Congressional district endorsements

There has been a lot of angst about the way Washington, D.C., works, or rather, doesn’t work, during this election cycle. Both presidential candidates have promised changes, but no matter which candidate wins, the landscape of Congress could look vastly different Jan. 20 than it does today. While the overall approval rating of Congress, according to Gallup, is at its highest level in 2016, only 20 percent of the American public approve of the job Congress is doing. In November 2013, only 9 percent of Americans approved of Congress’ work. Still, when asked about local congressional representatives, voters respond positively.

Eighth Congressional District

There are three races of concern in Middle Georgia, two in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate. Today we will deal with the House seats. U.S. Rep. Austin Scott faces James Neal Harris. Harris, a retired Bibb deputy has run before. His last entry was in 2006 as a Republican against Mac Collins where he received 18 percent of the primary vote. He now comes as a Democrat in a district tailor-made for Republicans. His criteria for what he would vote on in Washington is based on the answers to four questions:

1. Is it Biblical?

2. Can we afford it?

3. Do we need it?

4. Is it constitutional?

Harris is for or against a number of issues. However, his actual knowledge of the issues facing Middle Georgia, and particularly the Eighth Congressional District, is pretty thin. He stated that he is strong on the military but says, “It’s my understanding that we’ve got another BRAC coming. I don’t know exactly what it encompasses, I haven’t physically seen anything. I’ve just been told about it.”

Certainly none of us have seen anything, but as the congressional representative in Washington with the largest single industrial complex in the state in your district, it is your responsibility to know everything about the base from Day One. There’s no time for a break-in period.

Austin Scott is starting to hit his stride. He still needs to be seen and heard from in Middle Georgia more, and his constituency services can always be improved. However, in this particular race, there is no choice. Harris is the second candidate in this Editorial Board’s history to declare that he’s already won, as if a pronouncement from God. The only other candidate to make such a declaration lost. We endorse, Austin Scott for the Eighth Congressional District.

Second Congressional District

Just as the Eighth District is molded for Republican representation, the Second Congressional District is likewise drawn for Democrats. Rep. Sanford Bishop has served in Congress going on 24 years. Depending on how the district maps have been drawn, Bishop has represented this part of Middle Georgia on and off throughout his career. State Republicans tried to gerrymander him out of his seat and he won anyway, but in order to protect the Eighth, they moved his district lines to include Macon again.

Greg Duke, his opponent, is a former school board member from Lee County and a Leesburg optician. Bishop beat Duke in 2014 for his 12th term, 59.15 percent to 40.85 percent. Duke has stumped the hinterlands of the district when possible. He’s not got much help other than lip service from state and national Republicans. He’s raised a little more than $14,000 during the last reporting period, and the Second District is huge, running from Macon south to the Florida line and west to the Alabama border.

Duke wants to put a VA hospital in the Second District and he’s hitting the Affordable Care Act hard now that the premium increases have been released. He promises to bring more jobs to the area and to keep jobs already here.

Bishop touts his experience of bringing and keeping jobs as well. He serves on the all important Appropriations Committee and is the ranking Democrat on Military Construction and Military Affairs subcommittees. Recent news out of Fort Benning that it could receive an armored brigade combat team has Bishop written all over it. Bishop has also worked well with Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., and the state’s two senators in positioning Robins Air Fore Base for future expansion.

Voters may be upset with Washington, but Bishop is well positioned to help Middle Georgia and our military and agricultural interests. We don’t say this out of hope; we say this looking at a proven track record. We endorse Rep. Sanford Bishop in the Second Congressional District.

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Congressional district endorsements."