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Shawn Harris, a cattleman in Northwest Georgia who served within the army for 40 years and retired as a U.S. Military brigadier basic, is working for the congressional seat now held by far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
He linked with the Washington Blade final week to debate his candidacy as a Democrat in Georgia’s deep-red 14th Congressional District — and why his promise to ship for constituents who’ve been failed by their present consultant is resonating with voters throughout the political spectrum.
“Because it stands at present, I’m the lead candidate on the Democratic facet,” Harris stated, with “three different gents working towards me within the major,” however “I’m the lead candidate that has already acquired main endorsements,” together with from Marcus Flowers, one other Black veteran and Democrat who ran towards Greene in 2022, and VoteVets, which is backed by greater than 700,000 donors/supporters.
Harris stated, “This race proper now’s in a state of affairs the place the district’s Democrats, Republicans, and independents are literally now actually Marjorie Taylor Greene and saying, ‘she has been up there for 3 and a half years. What has she truly achieved for the district?’
He stated voters are telling him, “‘I hear her all the time screaming about, , impeaching any individual, however I don’t know what she has truly achieved for the district.’”
A few weeks in the past, Harris famous, Greene claimed credit score for bringing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in federal infrastructure funding to her district, solely to retract the assertion as a result of the cash got here because of President Biden and the Biden-Harris administration via a invoice she had voted towards.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene has acquired herself in a state of affairs the place she’s in a civil warfare with the Republican Get together,” he stated. “She hates each Democrat that walks the face of the earth, and on prime of that, she doesn’t have something that she will be able to stand on that claims what she’s truly achieved right here contained in the district — so we’ve got a transparent path to truly beat her.”
“Based mostly on info that we acquired from Marcus on what went proper, what he thought he may enhance, and the way he raised the cash, we’ve got taken all the pieces that he did proper and introduced it to our crew,” Harris stated. “Errors that he had, we checked out it and went with a distinct method — so the place I’m at proper now, we’re going to each zip code in Northwest Georgia; we’re not overlooking anyone.”
Harris stated he has secured assist from Democrats, independents, “and we’ve got found out get Republicans to additionally vote for me.”
Voters can relate to Harris’s life and profession
“I used to be army and I used to be high-level army,” he stated. “So, it’s very simple for Republicans to Google my title and have a look at my historical past. My final task was in Israel. In order that was a really high-level place.”
“The second piece,” Harris stated, “is I increase cattle. I increase Pink Angus cattle. I’m truly in my workplace looking the window at them proper now.”
He famous that agriculture dominates Georgia’s economic system, notably “cattle and wineries,” and in addition stated he’s an energetic member of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Affiliation and U.S. Cattlemen’s Affiliation.
“Most cattlemen, no less than right here on this space, are Republicans,” Harris stated, so throughout the group’s conferences, “they get an opportunity to fulfill me simply as Shawn, simply as one other cattleman.” On the similar time, he stated, “they arrive out right here and go to me on the farm” and vice-versa.
“We assist one another out” with challenges on the farm, and just lately Harris stated he has been listening to considerations about Greene’s opposition to the Farm Invoice as a result of it contains funding for SNAP (the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program) despite the fact that the laws additionally “covers when farmers have drought, or hurricanes or tornadoes, or just like the fires that simply occurred out in Texas; it helps them to switch no matter they misplaced.”
Throughout “this previous cattlemen’s affiliation [meeting] two days in the past, all of us took up cash to ship to the farmers on the market to attempt to assist them get again on their ft,” Harris stated. “What they’re saying to me is, ‘in three and a half years, Marjorie Taylor Greene has by no means been to a cattlemen’s association-type assembly wherever.’ Okay? So you consider that.”
Harris added, “I simply instructed you that the primary trade up right here in North Georgia, northwest Georgia, is agriculture. Then on prime of that, it’s cattle, and he or she don’t even come and speak to that exact group?”
“I feel she seems to be at it like that’s beneath her,” he stated. “Whenever you speak to cattlemen and cattlewomen, we’re simply on a regular basis individuals, laborious working on a regular basis individuals, and we don’t get to take a seat round and watch the information and Twitter and all this type of stuff — so with the intention to speak to them you’ve acquired to return out to their home and exit into the pasture and possibly assist them with some issues.”
When he visits different cattlemen and farmers, Harris stated they usually say, “‘, that man was a basic and he came to visit and helped you set your cow again in at present.’ That’s priceless. That’s how you modify hearts and minds.”
He hopes the expertise can even “make them say, ‘OK, it’s OK to vote for Donald Trump’” however on “the second line [on the ballot] that may say Shawn Harris and Marjorie Taylor Greene,” these people would possibly select to vote for the Democratic candidate or “in the event that they skip it, the maths begins getting in my favor both means.”
“We now have Republicans which have already come to me and are champing on the bit which are prepared to start out placing up indicators, massive indicators of their pastures that may exit in mid-April that may say, ‘I’m voting for Shawn,’” Harris stated.
He additionally mentioned the importance of his army expertise within the context of serving to to raised serve veterans in Northwest Georgia. “[We veterans are] simply as numerous as all people else,” Harris stated. “And I’m going and speaking to that group as a result of I’m a veteran, 100% disabled, so I do know precisely what they’re going via,” notably with regards to challenges with getting healthcare and different providers from the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs.
“So, after I speak to my fellow brothers and sisters which are veterans,” Harris stated, “I speak about these points and say, ‘ what? I’m going to assist repair this drawback, I’m going to affix with Sen. [Jon] Ossoff and the entire senators to get at it, however that’s one of many issues that Ossoff is admittedly engaged on up right here in Northwest Georgia.”
Harris stated most of the coverage positions outlined on his web site have been knowledgeable by his expertise going out and speaking to veterans, famers, cattlemen, academics, and others.
“In a number of the totally different locations that we’ve been, the LGBT group has been there and requested me some questions on the place I stand. And I made it very clear, identical to after I was within the army, the place I stated ‘I consider throughout the board in range, and all people ought to have a good shake’ — that’s the identical factor I consider out right here northwest Georgia, and that’s instantly in distinction to Marjorie Taylor Greene.”
Harris added that he has not but had a proper assembly with members of the LGBTQ group, “however that group has already got here to the opposite issues and requested the query and I didn’t draw back from the query — that occurred up there in Rome, Georgia.”
Requested whether or not, if elected, Harris would possibly face blowback from conservative constituents over his assist for LGBTQ rights, he was fast to say “no.”
“I’m not fearful about any backlash or something,” he stated, as a result of his voters “are choosing me as a result of I’m a pacesetter,” which marks the “distinction between Marjorie Taylor Greene and me — I’m going to hearken to the individuals in my district, however I’m additionally going to vote and do the proper factor for everyone in all people within the district.”
Regardless of the efforts by Greene to “make all the pieces seem to be it’s to the intense” together with with respect to issues of LGBTQ rights, Harris stated that in actuality “most individuals out right here — I don’t care when you’re Black, white, blue, or inexperienced — most individuals out listed below are laser targeted on how they will get a excessive paying job in order that they don’t need to drive to Atlanta or drive to Chattanooga, Tennessee, or drive all the best way over to Huntsville, Alabama” for work.
Touring these distances for work means “they keep over there for the week and are available again on Friday,” Harris famous. “So in our space, we’re breaking apart the household dynamics, as a result of both the husband or the spouse is working two or three hours away from right here, and so they don’t seem to be right here throughout the week.”
“What I’m attempting to do,” Harris stated, “and that is how I thread this needle, I’m attempting to deliver high-paying jobs right here and generational jobs right here so that folks can nonetheless keep on this space, truly increase a household, and attain the American dream.”
Serving the wants of individuals in GA-14
Greene has discouraged funding in her district, Harris stated, each by voting towards laws like federal infrastructure spending packages and by her extremism and refusal to work with Democrats in addition to, in lots of circumstances, different Republicans.
“Persons are individuals,” he stated, “and once you’re continually on the market screaming and saying adverse issues and saying no matter she’s saying on a regular basis, when determination makers get an opportunity to decide, they’ve acquired to make no matter is one of the best determination for his or her group. But when they are saying, ‘wait a minute, the one who is representing that space doesn’t seem to be they need to be a crew participant,” then the calculus turns into, “‘the place else can we take our enterprise?’”
“What I plan to do,” Harris stated, “is figure very carefully with the protection group and the house group and see what we will get moved from Huntsville — or no matter’s the following sizzling factor, to get that to be introduced into the district.”
He recalled a dialog with former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, whom Harris was briefing in Israel, by which the Alabama Republican defined that “just about something that we do within the army with regards to protection trade or house, all of it involves Huntsville, Alabama.”
Shelby instructed Harris that “he wished to make it possible for in his district, irrespective of whether or not you had a GED or a Ph.D., all people may get a high-paying job.”
“And that’s what I’m attempting to do for this district,” Harris stated, “as a result of we’ve acquired individuals which are already driving to those different locations” to seek out this type of work, so “why can’t we deliver it proper right here? We’ve acquired loads of land, loads of house, and nothing however alternative to make it occur — we simply want the proper consultant to make individuals need to come right here and do enterprise with us.”
“I need to make it possible for all people has the identical alternatives that Marjorie Taylor Greene needed to have an organization right here, to do what they need to do with their lives,” Harris stated, “and proper now, Marjorie is slicing individuals off from alternatives.”
He added, “Her job in Washington, D.C., is to make it possible for we get federal {dollars} into this space in order that we don’t get left behind and that’s what worries me is that if we proceed to combat and argue, that chance goes to move by our area of Georgia.”
Moreover, “Marjorie Taylor Greene is in a combat with Gov. [Brian] Kemp and that a part of the Republican Get together,” Harris famous. “Therefore, when the state is doing sure issues, we’re lacking out on sure alternatives just because Marjorie Taylor Greene is in a civil warfare with them.”
From the federal all the way down to the state and the native degree, the first purpose, Harris stated, is “ensuring we’re on the identical sheet of music in order that we will make issues higher for the individuals round right here.”
How one can beat MTG
“Marjorie Taylor Greene got here in on the proper time for no matter she’s attempting to make herself out to be,” Harris stated. “She principally got here into the district — after I say got here to the district, she moved from the Atlanta space into the district. And as Donald Trump was rising, she was one of many early ones that acquired in behind Donald Trump and rode his coattails.”
Within the years since she started serving in Congress in 2021, he famous, Greene has managed to persuade many rural constituents to consider what she is saying, “primarily based on the data that she places out right here,” usually via “soundbites.”
Nonetheless, Harris stated, usually “as a result of they’ve met me” or as a result of they’ve moved to the realm from elsewhere within the nation, “persons are beginning to say, ‘wait a minute, what she’s telling us isn’t true. And we will do higher.’”
“Marjorie Taylor Greene is my best asset,” he stated. “She does one thing day-after-day that really helps me. She needs to oust the Speaker of the Home for passing the finances to maintain the federal government open. On the finish of the day, right here in our district, if the federal government shuts down — we’re not wealthy right here, OK? We are going to really feel it loads sooner than any individual working round New York Metropolis.”
“So, when Marjorie is saying them issues, she isn’t even taking consideration of how that is going to have an effect on the individuals on this district,” Harris stated.
“Throughout the board, all people is embarrassed on how she conducts herself up there in Washington, D.C., as a result of it makes all of us down right here in Northwest Georgia seem like a bunch of idiots as a result of she’s our consultant,” he added.
“And in the event that they get in behind me, and we win this factor, you’ll by no means ever need to take care of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s craziness once more,” Harris stated. “As a result of I don’t even need to repeat a number of the loopy issues that she has stated about many communities, many communities, and that’s what provides me my power day-after-day to truly put issues in place to truly beat her.”
The marketing campaign, Harris stated, goes to get ugly. “On social media is the place I run into the Marjorie Taylor Greene individuals which are very daring.”
As an illustration, “Any person took my image and posted it and stated, ‘hey, 90+ % of the people who seem like this man listed below are those committing crimes.’ However guess what? As a result of I spent all these years within the army and I’m a pacesetter, I didn’t get upset. I stated, ‘ what, OK, acquired it. Let’s come again optimistic.’ We got here again optimistic. And the entire Twitter universe stated, ‘Oh, that’s the chief that we wish.’”
“I wouldn’t be working except I assumed I may win,” Harris stated. Up first is Georgia’s Democratic major election on Could 21.
“To ensure that me — primarily based on the people who come out to vote, primarily based on who’s registered and all these sorts of issues — the quantity for me to win the first is 15,029,” Harris stated, “And that offers me a 54% of the votes, in order that’d be a decisive win” and place the marketing campaign to “proceed to work on extra independents and extra Republicans to return over to us.”
Waiting for the final election on Nov. 5, Harris stated, “With the intention to beat Marjorie Taylor Greene, I need assistance all through this nation, as a result of it’s going to take some huge cash to beat Marjorie Taylor Greene — and like I’ve already stated, our space isn’t the richest a part of Georgia.”
“So, with the intention to pull all of this stuff off, I’m truly interesting to the individuals on the bottom; I’m speaking to all people head to head, going to each zip code,” he stated. “However on the similar time, when you go and have a look at me on social media, I’m on each platform on the market. Each platform. So we’re combating within the social media world and we combat face-to-face.”
“Marcus Flowers confirmed us, as Democrats, increase some huge cash into all these races,” Harris added. “I’m blessed that persons are believing in me and really need to give their hard-earned {dollars} to our marketing campaign and we’re being very good and strategic about how we spend these {dollars} and attempting to save lots of as a lot as doable” as a result of “we’ve acquired to get to the first, however we attempt to save as a lot as doable so we’ve got a warfare chest once we go over into the final.”
With respect to present fundraising targets, he stated “we’ve got an excellent begin proper now.”
To win in November, nonetheless, “it’s going to take hundreds of thousands of {dollars},” Harris famous. “So we’re continually asking individuals, ‘please go to my marketing campaign web page, Shawnforgeorgia.com and donate; and when you can’t donate, simply pray for us.’”
Harris pointed to Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s profitable reelection bid final yr, after a difficult race in his “ruby purple” state. “He talked about all of the issues that President Biden and Vice President Harris are doing with infrastructure and taking good care of individuals — all these sorts of issues, insulin, the entire 9 — and he talked about these issues,” Harris stated. “That’s what I’m doing right here.”
Story courtesy of the Washington Blade through the Nationwide LGBTQ Media Affiliation. The Nationwide LGBTQ Media Affiliation represents 13 legacy publications in main markets throughout the nation with a collective readership of greater than 400K in print and greater than 1 million + on-line. Study extra right here: https://nationallgbtmediaassociation.com
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