Sen. Preston Smith to run for attorney general
Lawmaker from Rome — whose Senate speech to power gave conservatives that tingly feelin’ — unexpectedly joins race
State Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome, announced today that he’ll run for state attorney general.
From a Smith release:
“Over the past few weeks I have been encouraged by Georgia’s grassroots conservatives to consider taking our fight to a higher level. From Waycross to Dalton and Bainbridge to Blairsville, I have heard from fellow Georgians who are fearful of the encroachment of government, the loss of liberties, and rising taxes in a time when family budgets are shrinking.
“Georgians across the state are concerned with the impact of the federal health care legislation, defending the Second Amendment, winning the fight over water, promoting government that is responsive to the people, protecting the unborn, and making sure that the 2011 redistricting is fair and constitutional. Having served in the state Senate since 2003, I have a strong record of being an independent leader, not a partisan politician....
“The time has come for Georgians to have an independent minded prosecutor who will end the arm-twisting and backroom deal-making that has become business-as-usual in modern politics. With your support, I pledge to be an Attorney General who has the courage to fight for the people of Georgia.”
All of the above, of course, ties in nicely with Smith’s April 12 speech in which he ripped Senate leadership over the controversial hospital bed tax. Supporters call it a “fee.” Semantics are silly.
Smith says he’ll qualify for the race tomorrow. His GOP opponents will include former Cobb County and Atlanta Regional Commission Chairman Sam Olens and former U.S. Attorney Max Wood.
(Courtesy Friends of Preston Smith)