Democrat Wade Herring, of Savannah, has announced a run to represent Georgia’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House.
Herring, a lawyer at HunterMaclean Law Firm, says he was inspired to run after seeing current 1st District Rep. Buddy Carter’s reaction to the Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol and his vote to overturn the election results.
“The insurrection showed in a profound way a sickness in the soul of America, and that's a problem,” Herring said. “The only way to fix the problem is to get in there and work for a solution that puts our families first, our district first, our nation first — not politics. That's why I'm running for Congress.”
Background:
Herring grew up in Macon, graduating from Central High School in 1976. After that, he attended Dartmouth College and the University of Georgia Law School. This is his first run for an elected position at any level.
In a press release announcing his candidacy, Herring said he raised $113,775 in contributions during the first month of campaigning.
Credit: undefined
Credit: undefined
Herring was formerly part of a local political action committee, the Citizens Facts PAC, which ran a full-page advertisement critical of District 1 Congressman Buddy Carter. The ad urged readers to "Remember the Capitol," as did billboards with similar messaging posted in the northern part of District 1, which covers all of Georgia's coastal counties.
Herring also penned an op-ed published Jan. 25 in the Savannah Morning News calling on Carter to resign.
Herring has since left the PAC in order to run for office, he acknowledged in an interview on Thursday.
Platform:
Herring said if he is elected he’ll pursue a platform that will provide broader access to health care, infrastructure, broadband access, early childhood education, affordable college, voting rights and protecting the coast from the effects of climate change.
“We are going to be at the forefront of the adverse impacts of sea level rise,” Herring said. “We've got to get ready for that and stop denying the reality of that.”
Opponents:
In recent months, Carter has said he would run for Senate in 2022, but only if former President Donald Trump's pick, former UGA football standout Herschel Walker, doesn't run.
Will Peebles is the enterprise reporter for Savannah Morning News. He can be reached at wpeebles@gannett.com and @willpeeblessmn on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah lawyer Wade Herring announces run for 1st Congressional District as Democrat
