Sandy Springs City Councilman To Run For State House

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- A longtime Sandy Springs public servant has announced his plan to run for the Georgia House of Representatives.

Sandy Springs City Councilman Gabriel Sterling said Tuesday he will run for the State House District 51 seat. It's the same seat that's been held by longtime State Rep. Wendell Willard, who announced he will not seek re-election to another term in 2018. 

District 51 is made up of parts of Johns Creek, Roswell and Sandy Springs.

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“I've lived here for nearly my entire life," Sterling said. "I care deeply about our north Fulton community and as our representative will continue to work to make positive change. Nobody will work harder to bring major reforms to Fulton County and state government. We need more privatization to bring down the cost of government as well make to it more efficient.”

Sterling also said he'd work to bring "conservative solutions to make college more affordable for families." He will do that by sponsoring tax relief legislation to make college tuition tax deductible. 

“College is unaffordable for many families, particularly those with multiple enrolled students," Sterling added. "Let’s allow families to deduct some of the cost of college. As a University of Georgia graduate who paid part of my own way through school, I know my tax relief proposal will be a major help to many families.”

A Republican first elected to the City Council in 2011, Sterling is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He is the owner of SSH, Inc., a public relations and political consulting firm. 

He is a member of Heritage Sandy Springs and served as the former vice chairman of the Sandy Springs Challenge, a nonprofit that brought sporting events to the city to raise money for police and fire charities. 

Along with serving on the City Council, he also is the vice chairman of the Sandy Springs Development Authority.

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Image via Gabriel Sterling