Three Candidates for District 50 Share Their Platforms at Stephens BOC Meeting

By Ethan Jordan, WNEG Radio, Toccoa

Three candidates for the State Senate 50th District race came before the Stephens County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to introduce themselves to the commission.

Andy Garrison, Tricia Hise, and Stacey Hall announced their bids for the 50th District seat last week.

Garrison is a realtor in Jefferson and is the former director of the of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Athens, formerly known as the Northeast Georgia Police Academy.

He told the Board he is pro-life and supports the Constitution.

“I stand for life. I am pro-life. I believe life begins at conception,” he said. “I am pro-Constitution so anything about the Constitution is what I’m about. I support our government. I support gun rights. If somebody asks me about what I think about guns, I say that’s like asking a carpenter what they think about hammers.”

When announcing his candidacy last week, Garrison said he is running for the 50th District to bring a lifetime of ethics and common sense to Atlanta and to represent the citizens of the District by listening and being their voice in the Senate.

Habersham businesswoman and attorney Tricia Hise said her professional experience makes her the right candidate to represent the 50th District.

“I feel very passionate about my compass in life and that has afforded me the opportunity to serve and serve others and that’s why I’m running. I’m an attorney. I work out of Clarkesville but I travel all over Georgia, including Senate District 50. I am a Christian Constitutionalist. I’m a Christian Conservative.  I have a faith and a relationship in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Hall noted that all three candidates share similar beliefs.

“My name is Stacy Hall. I’m running for District 50. If you’re a Republican you have some great options here. I dont’ think you can go wrong and the that’s the good news. I am running for many reasons. I too am a born-again Christian and a Constitutionalist. I’m glad to hear everybody saying that because that’s near and dear to me.”

Stephens County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dennis Bell noted that two candidates were unable to attend the meeting on Tuesday.

Franklin Springs Mayor Lee Moore and Attorney Bo Hatchett both announced their bid for the 50th District race.

The 50th District Seat is currently held by John Wilkinson who recently announced he would be vying for the 9th District US Representative seat, currently held by Doug Collins.

WNEG News will continue to follow the 50th District race throughout the election.