Challenger Patrick Garner makes push for Dougherty Commission seat | Albany Herald

LBANY — As he’s navigated the long, drawn-out election process that started with qualifying in March and is set to end with the Nov. 4 general election, District 4 Dougherty County Commission candidate Patrick Garner has stuck to his guns when it comes to his platform.

“The three issues that I based my candidacy on the day I qualified — opposition to the Sabal Trail pipeline, better management of drainage ditches and the county’s mosquito population, and higher pay for first responders — are still the primary focus of my campaign today,” Garner, an assistant professor at Darton State College, said. “These are issues, I’ll remind you and voters, that go beyond party. These are local issues, not party issues. They’re community and economic development issues.

“I guess the one thing that’s changed most since I started campaigning is that the natural gas pipeline is probably the No. 1 issue in Dougherty County now. It’s exploded.”

Garner, a Democratic political newcomer who is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Ewell Lyle, said a lot of Johnny-come-latelys have jumped on the anti-Sabal Trail bandwagon in recent weeks as opposition to the 465-mile natural gas pipeline and accompanying compressor station has grown. He lists Lyle among them.

“My opponent in the election has basically rolled over for Spectra Energy,” Garner said. “Mr. Lyle has talked about bringing the issue up to the County Commission first, but he hasn’t done anything to oppose the pipeline. If I were in Mr. Lyle’s position, I would at the very least push an ordinance that would make it tougher for the company that wants to build the pipeline. What’s the point of having a local government if you’re just going to always defer to the federal government?

“Plus, I was stunned to look in The Albany Herald and see Mr. Lyle climbing aboard a Nathan Deal cheerleading bus a few days after the paper published an article talking about how the governor had accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the company that wants to build the pipeline.”

Garner made his way to the general election showdown with Lyle by scoring a convincing (767-420 vote) victory over Tracy Taylor in the May 30 Democratic Primary. The Democratic candidate said he’s taken the same campaign approach as he’s worked to unseat Lyle.

via Challenger Patrick Garner makes push for Dougherty Commission seat | Albany Herald.