District 4 candidate Al Wynn relies on lessons learned from first political campaign

ALBANY – Businessman Al Wynn insists his unsuccessful run for a state House District 153 seat four years ago turned out to be an invaluable learning experience.

“I lost pretty bad, but as I thought back over that race, I realized that I was pretty much an unknown,” said Wynn, who owns the Seymour Southern Nursing Home in Bronwood as well as a consulting business. “People didn’t know me. That’s changed this time. I’m getting my signs up and my message out.”

Wynn is challenging political newcomer Anthony Patterson in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary for the right to take on incumbent Republican Russell Gray for the District 4 Dougherty County Commission seat in the Nov. 3 General Election. Wynn said he decided to run for the seat because he’s “tired of seeing what we’ve got going on with the commission right now.”

“Hey, I’m not going to make any outlandish promises, because I know I will be only one vote of seven,” he said. “But this community needs help. We have too much dysfunction with our County Commission, and I’m one of several people in the county who is tired of seeing it.

“I’ve gotten great feedback from people who want a commissioner that’s there for them. I’ve heard from a lot of people who’ve told me they don’t even know who their commissioner is. That’s a shame, but that’s what happens when people are allowed to hold onto offices without being challenged.”

Wynn said there are a number of issues that he thinks are not being properly addressed by the current commission, among them improvements at the county jail, a lack of adequate-paying jobs, and better management of the taxes being collected by the county.

“The jail’s in a mess,” the candidate said. “I talked with Sheriff (Terron) Hayes this week, and he said it would take $3 million to $6 million just to change out the locks, which he said is badly needed. He also said the facility’s been allowed to deteriorate to the point that a new jail is what is actually needed. But he said the cost for a new facility would be between $300 and $600 million and to properly update it would cost between $60 million and $80 million.

“It’s a shame when an important issue like this, which is a mandate by the state, is allowed to fall into disrepair over politics. But we can’t keep putting it off; that would be a catastrophe.”

Wynn also said the current commission has done a poor job of managing taxpayer money.

“A 3-mill tax increase? That’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’m not for that kind of governing, and I don’t think approving the FLOST is the answer. That’s only going to hurt the working man.

“The main question I have – and a lot of other people have – is where is our tax money going? I’m a businessman; I’ve managed budgets, made the hard decisions, had to fire and hire people. I’m not afraid to make those kinds of decisions. And we have to make some hard decisions about budgets and personnel. If we have to make cuts, I’ve done that.”

Wynn said the feedback he’s received while campaigning has been encouraging. Unlike his failed run four years ago, voters are listening to his campaign strategy and offering feedback.

“I’m encouraged; I feel really optimistic,” he said. “We need change in this community, and the only way we can get it is for people to get out and vote. I encouraged every voter in this community to get out and vote, and, yes, I hope they’ll vote for me.”