6th District Race: Sandy Springs Mayor Endorses Karen Handel

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Georgia's 6th Congressional District seat includes a diverse lineup of residents who will disagree on a slew of issues ranging from taxes to Obamacare to gun control.

However, there is one thing the district's hundreds of thousands of residents can get behind, according to Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul. That is to come up with a comprehensive way to fix the region's transportation infrastructure.

And the only candidate running in the April 18 special election to replace Tom Price who can work with the federal government to solve those problems is Karen Handel. Paul made that point Wednesday morning in a press conference announcing his endorsement of Handel.

A crowd of about 30, mostly volunteers and supporters, gathered at Abernathy Greenway Park to hear the mayor publicly declare his support of Handel, one of nearly a dozen Republicans in the race.

Handel said it's not only a "genuine honor" to gain the mayor's support, but it also says something about his willingness to put his reputation on the line to back her candidacy.

"It underscores the real strength in the relationship between who is going to be our next Congressman and your local elected officials," she added.

Handel said she's known Paul for nearly two decades, as he was one of the first Republicans she got to know shortly after she and her husband, Steve, moved to Georgia.

Transitioning from Georgia Republican Party chairman to state legislator and, later, Sandy Springs mayor, Paul has "carried on the tradition" of the city's first mayor, Eva Galambos, and has done a great job of positioning the city as one of growth and serving as a corporate headquarters mecca for north metro Atlanta.

Paul told the crowd that he and Handel have been talking for quite a while about whether he would come out and endorse her. The mayor said Handel is a personal friend as well as a political colleague he's had the chance to work with over the last several years.

"I can say that about several of the candidates that are in this race," he added, later noting he spoke with several other candidates about possible endorsements before finally settling on Handel. "We have some very good people that are running, but I really feel that Karen is the best person for this particular position."

Choosing the Abernathy Greenway Park to make his endorsement was not an accident, Paul said. The Abernathy/Johnson Ferry Road corridor is filled with car tags from residents living in Cobb County, and highlights the central, but "under-discussed issue of this campaign."

While district voters are all over the political spectrum on various topics, they can all agree on one thing, Paul said: "we are not able to move through this region very effectively."

Additionally, the mayor added, the reason why Fulton County leaders proposed and voters approved the T-SPLOST referendum in November is because the federal Department of Transportation is no longer a viable partner in helping state and local governments solve traffic woes.

"Karen understands the challenges we face in local government, and I know that when she goes to Washington, the issues we've dealt with from a transportation point of view are going to be a major part of her agenda to make sure we start solving it," he said.

Voters have two more days to cast ballots ahead of the April 18 special election. From 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, April 14, you can vote at the following locations:

• East Roswell Branch Library, 2301 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell
• North Fulton Service Center, 7741 Rowell road, Room 232, Sandy Springs
• Milton Library, 855 Mayfield Road, Milton
• Robert F. Ocee Library, 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek
• Roswell Library, 115 Norcross Street, Roswell

Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and voters will cast ballots at their assigned precincts. A runoff, if needed, is scheduled for June 20.

Photo: Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, left, explains why he's endorsing Karen Handel in the April 18 special election to fill the vacant 6th Congressional District of Georgia seat. Credit: Kristal Dixon