Secretary of State candidate looks for ‘a new way forward’

ALBANY — Michael Mills, who hopes to gain the Democratic nomination for Georgia’s Secretary of State in 2010, said his vision for the office is one of action.

“It shouldn’t be a place of shuffling papers,” he said of the Secretary of State’s office. “We need to create action and be proactive about the issues.”

Mills, during an interview with The Albany Herald Monday, said his campaign slogan of “a new way forward” and his desire for action is what is fueling him to campaign across the state and learn from voters what their issues are.

“My goal is to visit every county in Georgia,” he said. “We are currently holding roundtable discussions where people can discuss the issues and submit solutions.”

Mills said this type of open discussion is what is greatly needed in politics.

“It’s about empowering people and giving them the government they need,” he said. “We need more voices in our government and I hope to facilitate that.”

Mills said as secretary of state he hopes to ensure the security of Georgia’s election system while limiting unnecessary barriers to voting for eligible citizens.

“We need to make every vote count,” he said. “It troubles me that people are turned off from government. It makes people think that legislation happens to them nor for them.”

Mills, who is also a small business owner, said that he knows first-hand the frustration of licensing with the secretary of states office.

He said he hopes to create a “small business administration” within the Corporations Division to grow jobs and revenue by supporting small businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurs.

“It would be like a one-stop-shop,” said Mills. “We have the technology to do this. We just haven’t.”

He said he hopes to create a system in which potential businesses who are looking to move or expand Georgia can have an information network where they can easily weigh the pros and cons of doing business in Georgia.

Mills earned his earned a master’s degree in communications from Georgia State University and began a career in politics, serving as legislative aide to former Secretary of State Lewis Massey.