Former Professor To Run For 6th Congressional District Seat

TUCKER, GA -- A former Georgia State University professor wants another shot at becoming the next elected official to claim the 6th Congressional District of Georgia seat. Dr. Richard Keatley has announces his bid to seek the Democratic nomination for the seat held by incumbent Republican Karen Handel.

Keatley was one of 18 candidates who qualified in February in the jungle primary for the special election to replace Tom Price, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to become the nation's health secretary. Keatley left his assistant professorship at Georgia State University to focus on his bid to take on Handel in the upcoming November 2018 midterm elections.

Keatley touts himself as a progressive Democrat, veteran and an educator who is the product of a labor union family (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

"In my many conversations around the state, I’ve learned that Georgians want security, opportunity and prosperity," he said in his announcement. "I understand that we must not keep going down the path of division and inequality. Join me in bringing compassion, integrity and common sense back to the United States Congress.”

Keatley will face off against at least one candidate -- former CBS 46 news anchor Bobby Kaple -- for the Democratic nomination in the race. Georgia's Congressional District covers all of North Fulton County and parts of East Cobb and DeKalb counties.

Handel and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff were the top two candidates who advanced to the runoff following the April 18 special election. The race between the two drew nationwide attention, as many political and entertainment heavyweights all descended onto metro Atlanta to stump for the candidates. Handel got support from Vice President Mike Pence, and President Trump took to Twitter to encourage voters to cast their ballots for the Alpharetta resident. The president also made an appearance at a fundraiser for the candidate, bringing in $750,000 for Handel. On the other side of the aisle, former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes and actress Alyssa Milano campaigned for Ossoff while in Atlanta. The spotlight on the race also resulted in the battle becoming one of the most expensive races for a U.S. House of Representatives seat.

Keatley, 52, notes he promises to fight for citizens in the areas of education, job security, healthcare coverage and "national foresight and wisdom" to address military, economic, environmental and racial injustice as well as human rights challenges.

Keatley, a Naval ROTC scholarship student, graduated with a bachelor's degree in nuclear science from Virginia Tech in 1987. He spent the bulk of his career as a United States Navy officer, serving on war ships in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea during the first Gulf War. He also obtained a master's degree from The University of Paris (Sorbonne) and a Ph.D from Yale University.

According to his website, he spent the last 14 years teaching Italian and French language and culture at Georgia State University. While at Georgia State, he promoted study abroad initiatives and created a dual degree program in International Economics and Modern Languages that received more than $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education and European Union.

Keatley has lived in Tucker with his wife, Pina, since 1999. You can learn more about Keatley by visiting his website.

Image via Richard Keatley