Jason Esteves makes case in campaign stop at Albany barber shop

By Alan Mauldin

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ALBANY – When a Democratic candidate makes a trip to Albany, one spot he or she invariably hits is Helen’s Barber Shop. On Thursday, gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves made a stop at the West Highland Avenue landmark.

The candidate, who gave up his state Senate seat to join a pack of six other Democrats seeking the nomination, met with a politically active group of about 25 to lay out his vision for the state.

Among his proposals were paid child care for mothers with young children, building affordable housing and making health care more accessible, particularly in rural Georgia where residents often have to drive a significant distance to see a doctor.

The Columbus native also has a local connection, his wife, Ariel, a nurse practitioner, is from the Good Life City. He operates two Flying Biscuit Cafe breakfast restaurants, one in Columbus and one in Macon.

“I’m running for governor of Georgia for a simple reason: I’m tired of seeing people working harder than they’ve ever worked and barely getting by … seeing schools defunded and the cost of living going up,” he told the audience.

To those gathered, he gave a message of health, wealth and affordability.

In his first job teaching middle school social studies in a depressed Columbus neighborhood, the candidate said he saw how many students are left behind. 

“I taught 150 kids who were no different than everybody else’s, but because of where they live, they did not have the same opportunities others have,” Estevez said. “Georgia is one of two states that does not have a needs-based scholarship. I’m going to make sure we have one.”

As well as making health care more accessible, Esteves said he wants it to be more affordable.

“As your governor, I’m going to make sure we increase access to health care by doing what we should have done more than a decade ago: increase access to Medicaid,” he said. “I’m also going to work to build health care hubs. We need more facilities, more buildings where people can go to get the care they need.”

The state, like the country as a whole, is also facing a housing crisis, Estevez said. To provide sufficient housing, Georgia needs to add 300,000 homes by 3030, according to the candidate.

“We have a homeless crisis all across the state because we don’t have enough affordable housing,” he said. “We also want to make sure we protect renters from predatory landlords.”

Many women in the state are staying at home instead of facing the burden of child care, Esteves said, and that is another issue he wants to tackle by providing universal child care to parents of young children, starting with 3- and 4-year-olds.

Another priority for Esteves is strengthening apprenticeship programs for students who pursue technical careers, establishing a pipeline to good-paying jobs. 

“There’s no reason we can’t have a state that celebrates those who go into a trade just like we do for those who go to UGA or Albany State,” he said.

For those who are interested in starting a business, Esteves said he wants to provide an opportunity for small businesses. The state has invested in big corporations in recent years, but has not put the same effort into those mom and pop establishments.

The state also needs to invest in the neglected parts of Georgia, Esteves said.

“One hundred fifty of 159 counties are seeing more deaths than they see births,” he said. “South and middle Georgia have not gotten the attention they need to survive.”

During an interview following his remarks, Esteves pointed to recent elections in which Democratic candidates pulled out wins, including the first two statewide wins for non-incumbent Democrats this century in two Georgia Public Service races, as proof that Democrats can break Republican strongholds in statewide races. 

Democrat Eric Gisler also won a state House seat last week in a special election in a historically Republican district.

“People are tired of the same old same old,” Esteves said. “We have to meet people at their door; that’s how we win these elections. They want to hear what the issues are and how you’re going to make their lives better.”