Mike Dugan plans run for U.S. House seat

CARROLLTON — Army veteran and conservative businessman Mike Dugan has announced plans to step down as state Senator for the 30th District of Georgia to run for U.S. Congress in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District. This follows Rep. Drew Ferguson’s recent announcement that he will not seek re-election.

“I am proud of the service and successful track record I have been able to provide for my constituents over the last decade serving in the Georgia State Senate,” Dugan said in a news release. “I was dedicated in delivering steadfast results for economic development, public safety and education, as well as championing legislation that best serves and cares for our military — active duty, veterans and their families. I look forward to putting my experience to work on a larger scale for Georgia in the U.S Congress.”

Dugan, a Republican, was elected to the state Senate in Georgia’s 30th District in early 2013, representing portions of Carroll, Douglas, Haralson and Paulding counties. He served as Gov. Nathan Deal’s Floor Leader before his Senate peers elected him Majority Leader in 2018. In addition, Dugan served as chairman of the Economic Development Committee, the Military, Veterans and Homeland Security Committee, as well as vice chair of Economic Development and Tourism, Ex-Officio of Public Safety and Member of the Rules and Appropriations Committees.

Having been at the forefront of drafting and leading Georgia’s economic policies that have made it the No. 1 state to do business, Dugan said he plans to bring his experience to Congress to champion solutions for economic reform and hold the line against inflation.

In addition, having just returned from a visit to the border, Dugan expressed his renewed sense of duty to enforce strong immigration policies.

Growing up in Carroll County, Dugan graduated from Bowdon High School where he played football and ran track. After earning a bachelors degree in History from the University of West Georgia, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He returned to the University of West Georgia to earn a master’s degree in Organizational Development.

Dugan decided to continue his service in the military and was later commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry, ultimately becoming an Army Ranger and a Master Paratrooper. During his more than 20-year career in the Army, Dugan was deployed to more than 32 countries, including hostile fire deployments in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2008.

Following his military career, Dugan and his family moved back to Carrollton, and he joined RA-LIN and Associates as a local contractor. Feeling a call back to public service, Dugan ran for State Senate and was elected in early 2013.