It has always amazed me at how much territory the Peach State covers. 

It’s something a statewide candidate must consider before throwing his or her hat into the ring.

In order to be successful campaigning statewide in Georgia, one must be prepared to cover a great deal of territory. From the North Georgia mountains to the coast in Savannah and Jekyll Island and St. Simons, it’s a daunting task to drive our state in one day. Even going from one end of our state to Middle Georgia is not easy.

Georgia is a diverse state and it’s something that makes it such a great one. We have industry. We have a complex transportation system although I still don’t like driving in downtown Atlanta. We have numerous colleges and technical schools. We have a large agricultural base. We have a very large population.

Politically speaking, Georgia, until recently, leaned heavily Republican. That certainly changed in 2020 when Georgia voters elected two Democratic US Senators and voted in favor of Joe Biden in the presidential election. The tide slowly began to turn in the state with the Democrats’ strong showing in the 2018 governor’s race.

Previously for decades it was Democrats who held the power in statewide politics. Truthfully, one side holding all the power is never a good thing.

It would no longer be earthshattering news if a Democrat won statewide in 2022. 

In theory, it should be easier to campaign in 2021 with items such as social media and YouTube. The best campaigning is still using shoe leather, which means meeting voters in person. That means traveling to events whether they are in Rome, Brunswick, Macon, Columbus, Tifton or Moultrie.

Many candidates without big campaign budgets typically try to do more one-on-one campaigning. Stories of candidates putting many miles on their personal vehicles traveling the state are common.

Of course, it’s always beneficial to have a budget for advertising. The best mediums are television, radio and newspapers (and not necessarily in that order). Ads on internet sites are common in 2021 and many candidates still do direct mailers and the dreaded voice calls (if you want my vote do not call me asking for it.)

In the upcoming weeks and months, the primary candidates for 2022 will be more visible, whether in person or on television. Many will grow weary of the process but to me there’s something downright American about it. 

Now if we can just elect one or two candidates who actually follow through on their campaign promises. If so, that candidate would immediately jump to the front of my list.  

Chris Bridges is a former sports editor for The Walton Tribune and The Covington News. He welcomes feedback about this column at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.