Today is the last day vote for our DA. (And I have a favor to ask of you.)
Today I will drop off my absentee ballot for our DA. (And I'll get to that ask in a moment.)
I'll be voting for Deborah Gonzalez.
The only reason that I have this opportunity to vote is because of Deborah Gonzalez.
She fought through five court cases (FIVE!) to ensure this election was on the ballot. No one else has put as much time, energy, and money into fighting to do the right thing for the people of Athens and Oconee.
When I think about the importance of principles and when I think about the idea of public service, I recognize that both mean living for a higher purpose. To do both of those well requires integrity. Principled, public servant, integrity: Deborah consistently expresses all three.
When I interview someone for a job, I'm looking for who they are, I'm looking for how they came to be. How do they prepare? How quickly do they learn? How do they react when facing challenges? Determining this in a single interview is difficult especially when all you have are words on paper.
With Deborah, we have more than words on paper. We have the receipts. We have an example of a lawyer who became a State Representative and went on to become one of the most impactful first term Representatives. I've seen up close and personal her ability to rise to a challenge. I’ve her ability to prepare. I've seen her ability to learn quickly. I've seen her resiliency. I've seen her commitment to service above self. I've seen her commitment to serving people. I've seen her integrity.
The beautiful thing about Deborah and her work is that you've seen it too. She works transparently and consistently. She's accessible and open.
So here's my favor. I ask that you do your homework. Look past the ads. Look past the signs. Heck, look past my words here.
Do your homework and verify that what I've said is true. Her work is all there. Scroll through her Facebook page. Ask her yourself.
And after you've done your homework, vote for Deborah Gonzalez today, Tuesday December 1st.
Justice is on the ballot.
Jonathan Wallace
Former District 119 state representative