Are You the Next State Representative?

Candidate qualifying for the 43rd District legislative seat starts next Monday at 9 a.m. and ends at noon Wednesday, Aug. 17, Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced Friday.

Could you be the next 43rd District state representative?

It costs $400 to enter the race. The election will be nonpartisan with no primary, but candidates’ party affiliations will be on the ballot.

Georgia has very few qualifications to be a State Representative. According to sos.georgia.gov qualification quideline:

1. Must be a citizen of the United States.
2. Must be at least 21 years of age.
3. Must have been a citizen of Georgia for at least two years.
4. Must be a resident of the district which he or she represents, and at the time of his or her election must have been a resident of the territory embraced within such district for at least one year preceding such time. Must be elected only by the voters of his or her representative district.

This is the oath each representative swears before taking his or her seat:

“I do hereby solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of this state and of the United States, and on all questions and measures which may come before me, I will so conduct myself, as will, in my judgment, be most conducive to the interests and prosperity of this state.”

The penalty for not following the oath is:

“Any public officer who willfully and intentionally violates the terms of his or her oath as prescribed by law shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years. O.C.G.A. § 16-10-1.”

Under the section General Disqualifications, two of the causes of being ineligible to hold office are:

d) Persons of unsound mind.

h) Persons who are constitutionally disqualified for any cause.

You don’t have to be a lawyer or former politician. You aren't required to have a specific college degree or career. The position is open to a citizen who wants to make a difference.

If you know someone at work or church who loves standing for what's right, give them a nudge to run for this office.

Northeast Cobb needs someone who is willing to stand up for our rights and have a strong moral character.