District 152 Race - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

District 152 Race

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October 21, 2004

Lee and Worth Counties-- A former legislator is running against a freshman lawmaker in a district that has changed a lot in two years.

Republican Ed Rynder won the District 152 seat before a federal judge forced lawmakers to redraw the winding district. It now encompasses much more of Worth County and former representative Earleen Sizemore wants to go back to Atlanta.

The Winn-Dixie shopping center in Lee County stays busy, "A lot of new people, a lot of new faces, I am trying to get out and about and introduce myself"-- a perfect place to make introductions.

"About half of the population in District 152 have never elected the present candidate." Democrat Earleen Sizemore is not new to politics, serving in the General Assembly for 14 years. She wants to go back.

Sizemore says, "I feel like my experience, my proven record, I can serve this area better."

Rynders says, "I appreciate the service she has given to the state, but this is a new Georgia, a lot of those contacts are gone."

Incumbent Ed Rynders is stumping today in Poulan, "I hope they have found me to be accessible to constituents needs."

He says he spent his first term in office learning the ropes and keeping a close eye on the state's spending habits, "We really have only two options, cut the budget or increase your tax dollar, and frankly going door to door most people tell me do not increase my taxes. I haven't done that."

A promise he says he will stick too, but his opponent says his cuts went too deep. Sizemore says, "They were funding in the budget for the HOPE scholarship and along the way, for some reason he felt was right I am sure, he voted against that as well as the final conference report."

But, Rynders calls Sizemore's claims political distortion, "The truth of the matter is that the HOPE scholarship bill passed with only three votes against it because we were trying to save and protect it, that is the record, every democrat voted for that bill."

Now, it's up to the people of District 152 to vote--whether to send Ed Rynders back to Atlanta or choose to send Earleen Sizemore once again.

Ed Rynders says Earleen Sizemore earned a low rating from the National Rifle Association. Sizemore says if she goes back to Atlanta, she will fight for the rights of rural Georgia.

Posted at 4:20 p.m. by melissa.kill@walb.com