Two months after kicking off his campaign, state Sen. Michael Williams was in Columbus on Tuesday touting his support for President Donald Trump and conservative values in his 2018 bid for Georgia governor.
Williams joined members of the Muscogee County Republican Party for a dinner meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel on Sydney Simons Boulevard where he admitted that he may be called controversial for his support of Trump who is facing a series of investigations.
“ I am a fierce supporter of Donald Trump,” the state lawmaker said. “ I was the first elected official to come out and support Donald Trump in Sept. 2015. I believe he is struggling right now. He is not getting any help from Republicans in D.C. He is going to be a great president.”
Williams said not many people would know him in a crowded field in the primary with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Brian Kemp and fellow state Sen. Hunter Hill trying to replace the seat held by Gov. Nathan Deal.
As governor, Williams wants to return the government to the people and improve education in a state that ranks as one of the worse in the nation.
Williams said he entered the race to give people a choice when it comes to politicians who talk about one thing during the campaign and another after they get in office. He pointed to what he called a rigged system in which candidates are set up to support and be encouraged by lobbyists and special interests.
“What I hear across the state in travels is they are tired of elected officials that say one thing in the election season, get elected and go down to D.C. or Atlanta and do something completely different,” he said. “They forget about the voters who put them in.”
With one of the worst education systems in the nation, Williams said education will play a vital part in the campaign. “We need to make sure we put the parents back in charge of education,” he said.
Republican Sen. Josh McKoon wasn’t at the gathering to support Williams but said he wanted to hear his fellow lawmaker. “We served together several years,” he said. “ Sen. Williams sits on the same row as I do in the chamber so we have a lot of time to visit with one another. He has been a good friend.”
McKoon, a statewide candidate for Secretary of State, said Republicans have some great options in the race for governor. “I’m pretty focused on my campaign,” he said. “ I’m going to probably hold my thoughts on the other races. I try to encourage people to vote for me in Secretary of State. Sen. Williams , Sen Hill, Lt. Gov. Cagle and secretary Kemp are all people I have worked with. I have enjoyed being involved over the years. I think we’ve got great options all around.”
Mckoon said he is excited about the possibility of getting elected to a statewide Constitutional office and kind of go in with a new team of governor and lieutenant governor. “I’m excited to be part of that process,” he said.
Ben Wright: 706-571-8576, @bfwright87
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