Republican Derrick McCollum and Democrat Kim Floria faced off two years ago for State House District 30 and are again campaigning for the same seat.
Both candidates recently joined WDUN’s Martha Zoller show to discuss their campaigns in the weeks leading up to the election.
Floria said her experience going door to door in the area is difficult as she is the Democratic candidate in the race.
“To be honest, going door to door in my area is not the easiest. As the Democrat, when I start talking to some of the residents, they are open to having a discussion about food prices, school voucher programs and whatnot, but then when I tell them I'm the Democrat on the ticket, it kind of turns on me, and most of them will say, ‘you Democrats want to take away our guns,’ which is not the truth, but I'm finding that people are concerned,” Floria said. “I wish it was a little more balanced, but I think there are discussions to be had, and I'm hoping more discussions will come after the election.”
McCollum, who is running for reelection, said part of his campaign year has been spent in other parts of the state affected by Hurricane Helene.
“I have been helping with people in South Georgia, and I wanted to to talk about how the efforts have been with me and other representatives and people in our community. You know, the Syfan family's been huge on doing this,” McCollum said. “I reached out to Steve, and I had one of the representatives in Waycross, and they had nothing. When you run out of power and you have a well, you have no water or anything. And working with Steve Syfan, we got them some water donated from Darrell Wiley at [J&J Foods] and got them water down there.”
Both candidates talked about their concerns with housing prices, with Floria discussing her idea to help first-time home buyers.
“My son, who is thinking of purchasing a home, he is going to be 29 he has a very good job, but the interest rate and some of the FICA score requirements, disenfranchise people from getting into the market,” Floria said. “So I wish there was a program, or would look into having a program that, for first-time, home buyers, maybe lowering the interest rate for them in order to get into the market would be a good idea.”
Floria also proposed reducing down payment requirements and considering a history of rent payments as a positive factor for home ownership.
McCollum discussed the issue of hedge funds and private equity groups buying up houses in Georgia, driving up prices and taxes.
“Essentially, what they are doing is, they are buying up all the houses that are available and making them into rental houses, and that drives up the prices, and then also it drives up our taxes because they'll pay $50,000 over asking price. Well, then Steve Watson sees that and uses that as a [comparison], and everybody's taxes go up,” McCollum said. “I don't know what the answer is, but we need to try to hedge them off to stop doing that. They are wiping out the middle class by buying all these houses, and then the young people just can't afford a house, so I think the middle-class way to make up the middle-class dream is to buy a house and build equity, and that's how you build wealth in Georgia.”
Floria explained more about herself and how voters can learn more about her campaign.
“I just want to support people. I come from a family of heart servants. I have been a sign language interpreter for over 40 years, so I am in the area of helping people, especially those who don't feel their voices are being heard. I want to hear your voices, and I want to be the voice in the gold dome to support those ideas that you know possibly aren't being heard, and really aren't being heard,” Floria said. “People in our area vote for Republicans because there are no Democrats on the ticket. So I would like to be that Democrat on the ticket that could represent your voice that's not being heard," Floria said.
McCollum talked about the importance of the amendments currently on the ballot including the 3% property tax freeze for homesteads and the TSPLOST.
“I know the amendments are confusing...Local legislation that us, the local delegates in Hall County, did this year is the 3% freeze of the property tax. Your valuation of your house will be frozen at 3% because I know a lot of the valuations have went up dramatically. This will freeze it at 3%," McCollum said. “TSLOST, I know that's a touchy subject, but I will say about TSPLOST, I'm on Secretary Transportation, and that is something that, we obviously need. The good thing about the TSLOST… the state will match a lot of that money. So if we get money in the county, we get state money, and I will help facilitate that and help steer that money to road projects that we desperately need.”
State House District 30 represents much of southern Hall County, including the Chestnut Mountain and Flowery Branch areas.
