Patsy Harris of Morgan County has her campaign for Georgia House District 112 in full swing, now that her opponent in the November general election has been chosen by the Republican Party run-off.
Harris, who had no opposition in the Democratic Party’s primary, said the 2014 Georgia legislative session was her wakeup call.
“Where has common sense gone? An actual law allowing drunks to have loaded guns in public bars...really? A bill legitimizing cruelty to animals...really,?” Harris said. “Do we want another session like this?”
Harris feels the Georgia legislature must re-prioritize its focus on the wellbeing of its people.
“That is my platform — ensuring that all Georgians have the opportunity to thrive and prosper, in health, in education, in work, and in justice,” she said.
Harris, who describes herself as a compassionate professional, has dedicated her 20 years in District 112 in bettering the lives of individuals and families. She is current chairman of the Friends of the Morgan County Library, founding member and past chairman of the local food bank, past chairman of the Uncle Remus Library System, and was a long-time member of the local Habitat for Humanity Family Selection Team.
“And I value and respect the rich history of this district,” Harris said.
She has published five books of local primary records for genealogists and historians. Each is in libraries, archives, and individual collections all over Georgia and from New York to California. The last was published in June this year and is entitled Confederate Hospitals of Madison, Georgia, their records and histories, 1861-1865.
Covington’s hospitals and soldiers also play a part in the book.
“Madison and Covington were hopping places while the hospitals were in our towns,” Harris said. “Trains brought in thousands of soldiers from the battlefront for treatment of dysentery, fevers, and minnie ball wounds. Having been a registered nurse for many years, I particularly treasure this part of our district’s history.”
Harris’ husband, Dudney Harris, is a conservative activist, a retired heavy jet pilot of both the U.S. Air Force and Eastern Airlines. From a successful 30-year marriage to a spouse whose political views are opposite her own, she has mastered the ability to negotiate for the good of the whole.
Harris’ son is a major in the U.S. Air Force, an instructor pilot based in Mississippi, whose two daughters have helped the candidate develop an education priority — Pre-Kindergarten available to each four-year-old in Georgia.
“Right now,” she said, “this life-long boost comes only if parents can afford it in a private school or win a slot with the Pre-K lottery. This is shameful. All our kids must have the opportunity, from the get-go, to thrive and prosper.”
Just as having more Pre-K classes in each county will add jobs to the district, each of her main campaign issues does the same, such as the recurring crises of the district’s hospitals. “I want both of our district’s hospitals to stabilize and grow, to bring in more doctors offices and supporting medical businesses for our growing populations of children, job-seekers, and retirees.”
Harris said she will bring a “mature frame of mind to creatively cooperate with my House colleagues to move our state forward with opportunities to thrive and prosper. As a compassionate professional, I will be a partner, not an adversary. I will be open-minded and explore new ideas. I will cooperate for the good of all.”
