninth District Candidate Hunter Bicknell’s announcement today to suspend his campaign, Candidates Rep. Doug Collins and Martha Zoller race to pick up Bicknell’s endorsements. However, Collins and Zoller do not seem so concerned about Bicknell’s larger endorsements, like Georgia Right to Life (GRTL)–which both candidates already have– as they are about the local, grassroots endorsements.

Collins and Zoller spent this morning feverishly calling to recover the local endorsements left behind by Bicknell, particularly in Gilmer County. For his part, Bicknell had a strong following in Gilmer, where he won the endorsements of local notables, like Owner of Poole’s BBQ Oscar Poole and local Republican voice Joe McCutchen.

Earlier this month, Collins and Zoller battled over a controversy of their GRTL endorsements. Additionally, both candidates retain other towering endorsements. Collins, for instance, was recently endorsed by State House Speaker David Ralston, while Zoller’s endorsements include national names like Herman Cain. With these names, why are Collins and Zoller scrambling for local endorsements?

In a press release today, Bicknell said he ran a strong grassroots campaign, which seems emphasize his philosophy. Similarly, Zoller has pursued grassroots votes for the last five months now. In January, she organized campaign volunteers, naming grassroots leaders through out the district.

As such, the race for Bicknell’s grassroots endorsements culminated in two upcoming events. Next Wednesday, May 30th, Rep. Doug Collins will visit Mike’s Ellijay Restaurant in Ellijay at 11 A.M. and next Thursday Martha Zoller will visit Poole’s BBQ in East Ellijay at 11 A.M.

The swift move to secure these two events in an area where Bicknell won strong support seems to underscore the key to victory in the Ninth District Race: grassroots.