Allen endorsed in congressional race

ALBANY, Ga. — Rick Allen, a Columbus business man, has won the endorsement of state Reps. Ed Rynders, R-Leesburg, and Jay Powell, R-Camilla, in his campaign to be the U.S. representative for Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District.

During a Wednesday news conference outside the Government Building on Pine Avenue, Rynders introduced Allen, a Columbus businessman. Among those at the conference were Powell, Dougherty County Commissioner Lamar Hudgins and Lee County Commissioner Rick Muggridge.

Allen finished first in the July 31 Republican Primary with nearly 42 percent of the votes cast, eliminating third-place candidate Ken DeLoach. According to Rynders, Deloach now supports Allen in the Aug. 21 runoff election against John House of Midland. The winner will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, in November.

Registered voters in the congressional district who voted in the Republican Primary, who did not choose a party ballot July 31 or who did not vote in the primary are eligible to vote in the runoff. The early voting period is under way.

“If you’re black or white, rich or poor, do you believe Washington is doing a good job for you?” Rynders asked. “The obvious answer is no. Sanford Bishop has been a part of the Washington bureaucracy for years. We don’t need tax increases. We don’t need our health insurance or health care taken over by Washington. We need people to stand up and say that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Rynders called the Albany area “one of the poorest in the entire country” and said the region needs someone dedicated to the principles of smaller government.

“We’re fighting to get the federal government out the state of Georgia’s affairs so we can all prosper and have better lives and bring economic prosperity back to this district,” Allen said.

As an example of what he saw as excessive “big government” bureaucracy, Allen cited the construction of Disney World in Florida, which Allen said was completed in less than two years.

“You couldn’t build Disney World in two years anymore,” Allen said. “The loan and the property, the zoning and the environmental studies would take that long. We need to get Washington and regulations out of the way. If we could get the federal government out of our lives we could have prosperity in America.”