WALB.com News, Weather and Sports for Albany, Valdosta and Thomasville. Leading the way for South Georgia. | 'Underdog' is OK with Ray City mayor
Member Center:
By Robin Jedlicka - bio | email
VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) - A south Georgia mayor hopes to become the state's next Governor. Carl Camon has served as mayor of Ray City for the last 12 years.
He believes his diverse background in education, military, and local government, gives him a more rounded perspective than other candidates.
Many are calling him the underdog, but that's ok with Ray City Mayor Carl Camon. "I'm comfortable where I am for now, because I am where the citizens are. We're going to rise up from the level of being an underdog, to the level of being governor of Georgia."
Camon recently announced he will run in the 2010 governor's race as a Democrat. Though Ray City has fewer than 800 citizens, Camon says his daily one-one-one interactions with average Georgians give him an edge.
"I want to take the citizens voices at the local level of government-- local cities, counties-- all across the state, and I want to take them to the highest level of state government."
Since becoming Mayor, Camon has done a lot for Ray City. He's expanded the police department, and improved the city's infrastructure.
Howell Harp, a local grocery store owner, has lived in Ray City for 62 years. He believes Camon would make an excellent governor. "He's a people person. He comes to you--you don't have to go to him. He goes around all the time looking for problems, seeing the problems, and taking care of them."
Camon served as an educator for 14 years, and spent years as an orderly in nursing homes. He served his country in the air force, working with fuel systems aircraft technology. Many think this experience will serve the state of Georgia well.
"I think he would make a good governor because of his knowledge and his experience-- and experience really means a lot," said Ray City Resident Charles Wright.
It's this diverse background that many believe will give this underdog a fighting chance.
Camon says one of his goals is to unite the state with a high speed transit system. He says his military experience in transportation logistics would serve this project well.
©2009 WALB News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Feedback
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. Notify us of any inappropriate comments by clicking the “Mark as Offensive” link. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home.
Check out a business or charity, or file a complaint.
operates the world's largest product testing and research lab.
works to prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace.
