AFP Action Georgia Announces First Wave of Endorsements for the Georgia General Assembly

ATLANTA – Americans for Prosperity Action Georgia (AFP Action GA) today announced its first wave of endorsements of candidates for the Georgia General Assembly.

The organization will leverage a wide range of tactics, including its signature grassroots mobilization, direct mail, and digital advertising, to help endorsed candidates achieve victory during the primary and general elections.

“We are excited to kick off the first in a series of endorsements to help elect men and women who are committed to championing policies that improve the lives of Georgians,” said AFP Action Georgia Senior Advisor Stephen Allison.

“These candidates will be policy champions. In the General Assembly, they will help promote a strong Georgia economy and empower Georgia parents with more options to provide the education that best addresses the individual needs of their children,” he said.

During the 2020 election cycle, AFP Action supported candidates nationwide with more than 8.5 million telephone calls, 1.5 million door knocks, and more than 49 million pieces of mail. AFP Action has unmatched direct voter outreach capabilities supported by a world-class data operation.

AFP Action is a 527 political action committee focused on electing candidates who will drive policy change and facilitate the building of broad policy coalitions that remove barriers to opportunity and help people improve their lives. The organization has a strong, permanent grassroots presence in Georgia of highly motivated activists who volunteer during the election season by making telephone calls and knocking on doors in support of policy champions.

The candidates were selected for their commitment to advancing positive policies that put the people’s interests above special interests and break down barriers that prevent people from reaching their full potential.

 

BACKGROUND

Sen. John Albers (SD-56)

Sen. John Albers has been a champion for health care policies that put greater personal control in the hands of consumers. He was a sponsor of multiple certificate of need reform bills to increase competition in the health care marketplace, expand access to care, and lower costs,  and legislation to expand telemedicine, which proved vital during the Covid pandemic. Sen. Albers is a leader in the effort to expand educational opportunities for Georgians, supporting educational tax scholarships, education savings accounts, and charter school expansion.

 

Rep. Houston Gaines (HD-120)

Rep. Houston Gaines has been a strong advocate for ensuring our economy works for all Georgians. He sponsored legislation to cut red tape and streamline government processes that will allow mobile food truck vendors to travel the state and serve more consumers at a huge cost savings. He sponsored criminal record expungement legislation for certain misdemeanor offenses. To improve education in Georgia, Rep. Gaines has worked to empower parents to provide the best available education for their children. He supported increasing the amount that can be given to tax credit scholarships. And he voted to support charter school expansion and other programs to expand educational opportunities. Rep. Gaines was the prime sponsor of a health care occupational licensing reform bill and was a cosponsor of a telehealth expansion bill to increase access to health care services.

 

Scott Hilton (HD-48)

Scott Hilton is committed to improving the education of Georgia children. He championed several educational opportunity initiatives during his previous service in the Georgia House. He understands that parents need a range of education options because not every child is the same. When elected, Hilton will work to deliver them. As the former executive director of a commission charged with streamlining government and removing barriers that prevent small business success, Hilton will work to ensure that government respects those it serves. He will advocate for responsible laws and regulations and the elimination of those that stand in the way of an economically strong Georgia.

 

Soo Hong (HD-103)

Soo Hong has been an active voice for policies that increase educational opportunities for children with different needs, including the children of immigrants. In the Georgia Assembly, Hong will support educational choice legislation and help push important legislation across the finish line. As an attorney, Hong will use her experience to promote criminal justice reforms that respect individual rights and help people returning to their communities following incarceration. These include civil asset forfeiture reform and other policies that help ensure successful reentry for those who have earned a second chance.

Hong is a strong believer in the power of free markets policies to create better lives and will work to remove unnecessary and harmful regulations that favor the special interests over the interests of Georgians.

 

Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (SD-52)

Sen. Chuck Hufstetler has leveraged his roles as a lawmaker and medical doctor to advance key health care policies while taking on corporate welfare programs. He supported certificate of need and telehealth reforms to remove government barriers and expand health care access at lower costs. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Hufstetler has labored to ensure that tax dollars are spent to advance the public’s interests. He supported several bills that would require tougher scrutiny of special tax incentives, credits, and exemptions that could put the interests of the politically connected over the interests of Georgia taxpayers.

 

Sen. Chuck Payne (SD-54)

Sen. Chuck Payne’s law enforcement background enables him to effectively work across party lines to advance effective criminal justice reforms. He has been a leading sponsor of driver’s license suspension reforms and has supported multiple other bills to remove barriers to reentry and provide a second chance. Sen. Payne has supported policies that would give consumers greater personal control of their health care through certificate of need laws, which restrict competition, and scope of practice reforms that allow health care professionals to work to their full extent of their training. Sen. Payne serves as the Senate Education and Youth Committee chairman and has been a strong supporter of legislation to reform education and expand educational opportunities. These include raising contribution limits to the Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship Program, ensuring funding equality for Charter Schools, and supporting Promise Scholarship legislation.