Written and Submitted by Gilmer GOP

 

I can always remember hearing the phrase, “People want to see a little bit of themselves in the person they vote for.” This is so true. We want to know that the people representing us are real people, like us. We want to know we can relate to them. For this very reason, I am voting for Senator Kelly Loeffler this week. To understand why I feel this way, you must truly understand who Senator Kelly Loeffler is. Contrary to what her enemies say about her, Senator Kelly Loeffler stands for north Georgia values.

 

Many of us in north Georgia supported Congressman Doug Collins in November because we saw someone who reminded us of ourselves. While I am now a strong supporter of Senator Kelly Loeffler, I also initially supported my Congressman Doug Collins. Doug has done an incredible job representing our district. He’s a charismatic leader, a pastor, a small business owner, an Air Force veteran, the son of a state trooper, and comes from good northeast Georgia stock. Congressman Collins is simply a good man.

 

I had so many reasons to vote for Congressman Collins last November, but I also wanted to learn about our sitting Senator Kelly Loeffler. When Senator Loeffler came to Ellijay with Senator Tom Cotton this past August, I chose to attend. At that time, I didn’t know much about Senator Loeffler other than the caricature “Buckhead Barbie” her enemies had created. I quickly learned this depiction of Senator Loeffler is the furthest thing from the truth.

 

As Senator Loeffler spoke, I learned about her upbringing. She spoke of growing up in a Christian home on a farm in rural Illinois. She told stories of playing high school basketball and showing animals in 4H competitions. She talked about being the first member of her family to attend college and how after her freshman year, her dad loaded up her belongings in a cattle trailer. She spoke of going into the world of finance and struggling to pay rent her first year out of college. She spoke of her rise in the world of finance and how her business background makes her different from the career politicians in DC.

 

Towards the end of the event, I was able to speak with Senator Loeffler one on one for a few minutes. Since I became active in politics, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to meet many elected officials. So many of them are great people. With that said, I found Senator Loeffler to be one of the most genuine public figures I had ever met. After leaving the ETC Pavillion that day, I started to see many similarities between my world and Senator Loeffler’s. While I still intended to vote for Congressman Collins in November, I also became a supporter of Senator Kelly Loeffler that day.

 

Senator Kelly Loeffler is not the member of “the elite” her enemies have portrayed her to be. For those of us in rural America, she is one of us. From humble beginnings on a farm to conquering the business world, she embodies the dreams so many of us have for our children. She values what we value. She is pro-life, supports the Second Amendment, defends the police, believes in the free market, and helped craft the Paycheck Protection Program that saved our small businesses. She has one of the highest conservative ratings in DC and has been a strong supporter of President Trump. Her opponent, Raphael Warnock, stands against everything she stands for. For me, the choice is simple on January 5th. Vote for our values. Vote for Senator Kelly Loeffler.

 

Reece Sanford

Assistant Secretary – Communications, Gilmer County Republican Party

Reece Sanford, CFA served as the Chairman of The Gilmer Trump Campaign. Mr. Sanford is the Assistant Secretary – Communications of the Gilmer County Republican Party and a native of Ellijay, GA. He holds a BBA in Finance from The University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. Mr. Sanford also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He is a career community banker currently working in small business lending. He has served on the boards of several non-profits throughout north Georgia. He has served as Youth Engagement Director of the Gilmer County Republican Party, holds an advisory role with a trade association Political Action Committee, and has consulted on multiple political campaigns. He and his wife, Kerri Ann, enjoy spending their free time exploring north Georgia, running, traveling, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are strictly those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Republican Party, its members, any other organization the author may be associated with, nor his family members.