In the upcoming mid-terms this November, Congressional Candidate Lisa Ring plans to become the new face of politics. Running against incumbent Rep. Buddy Carter, Ring believes it’s time for everyone in the state of Georgia to have their voice heard.
Ring has always recognized the importance of being involved. When she started college as an architecture major, she received a job as an activist and went door to door, talking with people about how they wanted the community around them improve. “That really opened up my world and made me feel like a part of something,” she said.
“When [I] moved to Georgia, I saw a real need for people to be involved politically, especially in this district,” Ring said. “Carter had no opponent and 85 percent of Georgia conservatives stood unopposed.” Only four out of the 17 counties in the state had established Democratic County Committees, so Ring shifted her attention to create the missing opportunities for the Party.
She has served as the chair of the Bryan County Democratic Committee, the vice chair of the Georgia Democratic Rural Caucus and a State Committee Member of the Democratic Party of Georgia, helping to organize people to run for office. “Through all of that, it got to the point that the number one question on everyone’s mind was who was going to finally run against Carter,” she said.
“I knew we needed a candidate who wasn’t trying to water down their platform to appeal to Republicans and Conservatives,” Ring said. “We needed someone who would lead with values and a bold platform that they would stick to, that would directly affect people, and who was willing to do the work.” She struggled to find a candidate in the state that she felt matched that description. “But then, I finally realized that I’m that person.”
One of Ring’s biggest platforms has been protecting the arts.“Art raises our standards in the world by allowing us to know each other’s cultures and lives,” she said. She believes that to attack the arts is to do a disservice to our community. “The current administration doesn’t understand that the arts are a way of thinking,” she said. “I have the belief that we have to invest in people if we are going to have a successful and strong economy. I don’t believe that you can be successful by taking away from people. We have to invest and build on what we have.”
Ring urges all student voters to “find candidates that they believe in,” regardless of whether they are planning to vote in Georgia or in their home state. However, she stresses that voting is just the first step. “The next step is holding your elected officials accountable by calling them and saying, ‘this is important to me,’” she said. “Thank them if they listen to you and chastise them if they aren’t. This isn’t just about casting the vote, it’s about getting involved. If we don’t, then we are giving up our power.”
Elena Burnett is the Editor-in-Chief of District. She’s a writing major who will graduate in 2019.
