After years of working in the corporate sector, Erick Hunt has decided to try and apply the lessons he learned in fiscal responsibility to the state capitol with a run for the District 95 seat.

Hunt is running unopposed in the July 15 Republican primary for the seat, which Rep. Robert Mumford (R-Conyers) will vacate at the end of the year.

"I think I could probably represent the needs of the district," Hunt said, who calls himself a regular member of the community and not a politician. "I would like to be the type of official that is going to support and reinforce the [United States] Constitution."

This is the first public office he has campaigned for.

Hunt, who works in the corporate marketing sector, said he would focus on three chief issues if elected in November - illegal immigration, education and crime.

"I'm baffled as to why it is so difficult to secure the borders," Hunt said adding he would look to stem the tide of migrant workers living in the state illegally by enforcing the laws already on the books as they apply to illegal immigrants.

Hunt said he would work to improve the state's low high school graduation rate of 58 percent (Atlanta Business Chronicle) by removing some of the administrative duties of schoolteachers that take away from the time the have to teach students.

"It concerns me that we have a high dropout rate," Hunt said. "I just sort of scratch my head and wonder what's going on here.

 "I know there are problems in our schools with our teachers having a high level of administrative functions that detracts from their ability to teach our kids."

Hunt also said a greater level of parental involvement in the schools would be necessary to improve the state's education system.

"Many parents treat our schools as if they're giant baby-sitting factories," Hunt said, "I would say that we need to partner better with our parents to get to the core of why our children aren't performing the way that they should."

He said that he would look to cut out some of the levels of educational administrative bureaucracy that overlay the individual school principals and teachers in order to find extra funding for classrooms.

"I would probably say there are some administrative functions that really are unnecessary," Hunt said. "We do have multiple levels of administration."

Hunt has worked in the corporate marketing sector for the last 20 years and is currently employed with a Chicago-based firm (which he declined to disclose). He earned his bachelor's of science degree in marketing from Hampton University.

 He and his wife Valerie have lived in Snellville for the last 10 years. They have one son.

Originally from Chicago, Hunt has volunteered with the Shiloh Parenting Teacher Council and is the president of his home owner's association.

District 95 includes the northern portion of Newton County as well as portions of Rockdale and Gwinnett counties.