Rep. Gerald Greene vows fight to keep his House District 151 seat

CUTHBERT — State Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, has announced that he will run for re-election for state representative in southwest Georgia’s House district 151 in November. The district includes all or parts of nine counties, including a western portion of Dougherty County.

Greene has served 36 years in the Georgia legislature and is the chairman of the State Properties Committee.

Earlier this year, Greene, a Republican, said he was attacked by the Atlanta organization Georgia Engaged – an organization that utilizes “dark money” or secret funding to send inaccurate and defamatory mailers about candidates in swing districts. As of late July, Greene said Georgia Engaged still has not disclosed any of its contributors, despite sending thousands of mailers into District 151 and other districts.

“I have already been attacked by political groups from Atlanta who want to hijack our district,” Greene said. “I intend to fight for every vote and continue to represent my dear friends here at home.”

The 2018 general election will be held on Nov. 6. Greene will be pitted against Joyce Barlow, who, Greene said, refers to herself as a “spokesperson” for southwest Georgia. The winner of the general election will take office in January of next year.

Greene was a teacher for more than 30 years and has lived his entire life in southwest Georgia. He lives in Cuthbert and attends Springvale Baptist Church. Greene is the senior GOP member of the House.

Barlow is a registered nurse who has said her top priorities are the expansion of Medicaid and the creation of programs to preclude the closing of rural hospitals in the district.

“I’m running because I want to see more done for health care, not only in District 151, but also in the state,” Barlow, a native of Ft. Pierce, Fla., said. “I want the Democratic people to have a voice to know that their concerns will be addressed. I have always been interested in politics, and I have always been involved because it controls our lives by whatever decisions they make, whether it be at the state level or the federal level. It’s going to impact most of us some way. Sometimes people don’t notice that, but it really makes a difference.”