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SECRETARY OF STATE ENDORSEMENT - Handel, Reddy Are Top Picks In Crowded Field
Jul. 14, 2006 -
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Somebody must have been giving door prizes at the secretary of state registration desk during qualifying. Six Democrats, four Republicans and a Libertarian have qualified to replace Democrat Cathy Cox, who's giving up the job to run for governor.
On the Republican side, Karen Handel, current chair of the Fulton County Commission, is the clear choice. On one of the hot-button issues of the day, the integrity of the ballot, Handel's views reflect seriousness and a comprehensive grasp of the assorted elements under the secretary of state's purview. Those include the registration lists, absentee voting, audit trails and elections administration. Her ability to discuss proposed changes reflects good practical sense and keen analytical ability.
Whether she developed those skills working in the White House, in the governor's office or as the key commissioner in Fulton, she would arrive on the job with abilities that would allow her to take charge of a major state department. In addition to elections, she also has a solid grasp of other functions of the office and a sense of the improvements she'd attempt, such as strengthening securities fraud enforcement and accountability.
While the choice in the Republican primary is easy, Democrats will have a more difficult decision. The six Democrat candidates offer a range of experience and ideas about how to protect investors, the elderly and the integrity of the elections system. But the standout is Shyam Reddy, an attorney making his first run at elected office.
Reddy, like others, favors a paper copy of the electronic ballots cast on voting machines. He also wants to create a database of scam artists and make the secretary of state's office more accessible to the public. He would recommend the creation of an elections commission to oversee elections. Its members would be nominated by the governor but would require supermajority approval by the General Assembly as a defense against partisanship.
State government gains from fresh thinking and a willingness by elected officials to consider ideas that benefit citizens first and politicians only by coincidence. Reddy brings both to the table.
— Jim Wooten (jwooten@ajc.com) and David McNaughton (dmcnaughton@ajc.com), for the editorial board
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