Local businessman and new dad Lincoln Nunnally is stepping into his first run for elected office as a Democratic candidate for the Fourth Congressional District, currently held by Congressman Hank Johnson.
Nunnally, 32, a consultant for Consolidated Copier Services in Conyers, said he wanted to offer an alternative to the partisan bickering he’s seen in Congress lately.
“The average person is sick of these diehard Congress-people. They’re not willing to negotiate, they’re not willing to find a solution,” Nunnally said. “I want to be a voice for the average person. It’s either the rich or the unemployed that’s making the headlines, but it’s the common person that’s being affected.”
He said he saw average people being pushed into poverty by taxes, which could take up to a third of a paycheck. “So many people are having trouble making ends meet. And they’re making more than they have in the past. I want to hold government accountable,” he said.
He said in his job he eliminates waste and improves efficiency and would apply the same approach as a Congressman. “I’m not a politician really. I’m a businessman. I solve problems. I want to be able to help people in this district,” he said.
Nunnally said he started thinking about running last summer, after his son was born and he began listening to more talk radio.
“He’s one of the reasons I was thinking about running. I want to be able to make sure he has a good future.”
Although he’s never run for elected office before, Nunnally said being an outsider to politics was his strength. “I don’t really sugarcoat things. I get to the truth. I’ll call people out on not doing what they say they’re going to do. I think that’s why I should run.”
“Why take smaller steps? There’s a big need at the federal level. If you take small steps and go through the different levels, you turn into a politician by the time you get to Congress,” he said.
Nunnally was born in Cobb County but grew up in Rockdale, attending JH House Elementary, Conyers Middle School and graduating from Rockdale County High School. He attended Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida, private Christian college, and began working for Consolidated right out of school.
He said he’s running as a Democrat because he felt it was the best fit out of the two parties. “I’ve always been independent minded. I don’t think either party is right 100 percent.”
Nunnally and Rebekah Barrett have a 14-month-old son, Reagan.
For more information, contact him at Lincoln@lincoln-nunnally.com or find him on Facebook at lincoln4congress or on Twitter @lincolnnunnally.
