Lonnie Henderson II, candidate for Walker County sole commissioner in 2016, has officially decided to run as a Democrat. Mr. Henderson met with both the Republican and Democratic parties this week and made his decision off of a number of factors.
Mr. Henderson is also in the process of collecting 300 signatures to qualify as a Pauper, meaning he is attempting to have the $2,000+ qualification fee waived due to his income level.
"I feel that nationally, the parties are very different, but at a county government level, if you took the letters "R" and "D" away from the candidates, people would not know the difference in the way they govern local governments," said Mr. Henderson. "I feel that if people listen to the issues, and forget the letter next to my name, I can win the election. I want the same things the people want...fiscal responsibility, government transparency, and good leadership, which I believe I can provide."
Mr. Henderson is also making a challenge to his opponents. "I challenge all of my opponents in this race, the ones currently running and the ones who have not yet announced, to voluntarily limit themselves to two terms in office should they win. More than eight years I feel would breed complacency and corruption, as we have more or less seen with the current administration. I also challenge my opponents to make the promise as I have that if they take office, they will refuse 25 percent of their commissioner salary for the duration of their time in office. It is the fiscally responsible thing to do and it will show them that they are in the race for this post to govern the people and do right by them, not just to make a good paycheck."
Mr. Henderson is doing weekend tours of the local libraries and is available to answer questions and discuss the issues. He will be at the Lafayette Library on Saturday from 12-1 p.m. and the Chickamauga Library on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Mr. Henderson turns 32 Tuesday and resides in LaFayette. He is an employee of the Georgia Department of Corrections and has been a full time employee there for eight years.