Race of the Day: Mike Keown v. Sanford Bishop in GA-02

Breaking 39 Days Campaign Update:

Locked in perhaps the toughest reelection battle of his career, longtime incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop is trying to pull out all the stops to stunt the momentum of Republican Mike Keown. As national Democrats attempt to salvage this race for Bishop, he finds himself not only explaining disastrous party-line votes, like his support for the failed $787 billion stimulus and national energy tax, but also his now obvious lack of moral character.

In a scandal that took Washington and the country by complete surprise, we learned last month that certain members of the Congressional Black Caucus were steering coveted scholarships to their families and allies.  Right in the middle of these deplorable actions, we find Bishop.  Evidence has established an indisputable pattern of self-serving behavior and abuse of power for personal and political gain.  Not only has Bishop refused to apologize, he even went so far as to blame his own wife for these conflicts.

The voters of Georgia’s Second Congressional district deserve better, and have a clear choice between more of the same and actual change on November 2nd.  Take a few minutes to check out Keown’s website and you’ll see why his commonsense, conservative message is resonating.

Original Post (07/09/2010):

This fall, Republicans in Georgia’s Second Congressional District have a prime opportunity to retire Sanford Bishop and take back a seat in the House. A reliable vote for his Democratic leadership, Bishop’s liberal voting record demonstrates that his loyalty lies not with his constituents, but rather with Nancy Pelosi. This year, Bishop faces off against top-tier challenger and state Rep. Mike Keown—putting Republicans in the perfect position to take Georgia’s Second on Election Day.

One of the state’s largest districts in size, Georgia’s Second District covers most of the southwestern portion of the state. Most of the area is rural, although the district encompasses several medium-sized towns such as Bainbridge and Albany, and includes the counties of Albany, Thomasville, and most of Columbus, where peanuts are the major crop in the region. Cook PVI rates Georgia’s second D+1. However, the district is amenable to Republicans, giving 50% of the vote going to George W. Bush in 2004.

Only narrowly winning the one serious contest he has faced since the early nineties, Bishop has his work cut out for him this fall in his battle against Mike Keown. In a decidedly Republican-friendly year, Bishop’s radically liberal voting record is not on his side. One of the most liberal Democrats in Congress, Bishop votes with Pelosi 97.7% of the time – including supporting the failed stimulus, the job-killing cap & trade bill and government-run healthcare. Bishop frequently votes against his district both on economic and social issues, consistently voting in support of taxpayer-funded abortion. This fall, Georgians can put a stop to Bishop’s liberal agenda of big-government and abortion-on-demand.

Republican candidate Mike Keown stands for strong Republican principles such as a limited government and conservative values. He believes in lower taxes and aims to bring jobs and opportunity to Southwest Georgia. He will fight to protect the right to keep and bear arms, reform America’s tax system, and ensure Georgia’s agricultural future. Considering himself a man of the people, his main objective is to effectively represent the interests of his constituency in Washington. A Baptist preacher and a State Representative, Mike served fourteen years on the county school board and four years as the mayor of the city of Coolidge. He and his wife of nearly forty years, Kathy, have two sons and three grandchildren.

Keown has raised nearly $350,000 – more than any of Bishop’s recent opponents and an exceedingly healthy amount in a relatively inexpensive district.

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