Drew Echols

“Families in Hall County are working hard and still feeling squeezed at the grocery store and the gas pump, and too many young people can't afford a home in the community that raised them. State government shouldn't add to that burden. That means spending your tax dollars carefully and cutting the red tape that drives up what it costs to build a house or open a business. I run a family farm, so I know what rising costs do to a household budget and a small business's bottom line.”

“I'm most passionate about two things. The first is children with special needs. Our son Cohen has special needs, and raising him has shown Shelly and me how much these kids have to give and how often they end up at the back of the line. I want Georgia to make children with special needs and their families a higher priority, in our schools and in the state budget. The second is economic development.”

“My grandfather, Jimmy Echols. When I was 15, he told me that God designed us to work, and I've tried to live by that ever since. He helped build our family farm into what it is today.”

“Honesty and a willingness to work. People have to be able to trust that you'll tell them the truth, even when it isn't what they want to hear, and that you'll keep your word. Elected officials also have to remember who they work for. I work for the people of the 49th District, not special interests, and I owe them an open door and my best effort every day. My grandfather taught me that God designed us to work, and I believe that applies to public service as much as it does to farming.”

“The first responsibility is to represent the people of your district, which means listening to them and voting the way you told them you would. Beyond that, a state senator has to pass a balanced budget that respects taxpayers and hold state agencies accountable for how they spend the public's money. A lot of the job happens outside the Capitol, too. It's helping a constituent who's stuck with a state agency, or working with local leaders on our roads and on protecting Lake Lanier.”

“I'd like people to say I left Hall County and Georgia better than I found them. That families could still afford to live here, that farms and small businesses could still make it here, and that kids like my son Cohen were treated as a priority instead of an afterthought. At home, I want my children to know their dad kept his word and did the work.”

“Working on our family farm, and in a way I still have it. I grew up at Jaemor. I spent two and a half years at Georgia Power before coming home to the farm full time, and I've been there for more than 20 years now.”

“A working partnership, with each branch respecting the other's role. The legislature writes the laws and passes the budget, and the governor leads the executive branch and carries those laws out. I served as one of Governor Kemp's floor leaders in the Senate, so I've seen how much gets done for Georgians when the two work together. At the same time, the legislature has a duty to be an independent check and to make sure the folks back home are heard.”

“Managing growth while keeping Georgia affordable. People and businesses keep moving here because we've gotten a lot right, but that growth puts real pressure on housing costs, roads, water and farmland. We have to keep taxes low and regulations reasonable so families can afford to live here. We need to invest in infrastructure without growing government, and protect resources like Lake Lanier for the next generation. We also need a workforce that's ready for the jobs coming to our state.”

“Yes, on the details, but never on principle. I won't compromise my conservative values or what the people of the 49th sent me to Atlanta to do. But good policy usually comes from listening and finding common ground on how to get there. This year's tax package is a good example. The House and Senate started with different plans, and by working it out we cut the income tax rate to 4.99% and delivered property tax relief for homeowners.”