GRAVES DOMINATES UNION COUNTY GOP STRAW POLL

Wins crucial vote in 9th District while addressing millions at the U.S. Capitol

(BLAIRSVILLE, GA) – State Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ranger), Republican candidate for Georgia’s 9th District, overwhelming won a straw poll that was held Saturday at the Union County Republican Party’s annual bar-be-que.  Graves received 120 votes or 54.3 percent of the total votes cast in the 9th Congressional straw poll.  His closest competitor of the other eight candidates received only 31 votes or 14 percent.

“This is absolutely outstanding,” said Graves who was not at the bar-be-que, but in Washington, D.C. speaking at the Taxpayer March on Washington.  “Julie and I are truly humbled by the support we've received today in Union County. And I look forward to continuing our campaign of common sense conservative solutions across North Georgia.”


Graves was represented at the Union GOP’s annual event by his wife Julie, State Sen. Chip Pearson and State Rep. Stephen Allison.  
Pearson and Allison both endorsed Graves and told the 200 plus in attendance that we must elect Graves to Congress.  

The Graves campaign is on a roll after winning Saturday’s vote and leading a forum in Dalton earlier this month.  There was also a large contingent of GA-9 Freedom Fighters in Cumming, Georgia Saturday as well for the Forsyth County Tea Party.  

State Rep. Martin Scott represented Graves at the Tea Party, giving a rousing speech and also endorsing his House colleague.  

In Washington, D.C., Graves led hundreds of Georgians in the March from Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C., down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol building and joined other notable conservatives, including Georgia Congressman and Chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee Tom Price, Chairman of the House Republican Conference Mike Pence, Tennessee Congressman Marsha Blackburn and South Carolina U.S. Senator Jim DeMint.

There are reports of an estimated 1.5 million people in Washington with Graves for the March.

Graves was invited to speak because of his conservative leadership in the Georgia House of Representatives and for authoring the Jobs, Opportunity and Business Success Act, HB 481 and 482, last session.  The JOBS Act received national attention and was focused on helping small businesses and creating, expanding and attracting jobs through a series of tax credits, cuts, and incentives for businesses to hire Georgians.

Organizers of the Taxpayer March on Washington and Tea Party Rally said the purpose of the March was to send a “clear message that governments at all levels have been spending way too much money. The federal government is especially guilty of this, as they pile up the debt, deficits and unfunded liabilities. They are taxing, borrowing or printing money with no end in sight. This madness has to stop, and that is why we are demanding that they stop the wasteful spending and stop burdening taxpayers with more debt.  This protest is about defending our liberty, and about restoring our Constitution by reducing the size and scope of the federal government,” according the group’s website.
Graves was also a speaker at the Atlanta Tea Party at the Georgia State Capitol last April.

Graves’ grassroots organization has over 300 GA-9 Freedom Fighters volunteers and is organized in all 15 counties of the district.