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'Feel strongly about constituents' needs': State House candidates share top priorities in Baldwin County

We're moving on to the State House Representative candidates for District 133 where we introduce you to Republican Ken Vance, and Democrat Hoganne Harrison- Walton.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Earlier this week, we spoke with Baldwin County's senate candidates running for Senate District 25.

Tuesday, we're moving on to the State House Representative candidates for District 133 where we introduce you to Republican Ken Vance, and Democrat Hoganne Harrison- Walton.

13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha sat down with each of them to see what matters to them as they run. 

Vance served on Milledgeville's City Council for decades and is a former law enforcement officer and educator. 

"I've built a life of public service,” he says. 

Harrison- Walton has lived in Milledgeville her whole life, and practices family law.

"I am intimately acquainted with the families here in Baldwin County. Not just on a personal level, but on a business level,” she says. 

Both agree the worker shortage can be solved by raising benefits. 

"We've got to find a way to gradually raise salaries for people. I think in time, it'll straighten itself out,” Vance says.

"We need to provide some way of making it more of an incentive. It's just going to take the community to come forward and say this is what we need, and respond and provide those resources,” Harrison-Walton says. 

They offer different solutions to improving public safety. Vance says raising the salaries and benefits of law enforcement officers will improve it, while Harrison-Walton wants to crack down on open carry laws. 

"It's the local people that are suffering. We've got to come up with a way to help local law enforcement. I wish we'd treat law enforcement like we do teachers. Have a set salary and have local supplements, like they do teachers,” Vance explains

"We should not be allowed to just open carry. That needs to be repealed as soon as possible. These policies are affecting Georgia economically, and also on local level public safety. I am an advocate for protecting yourself, protecting your family, protecting your home, but I do not think guns should be in public,” Harrison-Walton explains. 

They both feel strongly about their constituents' needs.

"We've got to find a way in our legislature to have some kind of pause button on inflation because a loaf of bread used to be $1.29, and now it's $3.95 for the same loaf of bread, so inflation to me is the largest thing. People got to pay-- they got to have the wherewithal to pay the bills,” he says. 

"We should encourage and attract quality jobs. Baldwin county used to be rich with factories and a lot of factories left. There's no reason why we shouldn't have these industries-- we have two colleges and a technical school,” she says. “So when we bring in industries that are providing a livable wage, what that brings is also insurance.”

Vance and Harrison-Walton think they are both qualified for the job. 

“I have 28 years on the Milledgeville City Council, 49 as a law enforcement officer. I have the experience. I do have the familiarity with that process, which I think puts me ahead of most people,” says Vance. 

“I’ve seen some of the issues that families have struggled with in this community. I understand the issues that they deal with with mental health, substance abuse, lack of housing, and I have been able to help families overcome all of these obstacles. I know what Baldwin County and Jones County has been dealing with, and I am willing, and able, and capable, and young to be here,” she says. 

We learned that candidate Ken Vance is facing a DUI charge, dating back to June. According to Georgia State Patrol records, Vance was arrested in Habersham County after allegedly stopping by the side of the road and falling asleep in his car.

State Patrol records say his blood alcohol level was 0.9. That's one point above the legal limit.

Vance says he made a mistake and that he took full responsibility. The case is still pending in Habersham County court.

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