51st District State Senate Candidates on FYN’s Candidate Day
Election, Politics May 23, 2016
Steve Gooch and John Williamson speak on FYN’s Candidate Day for the citizens on the eve of the election day.
Lumpkin County Republican Party 51st State Senate District, 9th Congressional District, and U.S. Senate Forum
Politics May 1, 2016
Lumpkin County Republican Party Forum 4/30/2016.
Scroll down to watch video of each forum.

Republican Primary 9th Congressional District Candidates Roger Fitzpatrick, Paul Broun, Bernie Fontaine and Mike Scupin
Early Voting Begins Monday in Lumpkin County
News, Politics May 1, 2016
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — Early Voting for the May 24 General Primary/Nonpartisan General Election starts Monday (May 2) and will continue through May 20.
Early Voting will be open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.. There will also be one Saturday Voting opportunity on May 14 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Early Voting will be held at the Lumpkin County Elections and Voter Registration Office located at 56 Short Street, Dahlonega, GA.
The key race at the federal level is for 9th District U.S. Congress where the incumbent Doug Collins of Gainesville has come under heavy fire from conservatives as a result of his support for President Obama’s Omnibus bill and House Speaker John Boehner.
His challengers include former 10th District Congressman Paul Broun, Lanier Tea Part Patriots founder Mike Scupin, White County educator Roger Fitzpatrick and retired Army and National Guard Brigadier General Bernie Fontaine.
State Senator Steve Gooch of Dahlonega is running for re-election in the 51st District and has drawn a strong challenge from John Williamson, co-founder of the Gilmer County Tea Party.
Several key races highlight the local elections. Board of Commissioners Chairman Chris Dockery has drawn a challenger in current District 1 Commissioner Doug Sherrill. David Miller and Bill Scott will compete for the seat being vacated by Sherrill. There is a four-way race for District 2 Commissioner where the candidates are incumbent Steve Shaw, Bobby Mayfield, Carlton Smith and D.J. Wight.
In the race for District 1 Board of Education, the candidates are Catherine Ariemma, Jay Sessions and Mera Turner.
Tuesday is Deadline to Register for May Primary
News, Politics April 24, 2016
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — Much is at stake in state and local elections May 24 but you can’t vote if you’re not registered and the last day to register is Tuesday, April 26.
One of the most important races is in the 9th District where incumbent U.S. Congressman Doug Collins of Gainesville has come under fire from conservatives for his support of President Obama’s Omnibus bill. His challengers include former 10th District Congressman Paul Broun, Lanier Tea Part Patriots founder Mike Scupin, White County educator Roger Fitzpatrick and retired Army and National Guard Brigadier General Bernie Fontaine.
State Senator Steve Gooch of Dahlonega is running for re-election in the 51st District and has drawn a challenger in John Williamson, co-founder of the Gilmer CountyTea Party.
Several key races highlight local elections. Board of Commissioners Chairman Chris Dockery has drawn a challenger in current District 1 Commissioner Doug Sherrill. Dr. David Miller and Bill Scott will compete the seat being vacated by Sherrill. There is a four-way race for District 2 Commissioner where the candidates are incumbent Steve Shaw, Bobby Mayfield, Carlton Smith and D.J. Wight.
In the race for District 1 Board of Education, the candidates are Catherine Ariemma, Jay Sessions and Mera Turner.
Fannin County GOP/Republican Meeting 3/21/16
Politics March 22, 2016

Former 10th. District Congressman Paul Broun. Broun is running in the 9th. District Congressional Race.
https://youtu.be/0msfw3hUxys
Lanier Tea Party 3/17/16 9th. District Congressional Candidates
Politics March 20, 2016
https://youtu.be/-DOyKvUcfgQ
LTPP Hosts Challengers to Congressman Doug Collins
News, Politics March 18, 2016
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Bernard “Bernie” Fontaine, Mike Scupin, Roger Fitzpatrick and Dr. Paul Broun are the challengers to 9th District Congressman Doug Collins in the May 24 Republican primary. Thursday night they were featured speakers at the Lanier Tea Party Patriots (LTPP) meeting.
Fontaine is a Vietnam Veteran and retired Georgia National Guard Brigadier General who holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration and master’s degree in business from Brenau University. He sits on the Board of Directors for NASCAR and is a firefighter in Jasper and Union counties.
Fontaine says, “The federal government is a runaway freight train. The president is taking over and Congress is inert. Obviously things have to change.” Fontaine said his campaign will focus on improving the local and national economy, addressing the nation’s debt and regulatory overreach.
Scupin, the founder of the LTPP said, “My heart isn’t in going to Washington. My heart is in trying to save this nation.” He added that he isn’t likely to introduce a lot of bills. “We don’t need a lot of bills to change things. If I stand up and vote against leadership then leadership isn’t going to let any bill I introduce go to the floor. The only thing I can promise you is if a bill violates the Constitution and God’s law then you’d better believe I’m going to vote against it.”
Fitzpatrick, a former Marine, educator and member of the White County Board of Education, said, “I want to fight for you. I want to fight for me. I want to fight for my children and grandchildren and the prosperity of this nation. I want you to vote for me because I’m a person of integrity. I’m going to do what I tell you I’m going to do.”
Dr. Paul Broun is the former 10th District Congressman who recently moved to Habersham County. He was commissioned as a medical officer and, in 2012, was deployed to Afghanistan to serve wounded soldiers there.
Broun said, “I am absolutely fed up with what is going on in Washington.”I’m fed up with the leadership and the Republican Party. We have been betrayed by John Boehner and Paul Ryan and Doug Collins.” Broun said the greatest example of that betrayal was the passage of the Omnibus bill, which Collins voted for. “That bill fully funds Planned Parenthood. It fully funds Obamacare. It fully funds the president’s amnesty program, the Syrian refugee program and all of the bad policies Barack Obama has put into place.”
Michelle Hall, a candidate for Hall County Superior Court Judge, John Williamson, who is challenging Dist. 51 State Senator Steve Gooch, and Lucretia Hughes, a candidate for state representative in Dist. 116, also attended last night’s meeting.
Williamson Announces for Georgia Senate Seat in the 51st District
Politics March 10, 2016
John Williamson, a 34 year resident of Gilmer County, announced today that he has qualified for the 51st District Senate seat in the May 24th Republican primary. “I am dissatisfied with the paths taken by our legislative leaders, especially with their increased taxation. Rather than sitting back and complaining I decided to take action, to volunteer to be a part of the political process and do what I can to move the ship of state back to common sense Republican ideals. I want to give the voters in the 51st district a choice, one that values transparency; a choice to break away from the entrenched power politics that intimidates us in North Georgia and responds only to the wishes of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the corporations that want to force their values on us and our state. I recognize the difficulties of making a significant change in our state government, but I can promise you that my votes will reflect our shared values.”










