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Why Lack of Competition Threatens Local Governance
In Hall County, something important is happening in plain sight—and most voters will never notice it.
The District 2 seat on the Hall County Board of Commissioners, currently held by Billy Powell, is on the ballot this year. On paper, that sounds like democracy at work.
In reality, it isn’t.
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Caitlyn Gegen: A Grassroots Voice in Georgia’s 9th District
In my recent posts on Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, I worked to lay out the candidates and give a clear picture of the race. In doing that, I missed one: Caitlyn Gegen is also on the ballot.
Rather than dwell on the miss, I want to correct it and take the time to do what I’ve tried to do with the other candidates—look a little more closely at who she is and what she brings to the table.
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Evaluating Andrew Clyde’s Impact in Congress
After taking a look at the challengers in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, it only makes sense to spend some time on the person currently holding the seat: Andrew Clyde.
Incumbents always bring a different set of factors into a race. It’s not just about what they say they’ll do—it’s about what they’ve already done, how they’ve approached the job, and what kind of presence they’ve established both in Washington and back home.
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Gregg Poole: A Local Perspective on Representation in Georgia’s 9th DistrictApril 6, 2026
Continuing to look at the candidates in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, I wanted to spend some time on another Republican challenger: Gregg Poole.
In a race where national politics can easily take center stage, Poole’s approach feels a bit different. His focus leans more toward local connection—being present, accessible, and closely tied to the communities he’s looking to represent.
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Sam Couvillon: A Manager’s Approach to Representation in Georgia’s 9th DistrictApril 6, 2026
After taking a look at the broader field in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, I wanted to spend some time on one of the Republican challengers: Sam Couvillon.
In a primary that’s getting most of the attention in this district, Couvillon stands out for a reason that isn’t always obvious at first glance. He’s not trying to outdo anyone on rhetoric. Instead, he’s making a quieter case—one centered on execution, management, and results.
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The Other Side of the Ballot: Democratic Candidates and the Reality of Georgia’s 9th District
*Edit* I mistakenly thought there was only one person on the Democratic ballot. There are two. Caitlyn Gegen is also on the ballot. I’ll feature her on Friday, April 17.
In a recent post, I took a look at the Republican primary for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District and the different candidates running there. In a district like ours, that primary is widely seen as the election that will decide who ends up in Congress.
Naturally, the next step seemed obvious—do the same thing for the Democratic candidates. Lay them out, compare their ideas, and give them the same level of attention. That’s how this is supposed to work, right?
But once I started digging into that, I ran into something unexpected. There just isn’t much there to evaluate. And that says something important—not just about this race, but about the system itself.
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Nick Alex: A Different Kind of Candidate in Georgia’s 9th District
Edit* I mistakenly thought there was only one person on the Democratic ballot. There are two. Caitlyn Gegen is also on the ballot. I’ll feature her on Friday, April 17.
After spending some time looking at the broader landscape of Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, I wanted to take a step back and focus on the one Democrat who has stepped forward to run: Nick Alex.
In a district where most of the political attention is centered on the Republican primary, it would be easy to overlook a candidacy like this. But I don’t think that’s the right approach. Anyone willing to put their name on the ballot deserves a closer look—especially in a race where the odds are what they are.
Nick Alex isn’t coming up through the usual political pipeline. He’s a retired banking executive and a longtime resident of North Georgia, with decades of experience in the private sector. That background shapes how he talks about the role of government—less as an ideological battleground and more as something that should function responsibly and predictably.
What stands out right away is that he’s not running as a typical national Democrat. His positions reflect an awareness of the district he’s in. He’s spoken about the importance of border security, fiscal responsibility, and even support for Second Amendment rights. Whether you agree with him or not, it’s clear he’s trying to meet voters where they are rather than importing a platform from somewhere else.
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Georgia’s QR Code Voting Crisis Demands Immediate Legislative Action
Georgia voters deserve confidence that their vote is accurately recorded, securely stored, and transparently counted. Right now, that confidence is under strain—not because of a single failure, but because of a structural flaw built into the state’s voting system: the use of QR codes on ballot-marking devices.
This is not a fringe concern. It is a practical, verifiable problem that cuts across party lines and goes to the heart of election integrity.
Georgia uses ballot-marking devices that print a paper ballot after a voter makes their selections. On its face, this sounds secure—a paper trail is created. But here’s the critical detail:
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A Ballot Designed for Confusion
In Georgia State Senate District 7, voters are being asked to do something unusual: vote for the same office twice on the same day. One vote fills the seat immediately through a special election, while the other determines party nominees for the next full term through a primary. While technically sound from a legal standpoint, this structure creates a high likelihood of voter confusion—and that confusion has real consequences.
Most voters approach the ballot with a simple expectation: they are choosing their next representative. But in this case, that assumption breaks down. Instead, voters are faced with two parallel decisions that operate on different timelines. The special election determines who will serve right away, filling the vacancy left mid-term. The primary election, by contrast, sets up a future contest that will ultimately decide who holds the seat for the next full term.
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Evaluating Andrew Clyde’s Record in Georgia’s 9th District: Accomplishments and Areas for Improvement
As voters in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District look toward the upcoming election, it is worth taking a thoughtful and measured look at the record of our current representative, Andrew Clyde. In a district as reliably conservative as ours, the question is often not about party control, but about how effectively that representation serves the people who live here.
Congressman Clyde has built a reputation as a principled and consistent conservative voice in Washington. His voting record reflects a clear commitment to limited government, fiscal restraint, and constitutional principles. For many in District 9, that consistency is not only expected—it is appreciated.
At the same time, representation is about more than ideology alone. It also involves delivering tangible results, maintaining strong connections to the district, and ensuring that local priorities are advanced alongside national ones.
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Things I think about things I see
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The musings of Larry D Burton 