Georgia Candidates For Governor Speak To Sportsmen

Eight Georgians are vying to be our next governor. Before heading to vote in the primary election tomorrow, it’s good to learn more about these candidates.

Where else but through GON can sportsmen learn if our next Georgia governor actually hunts or fishes, where they stand on gun control, and where they land on the issue of baiting for deer. GON contacted each campaign and then sent a brief survey that contained seven questions. The responses are not edited.

Here’s what the candidates had to say to Georgia’s hunters and fishermen.

Brian Kemp, Republican
Have you fished in the past 12 months? Yes
Please describe your favorite type of fishing (species, location, etc). I like fishing for hybrid and stripers on Lake Hartwell and Clarks Hill Lake.
Have you hunted in the past 12 months? Yes
Please describe your favorite type of hunting (species, location, etc.) I bow hunt deer and hogs. Dove hunting aint bad either!
Please select which choice best describes your opinion of Georgia’s gun laws and regulations (not restrictive enough, fine as currently legislated, or too restrictive) and explain your answer. Too restrictive. We should expand our 2nd Amendment rights in Georgia. Our Campus Carry law is a good place to start.
Governor Deal recently issued an executive order directing the DNR and its Board to settle the state’s divided handling of laws regulating hunting deer over bait. Please state your stance on Georgia’s deer baiting law. Hunting deer near feed with no distance restriction should be legal statewide.
Is there anything else you would like to tell hunters and fishermen about you and your plans as the potential future Governor of Georgia? I’m a longtime reader of GON and appreciate the opportunity to participate in this survey. To learn more about me and my platform, visit www.kempforgovernor.com. I humbly ask for your vote!

Michael Williams, Republican
Have you fished in the past 12 months? Yes
Please describe your favorite type of fishing (species, location, etc). I enjoy fishing for bass in a John Boat at my family lake.
Have you hunted in the past 12 months? Yes
Please describe your favorite type of hunting (species, location, etc.) I hunt wild hog with my boys, Jared and Ammon, in Southwest Georgia.
Please select which choice best describes your opinion of Georgia’s gun laws and regulations (not restrictive enough, fine as currently legislated, or too restrictive) and explain your answer. Too restrictive. We need Constitutional Carry legislation. I proudly co-sponsored Constitutional Carry.
Governor Deal recently issued an executive order directing the DNR and its Board to settle the state’s divided handling of laws regulating hunting deer over bait. Please state your stance on Georgia’s deer baiting law. Hunting deer near feed with no distance restriction should be legal statewide.
Is there anything else you would like to tell hunters and fishermen about you and your plans as the potential future Governor of Georgia? I voted NO on raising fees for hunting and fishing licenses. I will never support legislation that raises costs or harms outdoorsmen.

Ted Metz, Libertarian
Have you fished in the past 12 months? No
Please describe your favorite type of fishing (species, location, etc). I like to float in a boat on a lake and enjoy the outdoors and if a fish takes the bait, that’s great, if not, it was still a great day being out in mother nature.
Have you hunted in the past 12 months? No
Please describe your favorite type of hunting (species, location, etc.) Before my knees gave out, I enjoyed deer hunting in hills and mountains of Northern Georgia.
Please select which choice best describes your opinion of Georgia’s gun laws and regulations (not restrictive enough, fine as currently legislated, or too restrictive) and explain your answer. Too restrictive. The Second Amendment is clearly written, “…the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The preamble to the Bill of Rights states that “…in order to prevent miscontruction or abuse if its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses be added..” to ensure that future generations fully understand that rights are inherent and not granted by Government. We should have Constitutional Carry and only owners of private property may restrict weapons possession on their property. The fact that armed citizens stop crimes is grossly un-reported. The communities where legal firearm ownership is the highest have statistically the lowest rates of gun crime, contrasted by places where firearms are the most highly restricted (Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit) that have the highest rates. This should lead one to the conclusion that an armed populace make for for a more polite society.
Governor Deal recently issued an executive order directing the DNR and its Board to settle the state’s divided handling of laws regulating hunting deer over bait. Please state your stance on Georgia’s deer baiting law. The law should be consistent across the state. If the purpose of deer hunting is primarily to manage the herd size, then how a hunter locates and engages a deer should be left to the ethics and morality of the hunter. What happens on private property should be left to the individual property owner. My opinion is that traditional hunting versus hunting over a baited field is that one requires skill and one is is merely target practice.
Is there anything else you would like to tell hunters and fishermen about you and your plans as the potential future Governor of Georgia? I am not a fan of licensing people to engage in an activity that humans have enjoyed since the dawn of man as long as they are good stewards of our natural resources and follow the laws for hunting and fishing.

Casey Cagle, Republican
Have you fished in the past 12 months? Yes
Please describe your favorite type of fishing (species, location, etc). As the product of North Georgia, I greatly enjoy trout fishing our beautiful mountain streams. However, there is nothing more fun than bass fishing in a Georgia farm pond.
Have you hunted in the past 12 months? Yes
Please describe your favorite type of hunting (species, location, etc.) Growing up in rural Hall County, I have always been an avid outdoorsman. Whether it was quail, turkey, or duck, some of my fondest memories were spent in Georgia’s fields and woods. While I enjoy all hunting, deer hunting is my favorite because I enjoy the beautifully still mornings and rush of excitement that follows spotting a white tail bounding through the woods.
Please select which choice best describes your opinion of Georgia’s gun laws and regulations (not restrictive enough, fine as currently legislated, or too restrictive) and explain your answer. Too restrictive. As Lt. Governor, I’ve always fought to expand our 2nd Amendment rights. I’ve earned the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, and I will continue to lead on expanding gun rights as governor.
Governor Deal recently issued an executive order directing the DNR and its Board to settle the state’s divided handling of laws regulating hunting deer over bait. Please state your stance on Georgia’s deer baiting law. Hunting deer near feed with no distance restriction should be legal statewide.
Is there anything else you would like to tell hunters and fishermen about you and your plans as the potential future Governor of Georgia? I have always been an avid outdoorsman and consistently fought to expand youth interaction with the natural environment. As part of my campaign, I have a Sportsmen for Cagle coalition that is supported by Paul Babaz (Safari Club International President), Abby Jackson (Owner – Blackhawk Fly Fishing), Tyler Jordan (Realtree), Ryan Klesko (former Atlanta Brave), Michael Lee (Host – Backwoods Life), Jay Striker (professional angler), Travis “T-Bone” Turner (Co-host of Realtree Roadtrips), Michael Waddell (Host – Bone Collector), O’Neill Williams (Host – O’Neill Outside), and over 200 additional individuals. These individuals support my campaign because they know that I will continue to lead for Georgia’s sportsmen and sportswomen.

Two of the candidates—Republicans Hunter Hill and Clay Tippins—didn’t answer the questions in the survey, though the survey was opened and all the questions were viewed. Democrat Stacey Evans didn’t respond, and her survey wasn’t opened or viewed. Here’s what her website says about her gun-control views:

Every Georgian deserves to feel safe—at home, at work, and in the classroom. It is beyond time for sensible gun policies that enable responsible ownership but also keep firearms away from people who would use them to harm us or themselves. Stacey Abrams is committed to working collaboratively with law enforcement, community partners, the legislature, and every level of our criminal justice system to protect our communities.

As Governor, Stacey will:

1. Fight for common-sense gun reforms including universal background checks, repeal of campus carry, and extreme-risk protection orders
2. Support protections and services for victims of domestic violence
3. Invest in mental health services
4. Support community and hospital programs to stop the cycle of gun violence

Stacey’s Record:

• Opposed legislation which required that guns confiscated in crimes be returned to the street
• Opposed campus carry
• Received only Ds and Fs from the National Rifle Association
• Endorsed by Moms Demand Action and Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence

To learn about Stacey Abrams’ position on gun control, please visit her website.