Q&A: U.S. House, Georgia 1st Dist. candidates

Questionnaires were compiled by The Current based on questions from readers. The answers to each question are verbatim from each candidate with exceptions for exceeding the word count; overages were trimmed. The answers were not edited for style or spelling; candidates were contacted if there was a question of clarity. If a question is skipped, we’ve noted that. If a candidate failed to respond to the questionnaire, we’ve noted that, as well.

Earl L. ‘Buddy’ Carter

Campaign email: https://buddycarterforcongress.com/

Political affiliation: Republican

Age: 50

Home: St. Simons Island

Current job/occupation: U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia 1st District since 2015

U.S. Rep. Carter did not respond to the survey request , which was made via four emails to his office and his staff and two followup phone calls. We’ll include his answers if he responds.

Patti Hewitt

Campaign email: patti.h@pattiforgeorgia.com

Political affiliation: Democratic

Age: 69

Home: Richmond Hill, for 5 years

Job/Occupation: Retired, former Business Executive in Consumer Financial Services

Education (institutions attended, degrees earned): University of Miami, B.A. English/cum laude

Hometown: Bayside, NY

Family: One daughter, four grandchildren

What is the main challenge or opportunity facing your First District constituents?

The biggest challenge facing our district is overcoming a decade of underinvestment in our rural communities. With industries growing across the district and populations shifting, basic services are still lacking for many. High poverty rates, low college attainment, and a housing crisis make it hard for families to thrive. Meanwhile, industrial development threatens our environment and ancestral lands. We must balance growth with protection—ensuring everyone, regardless of background, benefits from economic expansion without sacrificing our environmental heritage.

Tell us what your priorities would be for the next session in the House of Representatives?

A main priority for me will be addressing the maternity healthcare deserts in this region.  This complex issue needs solutions on multiple fronts:  by improving access to healthcare insurance, healthcare facilities, and access to OB GYN doctors and midwives.

I support policies to address disparities in healthcare access and outcomes based on race, ethnicity, income, and geographic location, including targeted investments in communities with the greatest need.

I will advocate to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act because access to reproductive healthcare and a doctor’s ability to provide timely and necessary reproductive healthcare will serve to improve maternal health outcomes.

What, in your opinion, makes you uniquely qualified to serve your constituents and what sets you apart from your opponent?

In these challenging times, my diverse experience as a working mother, global business executive, and community leader equips me to guide our district into the future, not back to the past. I bring a fresh vision, unbound by stagnant policies, and a commitment to listening to the people—not to an entrenched powerbase. I will use my leadership skills to focus on coalition-building and practical solutions that benefit all the people of this region.

What measures in Congress would you support to improve the future for children in Georgia?

I will advocate for expansion of Head Start Programs.  The most critical time in a student’s life is their first years in school, particularly for low-income children.  This sets the stage for their future educational and social achievements as studies prove that kids who attend these programs perform better academically and socially.

In addition, I will advocate for Universal Pre-K.  Many academic studies have established that there is a strong link between participation in pre-K programs and both short-term student achievement and positive later-life outcomes.  Currently, enrollment in GA pre-K programs is in decline while pre-K teacher attrition is increasing.  Fully funding these programs, with capital and staffing, should be a top priority for all states.

What do you believe are the greatest factors affecting household economies?

I am in favor of strengthening federal anti-trust enforcement capabilities to reduce the ability of corporate monopolies to raise and maintain prices at an inflationary rate or earn untaxed profits at the expense of workers.  Additionally, improving the competitive business environment will act as a counter-balance to larger and larger companies controlling markets thereby forcing prices down and improving the competitive environment for small businesses.

I am in favor of policies that will increase labor force participation including support for childcare programs and creating pathways to work for more immigrants.   Higher labor force participation rates serve to better control wage increases and increase tax revenue, but should be paired with minimum wage increases in order to ensure that all Americans are able to earn a living wage.

What steps will you support in Congress to improve access and quality of health care that meets the needs of all your constituents?

I believe we should strengthen the Affordable Care Act’s ability to expand access and ensure states are not taking actions designed to weaken its impact.  This law has successfully provided healthcare insurance to ~45 million American consumers, lowered administrative costs, and expanded Medicaid coverage (but not in Georgia).  I support introducing a public health insurance option to compete with private insurers in the marketplace, offering consumers more choice and driving down premiums.

I will advocate for continuing to expand Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices and will look for any means possible to reduce the cost of medications to our citizens including banning pharmaceutical companies from directly advertising to consumers and incentivizing doctors to prescribe certain drugs.  In addition, consideration should be given to permitting the importation of safe and affordable prescription drugs from other countries to increase competition and lower costs.

I will advocate to expand access to Federally Qualified Health Care Centers and Rural Health Clinics including incentives to doctors and nurses graduating to work in these clinics.

What core, long-term policy would you support for changing the US system for handling people seeking to immigrate to our country?

I believe we should be implementing measures to streamline the asylum application process, including reducing backlogs, increasing staffing and resources for asylum offices and immigration courts, and expediting adjudication of asylum claims to ensure timely decisions.

I support policies that will provide a pathway to work for immigrants that provide a much-needed labor force for agriculture, manufacturing, and service-related businesses.  This includes enforcing laws pertaining to workplace safety and fair wages as well as child labor laws.  It also includes ensuring that employers are paying appropriate payroll taxes and providing safe housing for resident workers.

Do you feel there needs to be change in firearms policies to deter gun violence? If so, would regulation be a priority?

I support our citizen’s right to gun ownership.  The policies that I advocate for are ones I believe will have a positive impact on public safety and in particular, on the safety of our children.  These include the requirement for all gun buyers to undergo a federal background check, to be licensed by the State, and to attend gun safety training.  All guns should be banned in any educational, healthcare, childcare, and recreational facility (like public pools and parks).   We should re-approve the ban on assault-style weapons and bump stocks and make this law permanent.  I will advocate for insurance companies to require homeowners to use appropriate gun safes in their home; particularly when there are children present.  Finally, we should ban all gun advertisements and promotional materials directed towards children.

How do you see yourself creating/supporting policies related to climate change?

I believe we should allocate federal funding for coastal protection and restoration projects, including efforts to mitigate erosion, restore wetlands, and preserve critical habitats such as marshes and barrier islands.  We should be supporting initiatives to address sea-level rise and climate change impacts on Coastal Georgia, including infrastructure upgrades, shoreline stabilization measures, and ecosystem-based adaptation strategies.

I will advocate for the implementation of policies that promote sustainable fisheries management practices and support the restoration of fish stocks in Coastal Georgia waters.  This includes providing funding for research and development of environmentally friendly aquaculture techniques, such as shellfish farming and oyster reef restoration, which can improve water quality and enhance coastal resilience.

I believe we need to strengthen federal regulations and enforcement mechanisms to protect endangered and threatened species, including iconic species like the loggerhead sea turtle and the North Atlantic right whale, which rely on Coastal Georgia habitats.  I fully support conservation programs and initiatives that enhance wildlife habitat connectivity, preserve biodiversity, and mitigate the impacts of habitat fragmentation and development.

What are your thoughts on changing the national minimum wage?

Our poverty rates demonstrate that families in Georgia can’t make ends meet on the current minimum wage. I support raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour as a step toward a living wage that reflects the true cost of living. This will help workers provide for their families and reduce the number of people that are forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.

How do you feel you can improve public safety for Georgians?

I will advocate for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which addresses many of the issues our first responders face and gives them the resources they need to be more effective in our communities.  In addition, this Act serves to establish greater transparency and accountability in our law enforcement community.

Our first responders need investments in new mental health resources, enhanced conflict training, and access to non-lethal containment tools and practices.    Their leaders need to be able to assess an applicant’s history of excessive violence and/or bias in their interactions with black and minority populations.

Additionally, addressing some of the root causes of violence in our communities means breaking the cycle of poverty through education and economic opportunity which will have a positive impact on public safety, mental health, and our youth in general.
How important is transparency with your constituents after being elected into office?

Transparency means ensuring that my constituents have access to my office.  I plan to hold frequent in-county service days around the district, hold periodic in-person town halls, and other activities designed to develop a sense of relationship between our citizens and their government.

I plan to establish community advisory groups that will establish a communication pipeline between civic leaders and my office.  These communication strategies also include regularly meeting with local elected officials to better understand their needs.

Is there one key issue driving your run for office? Why?

I believe that a stable economic environment is built from the ground up and I wish to support all the people in this district to thrive.  I believe that can be accomplished with people-first/family-first/freedom-first legislation and prioritizing the key issues that keep citizens locked in poverty, hold back small businesses, and negatively impact our children and senior citizens.

I want to ensure that all people get a bite of the apple in Coastal Georgia whether you are an immigrant just arriving to find work and better life for your family, a lifelong resident that needs access to healthcare and affordable medications, or a young person looking to build a life in their hometown.