Vidalia state Sen. Blake Tillery visits Albany as he announces bid for lieutenant governor

ALBANY – Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Blake Tillery kicked off his campaign outside the perimeter, making stops in Savannah and Albany, among other locations on Monday.

The state senator from Vidalia who was elected to District 19 in 2016, arrived shortly before noon at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport to meet with a group of about two dozen people who were on hand. 

“From the end of Georgia (Highway) 400 to the end of Georgia 300, we want to get your support,” the candidate said of his decision to launch his campaign outside of Atlanta.

Among his top priorities is eliminating the state’s income tax, something the candidate said he is uniquely positioned to accomplish.

“I chaired the Appropriations Committee for seven years,” he said during an interview prior to addressing the audience. “I can show you how to do it.”

As a senator, Tillery said he had three goals: good jobs, low taxes and rural access to broadband, things that he said have been accomplished for his district. Now he has his sights set on the new goals, including the income tax issue and tougher immigration enforcement.

Asked whether the elimination of income taxes would mean an increase in the state’s sales tax, Tillery declined to give specifics on how the state would make up for the revenue raised through income taxes. That, he said, is part of the work of a study committee appointed by current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

The candidate, the third Republican to throw his hat into the ring in the lieutenant governor’s race, indicated that he would take a hard line on immigration, an issue he linked to crime. The other two Republicans in the race seeking to replace Jones, who is running for governor, are state Sens. Steve Gooch of Dahlonega and John Kennedy of Bolingbroke.

“We’ve got to be strong against illegal street gang activities (that) I think are being fueled by illegal immigration,” Tillery said. “If you came here illegally, that is a crime in and of itself.”

The federal government has its role, but the state also can be proactive in enforcing the law, he said.

“We need an immigration police that penalizes those that are here illegally and supports Georgia agriculture,” he said.

Leesburg resident Barry Justice, who was among those who greeted Tillery, said he has been a supporter of Republican candidates since Richard Nixon ran for president in 1968.

“We came out because we want some new blood and want somebody that’ll represent us down here in southwest Georgia,” Justice said.