Georgia House Dist. 166: Jesse Petrea, Pat Daley

Petrea

I’m not certain the opening statement is accurate. The state’s revenue is up over last year. Georgia isn’t struggling. It’s faring much better than a lot of states because of our leadership. People are moving here. Industry and business are moving here.

For the 2027 legislative session, I’ll seek a state statute that ties the price a drug manufacturer may charge for prescription drugs in Georgia to the lowest price that manufacturer charges for the same product in economically comparable countries.

One way to ensure that Georgians fare better than people in other states is to continue reducing their taxes, starting with more reductions in property taxes. All this speaks to affordability — making sure that people keep more of their money and have less of it going to government.

Beyond that, the best thing we can do is what we’ve been successful at: creating good quality jobs that increase wages for Georgians and supporting schools and teachers so that we have a trained, educated workforce.

The biggest issue among my constituents in Chatham and Bryan is the lawlessness we see from repeat offenders. I’m all about protecting this community and keeping violent men in prison where they belong, not on the streets. We continue to have people with 15 and 16 felony arrests who are who are victimizing Savannahians. That’s unacceptable.

Protecting the Georgia coast is special passion of mine. I saved Green Island, and I’ll continue to push for improvements to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act, so that we have more money to preserve and protect land amid rapid growth.

Daley

Our focus as legislators this session must be affordability. In areas of extreme growth like Chatham and Bryan counties, the rising cost of living and the rapid growth in the job market are working against each other, hurting Georgians and businesses alike.

We must address these issues not just retroactively with tax reform, but with proactive policy that supports sustained growth into the future. Shifting the tax burden from the state income tax to county property millage rates doesn’t solve the problem, and it has major repercussions for the Georgians who worked hard to make ours a great place to live.

We need to support Georgians through every stage of their lives, and supporting the housing growth we need will help our local economy keep pace with its expansion.

We need legislators and statesmen to work across party lines to make the right decisions, not just for right now but for the future. That means taking a hard look at our current taxes and understanding how we can use them to make home buying more affordable and life in Georgia more sustainable. The gas-tax suspension this year showed that Georgia can afford to help its people, and it’s time we took a hard look at the best ways to do that.

Petrea

I first ran for office 13 years ago, when my son, the second of my two children, was close to graduating from high school and I could afford time away from my family for the first time. My goal was to see that my community would be safe for my family, which has been here for generations.

That hasn’t changed. I now have four grandchildren. I want them to live in a safe community where opportunity to thrive and support their families is abundant.

Besides that, I want to make sure we continue to have the most protected coast in the country. I want to continue to make sure that we’re creating good quality jobs for our children, all the while keeping in mind that the goal of government should be to provide opportunity to people to be independent and take care of themselves and their children and their families.

Daley

While I’m not originally from the Savannah area, I have been here for more than a decade and thoroughly enjoy the staples of coastal life, like boating and golfing. I’m also a history buff at heart. I originally moved here for work, and I’m fortunate to lead a large team of hardworking Georgians in private industry.

That work has helped me understand the challenges we all face as Georgians today, and it has built my record as a problem-solver and leader. For too long there has been a general apathy toward politics, a sense that a single vote or effort doesn’t matter. I hear it all the time as I knock on doors: “What can I do? I can’t make a difference.”

That apathy is what inspired me to step up. It’s time we sent a message to the powers that be that we want our voices heard. I’m incredibly proud of the Bryan County residents who made sure their concerns about the nickel refinery were heard and forced action. My part to play is representing District 166 in the state legislature and reminding it of the needs of coastal communities. It’s time our area, not just party politics, had a voice in Atlanta.

Petrea

I’ve been so impressed with the leadership of Brian Kemp. He’s my kind of guy, my kind of governor. He’s independent and strong. He does not let anyone sway his opinion. He doesn’t sway with the political winds. He does what is right, regardless of political party. He led the state through COVID amid tremendous pressure. He didn’t cave when he was urged to close the beaches. He has focused like a laser on public safety and creating economic opportunity. As he says, he just “keeps choppin’.” I admire that.

Daley

I look up to Rep. Al Williams, who represents District 168 in the state House. His ability to work across the aisle and get things done for his community is truly commendable. I want to emulate that in office, so my constituents not only get the representation they deserve in Atlanta but also feel the its effects at home. Al has shown time and again that he can deliver for his area, whether it’s property tax relief in Liberty County or creating a tourism authority to bring visitors and revenue to Hinesville. Those local results are what’s missing from our current leadership in District 166, and that’s what I will change as the district’s representative in the General Assembly.