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Broun's first
challenger emerges
By Blake Aued | blake.aued@onlineathens.com | Story
updated at 11:04 PM on Monday, August 20, 2007
A month into his first term, U.S. Rep. Paul Broun already
has a challenger for re-election.
Jackson County Democrat Bobby Saxon, an Iraq war veteran,
said Monday he will take on the Athens Republican.
Saxon, 45, was born in Athens, graduated from Oconee County
High School and joined the Army National Guard while
attending Georgia Southern University. He left the guard in
1990, but rejoined shortly after the terrorist attacks on
Sept. 11, 2001.
"When 9/11 happened, I was so shocked, I had to do
something," he said.
Saxon served three years on active duty in Afghanistan,
Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and at the Pentagon, leaving in 2005
with the rank of major. He now lives in Nicholson, owns a
company that sets up customer databases for small
businesses, co-owns an Athens insurance agency and serves as
chairman of the fledgling Jackson County Democratic
Committee.
Democrats have traditionally done poorly in right-leaning
Northeast Georgia. The late Charlie Norwood won with 67
percent of the vote in 2006, and three Democrats combined
for just 28 percent in June's 10-candidate special election
after Norwood's death.
But Saxon, who describes himself as a moderate, said he
believes the success Democrats enjoyed nationwide last year
is coming soon to Georgia.
"The district hasn't had a lot of great choices of
candidates in the past," Saxon said.
"This district has changed a lot," he said. "There's a lot
of things going on nationally that makes it not necessarily
having an 'R' by your name that gets you elected."
Saxon is planning an official campaign announcement
Saturday.
He may be only the first of several opponents for Broun, who
won a narrow and surprising victory over former state
senator Jim Whitehead, an Evans Republican.
State Rep. Barry Fleming, R-Augusta, told Athens radio host
Tim Bryant last week he is considering running against Broun
in the primary, and former Augusta mayor Bob Young, also a
Republican, is also mentioned as a potential candidate.
Reprinted from the Athens Banner
Herald,
http://onlineathens.com/stories/082107/news_20070821051.shtml
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02/25/2008
"Bobby calls "Hogwash on the doctor" |
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02/15/2007
"Bobby believes you should spend your own money" |
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01/25/2008
"Bobby Saxon to fight the real fight for Georgia's
children" |
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10/15/2007
"Saxon raises over $44,000 in four weeks setting record in
GA-10" |
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09/26/2007
"What will Dr. Broun do for you? Not much if you're a Georgia
child in need of healthcare" |
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08/25/2007
"Bobby Saxon Announces Candidacy for United States Congress" |
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08/21/2007 "Broun's first challenger emerges" -
Athens Banner Herald |
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08/16/2007 "Democrat Files to challenge Rep.
Broun in Georgia's 10th" - CQPolitics.com |
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