Minister and businessman Arlan Gibson is throwing his hat in the ring for the  Democratic nomination in the Post 2 Commission seat race. 

Gibson said he’s been active in helping the campaigns of elected officials including Chairman Richard Oden, Clerk of Courts Ruth Wilson and Sheriff Eric Levett. He finally decided to step into the ring himself after receiving his wife’s blessing.

“I’ve always been involved in politics and community affairs. Especially in the church, working with youth in overcoming certain challenges they have in life,” said Gibson, a minister with Grace Church International.

Although he’s been active in local Democratic campaigns, he said he’s willing to compromise. “I’m willing to reach across the aisle and be able to realize that you can’t get everything your way but there has to be some middle ground… That’s how you get things done.”

He said his priority issues are having a strong public safety sector, attracting new businesses to the county and creating jobs.

Gibson previously ran for the Republican nomination for mayor of Macon in 2007.*

"I ran as a Republican - a strategic mistake that I made in trying to bring a more moderate voice in a right wing situation," Gibson said Monday. "I've been a Democrat all my life and I've voted Democrat for the past 8-9 years."

Gibson, 65, previously worked in law enforcement as a Fulton County Sheriff’s Office deputy and with the Ga. Department of Corrections.  He is a managing partner of Infinity Global Energy, LLC a green contracting and construction management company. He is a member of the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, Conyers Rotary Club and currently serves on the Affordable Housing Community Development Corporation. 

He and his wife Beverly moved to Rockdale about five years ago and have three adult children. Gibson, who grew up in a small town in New Jersey, moved to Georgia more than two decades ago.

Gibson will hold an official announcement event Feb. 13, 7 p.m., at Don Tello’s Tex-Mex restaurant in Conyers. For more information, he can be reached at arlen@infinityglobalenergy.com

*Editor's note: This article was corrected from the original and should have stated that Arlan Gibson had previously run in the Macon mayoral race Republican primary in 2007.