Hayden Collins

Representing Bartow County is a two-way street.  In addition to representing the needs of this community at the state level, your State Representative also addresses state issues and refines them as it reflects on the Constitution and the needs of the people of District 15: someone has to protect the citizens of Georgia from the State of Georgia.  For this, State Representatives must focus on constituent services – after all, how will one know the needs of the district without listening to the needs of the district?

That individual is your Representative, who can accomplish this through legislation and proper representation in the State House – who can seize opportunity, create momentum, and keep moving forward.  Creating meaningful legislation is one of the strongest parts of being a Representative, and Representatives have to be strong enough to create conservative legislation in these hard economic times.

Bartow County is known for its support of the Constitution – more so than any other district in Georgia.   Constitutional values are in the forefront of every discussion. 

Being a conservative legislator, you have to be mindful of the Constitution before you and follow it to the letter, as well as being mindful of your soul – for some day you will have to answer for the decisions you have made and that will affect millions, far beyond your own lifetime.

That conservative legislator must be an individual that understands the meaning of the word “tax” and its limiting effect on growth and future business. Conservative legislators always use the strength of their experience and knowledge of the Constitution, and a deep awareness of the wisdom of the Almighty.  For example, George Patton even prayed for good weather when engaging his enemies. Today, we are in the middle of a liberal storm.  And as many of us do, we pray for good weather. 

November is coming.  The weather report is promising.  I look forward to a serious opportunity to defeat the liberals and the tax & spend policies of the RINOs, and stand on Conservative ground.   I pray for good weather tomorrow, as the fate of my quest to become the next Representative for District 15 waits in the fog of war.  And as I strive for victory, I pray for good weather.

Going door to door, I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to speak to many conservatives in the District, many moderates, as well as independents that not only belong to the Tea Party but some who are so independent they don’t belong to any group.  And in these conversations, there is a common thread: they are praying for good weather as well.

It is now time for the voters of District 15 to exercise their rights and act on their convictions.  Tomorrow the contest will be decided, and it is you who will make the decision:

Pray for good weather and choose wisely.

Hayden Collins

In America we celebrate our democratic process of the election of leaders to represent us.  When I contemplated entering this race, I thought long and hard about what it means to “represent” a district in the Georgia state legislature. Representing a group of citizens is a great responsibility.

From the initial conviction shared with your family, friends and neighbors, a candidate must then represent his values to the community and why these citizens should spend their precious vote to endorse him as their elected representative. This process has involved going door-to-door and talking with residents across the district about my stand on stronger schools, support for small business, smaller government, and for the Constitution itself. I have attended lots of public gatherings, taken campaign materials to homes throughout the county, and I sponsored this web site to provide 24 hour / 7 day a week access for any voter to my positions on a wide array of issues facing the citizens of District 15.   Because as citizens, it is our responsibility to learn about the issues, vote responsibly, and participate in the ever-evolving process of government in our changing world.

Once a representative is elected, a new challenge begins: the representative must fairly and candidly serve their district in the legislative process. Some representatives act as if being elected is the end of something rather than the beginning. Once elected, you represent the people who have cast a vote for you because they believe that you have the strength, discipline and stamina to do what you said during your election campaign. As the old saying goes – the proof of the pudding is in the tasting.  I am beholden to no one but the citizens of District 15, and I will bring fresh resolve and enthusiasm to the job of representing District 15.

As citizens, it is our privilege as well as our responsibility to support our leaders for issues we believe in, and to civilly express our disagreement when that is necessary.  So what about those citizens of District 15 who support different opinions and interests? It is the job of a representative to first listen to your community and to consider every point of view. You cannot change your values and convictions, but you owe every citizen a hearing and a straightforward response about the matter at hand. If I disagree with you, I will tell you so and why. And if in the end you find your representative is not delivering value, that individual would not deserve to win re-election.

It is in such situations that we have the opportunity to fully experience one of the strengths of our American system of government:

the freedom to disagree and to express our disagreement.  What we do with our freedom defines who we are.

When we disagree – be it as a group of neighbors, or as a county, a state, or an entire nation – it is the moment not only to identify what needs to be changed, but also to forge the commitment to seek a better solution.

I do not approach this election and these responsibilities lightly.  More than your vote, I am seeking your confidence in my abilities and my commitment to represent the citizens of District 15 and the Bartow County community.  I welcome the questions and concerns of every one who lives and works here, and expect this interaction to continue after July 20.