State Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) has officially announced his intentions to run for Georgia’s 9th Congressional district seat, which has been held by Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) since 2013.
“I have spent the last several days praying about the decision and talking it over with my family,” Tanner said in the post. “I have truly enjoyed serving in the State House, but I feel the call to try to make a difference at the national level.”
Georgia’s 9th Congressional district includes all of Banks, Dawson, Elbert, Fannin, Franklin, Gilmer, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties and parts of Clarke, Forsyth and Pickens counties.
In a statement that accompanied the announcement on Thursday, Tanner stressed his background in public service and law enforcement and stated that he would continue to represent his “unapologetically conservative” values in congress.
“I am ready to continue our district's 27-year history of having conservative leadership in Congress,” he said. “I am ready for the fight to stop the radical left and work alongside President Trump to protect the conservative values that make North Georgia and all of America great.”
Tanner also voiced his appreciation for the Dawson County community and said that it has been an honor to serve local citizens for so many years.
"I've had the pleasure of working and serving the citizens of Dawson County for 30 years now in various roles from law enforcement to county manager to their state representative,” he said. “I'm proud of where I come from, I love the community that I've been blessed to grow up in and to live in and I look forward to having the opportunity to continue to serve them at a different level."
Tanner, a longtime public servant, previously served as Dawson County manager prior to his four terms as Georgia’s District 9 Representative, and currently represents an area that includes portions of Lumpkin, Dawson and Forsyth counties.
Tanner serves as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee and has been a member of the Appropriations, Education, Special Rules, Natural Resources and Intergovernmental Coordination committees.
Later this year Colins will go on to challenge U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 when former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson decided to retire after 14 years spent in the U.S. Senate.