Sam Olens - Attorney General

In the last year since I announced my candidacy, our campaign has traveled to almost all 159 counties and gained support from Georgians from all four corners of this state and from all walks of life.

I’m very proud to be the front runner in fundraising in this race, but I am most humbled by the support and the momentum I have received from the grassroots.

Today, Lisa and I, along with friends and supporters went to our beautiful state Capitol and officially qualified as a Republican candidate for Attorney General. I look forward to seeing you on the trail and we are looking forward to the July Primary.

We had a very strong March 31st contributions report! To date, we have out-raised our primary opponent 8 to 1 and we have 14 times more cash on hand. In addition, the statewide endorsements from elected officials and law enforcement continue to pour in daily. Sam is also leading all candidates in fundraising — both Republicans and Democrats and has the most cash on hand.

The message is out statewide that Sam Olens is the front runner to be Georgia’s next Attorney General!

Today is a terrible day in our country’s history. As your next Attorney General, I will do everything legally and constitutionally possible to fight the federal takeover and implementation of health care. I would join AGs from states across the country to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of this leviathan.

It is the constitutional duty of a State Attorney General to protect the rights of Georgia’s citizens and the sovereignty of the state. This bill contains federal mandates and provisions that are unconstitutional and must be challenged.

I commend the current AGs of South Carolina, Florida and Virginia who have taken the lead, and I challenge all current state AGs and AG candidates for this important office to tell the voters what they would do if elected. In Georgia, it will be incumbent on the next AG to lead the fight for future generations.

I am humbled and honored by our newest endorsements from elected officials from Northeast Georgia, Metro Atlanta and the Southern region of the state.

I am proud of the three key Georgia house committee chair endorsements: Wendell Willard of Sandy Springs, Chairman, Judiciary; Ron Stephens of Savannah, Chairman, Economic Development & Tourism; and long time Representative John Yates of Griffin, House Chairman, and Defense & Veterans Affairs.

I am also extremely proud of today’s vote of confidence from three of our fine sheriffs: Bennie DeLoach, Sheriff of Appling County; Al St. Lawrence, Sheriff of Chatham County; and Gerald Lawson, Sheriff of Lincoln County.

I’m also pleased by the endorsements from John Fretti, Mayor of Valdosta and Ed Jeffords, Wayne County Chairman.

I have traveled to almost every county in Georgia and I am grateful to all of my new friends and supporters who are joining the momentum of the campaign.

In our weekend end of year disclosure, our campaign for Georgia Attorney General reported $447,566 – the highest number of all four Republican and Democratic candidates. We out raised our two Democratic candidates by almost $100,000 in 2009 and we out raised our Republican primary opponent by more than six fold.

When you factor in the candidates who made personal loans to boost their numbers, our campaign raised more this period from pure donations than any other statewide constitutional office race, coming in behind only the gubernatorial candidates!

Thank you to all who contributed to our campaign in 2009 – you have helped send the message that our campaign is the clear front runner to be Georgia’s next Attorney General.

We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. As you are buying presents for family and friends, remember those in need in your community, as the needs this year are greater than ever before. Let’s all be grateful for the blessings we have and share what you can. I am grateful for your friendship and support. Enjoy special times with family and friends and we will see you on the campaign trail in 2010!

We are half-way to our goal at the 15-day half-way point of our “30 in 30″ A big “thank you” to all of you who have contributed in the last 15 days to help us reach our goal of raising $30,000 in 30 days. If you have not yet made an investment in the campaign, every dollar will make a difference in the strength of our end of the year campaign report and will send the candidates and the voters a clear message that this campaign is ready to take its messages of ethics reform and more open government statewide!

Our “30 in 30″ Campaign to make Georgia a Safer, Better Place is off to a good start! We began the campaign on Tuesday, Dec. 1st and we are urging all supporters to contribute what they can to help us raise $30,000 before our Dec. 31st campaign disclosure. Reaching our goal will show the strength of our campaign and will propel us forward to election year in 2010. Thank you for giving what you can to help us reach our goal!

There are debates about when and where the first Thanksgiving took place; but the traditionally accepted theory is that the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 with Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians sharing an autumn harvest feast. Only half the colonist had survived the first winter in Plymouth. More than 200 years later, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of “thanksgiving.” Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941.

While some may have more than others, we all have blessings to count everyday. This Thanksgiving, remember the bravery of the colonists and pause to “Give Thanks” for our personal blessings and those endowed on our state and our country.