Will Wade, Community Banker, House District 9, Dawsonville
GC: If you could have a meal with any historical Georgia figure who would it be?
WW: Clarence Thomas. I would just love to hear his story and learn from him. I think he is remarkable in many ways and given all the discussions of the constitutionality of today’s current events, I would be honored to hear and understand his thoughts.
GC: Why did you decide to run for elected office?
WW: I believe my interest began when I participated in the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation as a freshman in high school. It’s a trip my dad and I took together, and I learned about my grandparents, their service to this nation in the Air Force, as well as service in their communities during the turn of the last century. My willingness to serve was solidified after September 11, 2001.
GC: What is one item you plan to have with you at the capitol every day?
WW: Hopefully my wits, and I also have a small token that has one of my favorite scriptures: Ephesians 6:11-24
GC: Complete this sentence: “If I were a mayor monitoring the 2021 legislative session, I would…”
WW: Continually monitor legislation that impacts home rule as well as unfunded mandates. I personally want to make sure that the legislature checks itself against passing unfunded mandates and to maintain the fabric of small towns across this state, and I believe home rule lends itself to maintaining this balance.
Sheila McNeil, President of the Camden Partnership, Senate District 3, St. Marys
GC: If you could have a meal with any historical Georgia figure who would it be?
SM: Mary Musgrove. As a former business owner, I would like to hear how in the 1700s she and her husband started their trading post near Savannah. She played a big role in the peaceful founding of Savannah as an interpreter for Oglethorpe and the Yamacraw Indian Chief. Being a woman myself, I find her accomplishments amazing for that time period. Musgrove Plantation on St. Simons Island was named for her.
She was described as fearless and tireless, something I find in myself.
GC: Why did you decide to run for elected office?
SM: It was not an easy decision and required deep thought. People that I really respect encouraged me to run.
GC: What is one item you plan to have with you at the Capitol every day?
SM: A list of the individuals who said, “Call me if you need me.” Also, I will take my belief in God that He will give me the strength every day to make the correct choices in the best interest of my constituents and fellow senators.
GC: Complete this sentence: “If I were a mayor monitoring the 2021 legislative session, I would…”
SM: Thank goodness for this great group of legislators we have here in Georgia.
Marvin Lim, Lawyer, House District 99, Norcross
GC: If you could have a meal with any historical Georgia figure who would it be?
ML: Someone we studied at length in eighth grade Georgia history: James Oglethorpe, who founded the colony of Georgia, ensured Georgia’s initial ban on slavery, and apparently maintained good relations with Native Americans—lots to unpack.
GC: Why did you decide to run for elected office?
ML: For a job that makes less than $16,000 a year, you’ve really got to care—and as an immigrant who used to be on public assistance like Peachcare, I particularly care about ensuring that our state hears the voices of the most vulnerable Georgians, in and out of my district.
GC: What is one item you plan to have with you at the capitol every day?
ML: My mask is probably too obvious an answer, so I’ll go with something I used to carry into the Capitol as a lobbyist: my dad’s old comb. Something for presentability, yes, but also for ensuring that, long after he left us, he’ll still be alongside me on this incredible journey.
GC: Complete this sentence: “If I were a mayor monitoring the 2021 legislative session, I would…”
ML: Naturally, drill down on the state’s revenue projections in these uncertain times, since that will impact not only the state funds we get, but also our own plans for municipal revenue generation.
Russ Goodman, Farmer, Senate District 8, Homerville
GC: If you could have a meal with any historical Georgia figure who would it be?
RG: If I could have a meal with any historical figure, it would be Charles Herty. Charles Herty was the first football coach at the University of Georgia and was a renowned chemist who did as much as anyone to revolutionize the forestry industry in Georgia through his work in the turpentine industry and helping to develop the process by which pine pulp is made into paper. As someone who has long worked in the forestry industry and a graduate of UGA, I’d love the chance to hear his perspectives on life and all the challenges his generation faced and how they overcame them.
GC: Why did you decide to run for elected office?
RG: Simply put, I ran for office because I love South Georgia and our people. As a seventh-generation South Georgia farmer with two young sons coming along and a wife who is a third-generation public school teacher, I want to make sure that in South Georgia our children have the same opportunities in terms of quality of life, education and employment as the children in more populated areas of Georgia.
GC: What is one item you plan to have with you at the capitol every day?
RG: I will have a pen that was personally made by a good friend out of blueberry wood taken from our farm. It will serve as a constant reminder of who I am, where I come from and the good folks back home who entrusted me to represent them.
GC: Complete this sentence: “If I were a mayor monitoring the 2021 legislative session, I would…”
RG: Encourage the members to be able to disagree without becoming disagreeable and to try and put aside differences to work for the common good of all Georgians.
This story originally appeared in the January/February 2021 edition of Georgia’s Cities magazine.