Alan Mauldin
MOULTRIE — Looking for a “big-name” candidate to take on the incumbent in the Eighth congressional district, Republican Angela Hicks said she was told that the Democratic was “unbeatable.”
After she was unsuccessful in persuading someone else to run, the Macon businesswoman decided to make her first run at electoral politics, taking on U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Macon herself.
Hicks is one of three Republicans who so far have announced to try to unseat Marshall, who has had some close challenges since he won the office in 2002.
Other Republicans who have announced their intentions to seek the seat are Warner Robins minister Ken DeLoach, Valerie Myers of Bonaire who is an information technology business analyst, and Rish Telecommunications Consulting owner Paul Rish. Like Hicks, they have not held elected office in the past.
“I thought enough is enough, somebody has got to stand up to Jim Marshall,” said Hicks, who has worked in a medical business and currently owns and operates STUFF IT, a mobile storage company.
“I think I can convey a conservative message in a way to bring back these voters” who have supported Marshall in the past, she said.
Among the issues Hicks would like to address are: the implementation of a national sales tax — also dubbed the “fair tax ” — encourage domestic oil and gas drilling, reduce government debt, get a grip on illegal immigration and boost national security, and to pull back on cap and trade and health care legislation.
The sales tax would be “the biggest single economic boost you could have,” she said.
On the issue of the nation’s debt, Hicks said that eliminating cap and trade would remove uncertainty that the potential costs would have on companies.
“The first thing I would do,” she said of dealing with the debt, “no further discussion about cap and trade tax, take that uncertainty off the table. Second, no discussion of governmental health care. We can do that (health care) reform — sell (insurance) across interstate lines.”
Hicks said she also would like Congress to examine all entitlement programs to determine where cuts can be made.
Although farm subsidies frequently are criticized by conservatives, Hicks said that is not an area where she would look for cuts.
“The last place I would look right now is toward our farmers, 8th District and Georgia farmers,” she said. “The time isn’t now and isn’t with farmers.”
She also said she supports allowing sufficient migrant labor for farmers to operate.
“It does not involve legalizing every person in the United States,” she said. “I don’t think that there is any need to make the 12 to 14 million illegal immigrants legal overnight. There’s a system we could work out with fair pay.”
