Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Local business owner and former county commissioner Carden Summers will be on the ballot in the February 4 special election to fill the state senate seat vacated by the untimely passing of incumbent Greg Kirk, who died Dec. 22, 2019. Early voting in the race begins on Monday, Jan. 13.

Summers, a conservative Republican, is hardly a new face to Georgia’s political scene. He ran for the same state senate seat in 2002, narrowly losing to the late Rooney Bowen, who held the seat for some 25 years. Prior to that run, Summers had served a six-year term on the Crisp County Board of Commissioners, where he gained a reputation as a proactive worker sensitive to taxpayer concerns.

Summers says he’ll continue to keep taxpayer concerns close to his heart if he is elected to the state senate in February.

“We need to be looking at ways to increase rural healthcare, reduce the state income tax to compete with Florida, and focus on alleviating property taxes,” Summers said. “Property taxes should have a cap for the elderly and perhaps a percentage cap for all. Property tax payers cannot continue to support the entire district – many people simply cannot pay any more.”

Summers, a lifelong resident of Georgia who grew up in Crisp County, is opposed by two Lee County residents who were unsuccessful in the recent special election to fill the state house seat vacated by Ed Rynders. Jim Quinn left his post as mayor of Leesburg to run for Rynders’ house seat, but fell 118 votes short in the Dec. 3 runoff versus winner Bill Yearta despite being the top vote-getter in the special general election. Mary Egler, Summers’ other challenger, was the third-place finisher in that special general election. She also ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2018, 2016, and 2014.

Summers knows the 13th Senate District well and says he will work tirelessly to promote South Georgia and to ensure that all the people of the 13th Senate District have a voice in Atlanta. The 13th District is comprised of Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Lee, Sumter, Tift, Turner, Wilcox, and Worth counties.

“This special election is going to be one of the shortest elections in history,” Summers said, “and I would appreciate all the support I can get.”

Summers and Janis, his wife of 38 years, plus their two grown children Weston and Jade, invite voters to contact them at his 13th Avenue business office. Early voting in Crisp County begins on Monday, Jan. 13 at 8 a.m. at the elections office in the county government building at 210 South 7th St. Voters can cast an early ballot there Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. up until January 31st and on Saturday, January 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.