Bowden and Ramey Challenge Balfour for District 9 State Senate

Incumbent Don Balfour, who has served for 18 years, is the longest serving Republican in the State Senate. He is Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee and also serves on the Appropriations Committee, Education Committee, and the Health and Human Services Committee. He is a supporter of our Second Amendment Rights, was instrumental in Tort Reform, produced a Tax Freeze option for Gwinnett's property owners and authored a resolution urging Congress to adopt the Fair Tax.

Travis Bowden, a graduate of Parkview High, has previously challenged Balfour for this seat and though he's not held an elected office, he's no stranger to politics. According to his Facebook Page, in addition to being the Chairman and founder of the Gwinnett Chapter of the Young Republicans, Bowden is the former Recording Secretary of the Gwinnett Republican Party and Chairman of the Georgia Chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus. He has worked with the Republican Fourth Congressional District Committee as well as numerous candidates running for local office across Gwinnett County. Bowden is endorsed by the Georgia Right to Life and has called for Balfour's removal based on ethics charges.

Steve Ramey, also of Lilburn, has set up his challenge and in a recent Patch question of the day concerning gifts from lobbyists to legislators, Ramey commented that he had taken a "vow not to take gifts from lobbyist[s]." He states on his website that he is running because he is "not pleased with the current leadership in the Senate" and he says he will endeavor "to bring a ray of hope to the public in trusting those that represent them." Like Bowden, he believes that ethics is an important cornerstone in this election.

The July 31st Republican winner will move on to face Scott Drake (Democrat) in November. Drake, an attorney from Grayson says he will work to "initiate and support stronger ethics legislation."

For more information on the candidates and the race for the District 9 seat check out these articles on Patch: