Relationships, representation and resources: Brenda Battle battles for Georgia House District 153

ALBANY – When Brenda Battle moved back to Albany, her hometown, six years ago, she said the Albany she returned to was different from the one she remembered growing up.

Battle said she remembers a thriving economy and industry like Cooper Tire and a community that held religious and American values. She said she returned home to a city that had all but lost its industry and was riddled with drugs and crime. She said she saw a lack of communication among leadership and residents to work toward solutions for these problems.

“It was just devastating to come back and see my hometown this way,” she said. “We have to put our heads together and come up with a plan … to bounce back. I can’t stop talking about it, and I can’t stop trying to do something.”

So Battle said she decided to run to represent state House District 153, which is the only district wholly in Dougherty County. She is opposing Democrat incumbent David Sampson, who has held the position since January 2023.

The Republican candidate said her platform is built on relationships, representation and resources. She called herself a “risk taker” – someone who will be willing to go for new opportunities that will bring industry to the district and promote economic development.

Battle has worked for nearly 30 years as an insurance adjuster, handling catastrophic claims for Fortune 500 companies. She said that job is about building relationships with clients, and that skill set will bring her far as a state representative.

She said relationship building and open communication are things Dougherty County lacks.

“We can’t be afraid of discussing with each other those things that could greatly impact us,” Battle said. “We definitely have to do better at creating relationships and nurturing those relationships and passing that on to the youth to continue with those relationships to build a better city.”

Battle said she’s already begun building those important relationships locally and statewide – something she considers important, especially since she’s a Republican candidate running for a seat that has historically belonged to a Democrat.

On a local level, she said she’s heavily involved in her community. She is a foster parent. She said she frequently works with the nonprofit, Level Up Young Men, working with the homeless community and youths.

Battle said she tries to make herself present in every way she can. On Saturday, she attended a local centenarian’s birthday. In July, she attended a ground-breaking ceremony for a 29-unit housing project, where she was able to network with Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn – a ceremony she said Sampson did not attend.

She attended an Atlanta conference to network with other state representatives. She said it’s about building relationships beyond political parties — both sides, she said, need to work together -– and beyond race.

“The only color that I’m interested in is green, and that is our cash flow,” Battle said. “We are the hub of southwest Georgia, and we should take the position that, being the hub, you can’t provide for other counties if you’re on the same level financially as those counties.”

She said building strong relationships with representatives in committees that impact issues happening locally is how she can bring opportunities and resources to District 153.

Battle is focused on several issues at hand in District 153, beyond economic development.

The first is crime, which she said makes it difficult to bring new industries to the area. Battle said she is a proponent for stronger police presence in the community outside of making arrests. With more police patrolling or being present within the community, she said she believes criminals will be deterred.

She also said she recognizes that much of gun violence locally stems from individuals. She said while she supports the 2nd Amendment, she believes gun laws need to be re-evaluated to keep guns out of the hands of youths. This includes laws on background checks for mental illness and ensuring proper firearm storage and safe use.

Battle also is concerned with making the Dougherty County School System better. She said data that show students underperforming compared to the state average concerns her. She said she believes Dougherty County should look to neighboring schools like Baconton’s Charter School and see what it can implement within its own schools.

She said she’s also concerned about illegal immigration and how the city would handle an influx of people, stressing resources like health care, housing and schools.

Ultimately, Battle said she believes she is the person who can form the relationships required to better these issues plaguing District 153.

She said she won’t miss any legislative sessions and will continue to be present in her community. She has plans for creating a community newsletter to communicate important legislative news or forming a community committee that shares ideas with her that she can bring back to the Gold Dome.

“Building those relationships, walking through the halls, communicating … on both sides … that’s how we’re going to make those things happen,” Battle said.

She said she’s ready to help District 153 and Albany move forward.

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan[email protected]