Incumbent Lindsey Tippins is running again for state senator from district 37, in northwest Cobb County, after holding the position for the past eight years.

The Republican senator said that if reelected for the next legislative session he wants to continue to prioritize education and business.

This election brings a new challenge for Tippins as he is running against Democratic candidate Andy Clark. Tippins has run unopposed since 2014.

Running for state Senate is something that Tippins said he never imagined himself doing but he thinks has been a success.

He said his desire to give back to the community is what motivates him to run. “I’ve lived on the same road that I was raised in for 60 years. It has been an excellent place for my business and to raise my family.”

Tippins owns a pipeline construction company and said that his business experience influences his disposition on governance. “The principles of business and governance are very much the same,” Tippins said. “Paying attention to details is the secret to success in both.”

He said that in his 49 years of business experience he has noticed that most businesses do not fail from unexpected catastrophes but because they have been neglected over time. “Businesses prosper when the day to day management is well thought out,” Tippins said. “When problems arise they need to be addressed and fixed.”

Education is one of Tippin’s priorities. “The instruction and daily management of education is highly important,” Tippins said.

Tippins served on the Cobb County Board of Education for 12 years and was chairman for three. “I ran for the school board because I looked at our local tax bill and noticed that two thirds of it went to education,” Tippins said. “I felt like the school board needed a businessman and education has become a passion of mine ever since.”

Tippins said he still stands by the slogan he ran under, “It’s time to get serious about the business of education.”

In March, Tippins submitted his resignation as Senate Education Committee chairman due to his disagreement over the passage of House Bill 787 by the general assembly.  He said the bill gave preferential treatment to charter schools over traditional school districts.

Tippins said he wants to continue serving on the appropriations, judiciary, and transportation committees.

He said his top accomplishment of the last legislative session was the passage of Senate Bill 3.  The bill initiated courses in schools that put elementary and secondary school students on an academic track toward industry-recognized credentials such as nursing and construction trades. “Potential employers will see that students already have levels of expertise. Getting that bill out of the house and passed and signed by the government was a huge step for students,” Tippins said.

“The freedom to vote that we have as American citizens did not come easily or cheap so I encourage everyone to participate and exercise their rights,” Tippins said.

The general elections will be held on November 6. More information about the election, and about where you vote can be found at cobbelections.org. Further information on Lindsey Tippins can be found at senate.ga.gov.