6th District Race: Councilman Endorses Jon Ossoff

Editor's note: the following was submitted Friday, June 2 by Andy Bauman, a member of the Sandy Springs City Council.

Today I cast my vote for Jon Ossoff in the special election to fill the 6th Congressional District seat vacated by Tom Price. As an independent and pragmatic centrist, I believe that elections are between candidates, not parties, and about both issues and character. In this contest, I strongly believe that Jon Ossoff is the right person for the job.

Despite claims by his opponent, Jon has run a positive campaign and stayed focused on issues of importance to our District. These include: economic growth -- Jon has a keen understanding of the jobs of the future, particularly in technology and bio-sciences; infrastructure and regional transportation; and the environment. Just yesterday, Jon strongly disagreed with President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Accords, while his opponent strongly defended Trump’s decision. Jon also supports trade policies that are critically important to the very many citizens of our community who are employed by the numerous companies (small and large) that depend on international trade.

It is virtually impossible to agree with any candidate on every issue. However, in this race I believe Jon Ossoff best represents the future of our District and nation, as well as my personal values as a citizen and voter. During this long and grueling campaign, Jon has demonstrated the necessary character and temperament for the job. His opponent, by contrast, has a long established track-record of outdated and backwards thinking on many of the very important values issues of our time.

I recognize that we are a divided nation, a divided Congressional District, and for that matter, even divided among family and friends. People of good will – friends and professional colleagues of mine who I respect – may disagree with my choice in this race. That is fine; that is the American Way. But regardless of who prevails, my strong hope is that he or she will reach out and work across the aisle to seek common ground on the critical issues that confront us. That is what our District and nation deserve, and that is what Jon has pledged to do.

Lastly, I would be remiss in not mentioning President Trump and his impact on my choice in this race. I believe that Mr. Trump’s decorum, instability, and callous disregard for the truth make him unfit and unworthy of the most important job in the world. And while he is our duly elected president, that does not absolve all patriotic Americans, especially our elected leaders, from the responsibility to stand up and hold Mr. Trump to the standards we expect and deserve from our President. If nothing else, a vote for Jon Ossoff will send a strong and important message to the Republican Party, the White House, and the nation that we, the people of the 6th Congressional District, will not sit idly by while our great nation’s values are so terribly compromised by this President.

Photo: Andy Bauman. Credit: city of Sandy Springs