Since winning a special election in 2011, State Rep. John Carson has had few tests to his incumbency in the District 46 Georgia House seat that covers some of Northeast Cobb and southern Cherokee.
The Republican Carson was unopposed in the May primary, and hasn’t had a Democratic challenger since 2012. In the general election, he faces first-time candidate Karín Sandiford, who was the only Democrat to qualify.
Carson is a CPA and commercial banker with SunTrust Bank. Sandiford, a native of Brazil, has a background corporate leadership and is a managing partner of Latam Innovation LLC, a technology consulting firm.
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Carson was the chief sponsor of a new hands-free driving law that took effect in Georgia this summer.
This year he also voted to reduce corporate and personal income tax rates and supports the elimination of corporate taxes. He is opposed to any extension of Obamacare in Georgia, saying it will add $500 million a year to the state budget and “will kill jobs, destroy our healthcare system, and hurt our families.”
He also is a sponsor of state legislation in 2018 that will increase private school tuition tax credits. Currently there is a $58 million cap on what the state can provide.
HB 217, which passed the legislature and was signed by Gov. Nathan Deal, will raise the cap to $100 million a year.
Like many Democrats running in nearby East Cobb legislative races, Sandiford supports expanding Medicaid in Georgia. She also is in favor of making technical colleges tuition-free for Georgia residents. Sandiford is against campus carry laws.
Her other priorities include work- and career-related matters. She advocates a pay inquiry law that would prohibit employers from asking job candidates about past income.
Sandiford, a single mother to four children, also wants to offer companies a tax incentive with Work From Home programs, saying technology “offers us the capabilities and conveniences to work from home, so family time, or your personal time, should never be robbed because of traffic.”
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