Kidd will remain a knowledgeable asset

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Last week state Rep. Rusty Kidd announced that he will not seek re-election to the Georgia House District 145 seat that he has held for the past three terms.

Kidd, the state’s lone independent in the General Assembly, was first elected to the seat in a 2009 special race. He won two re-election bids and was in the midst of a campaign for a fourth when he decided to drop out of the race citing health reasons.

Although he did not rule out the possibility of seeking public office again someday in the future, as for now Kidd said his focus would be on his health. We certainly wish him well as his focus shifts to taking care of these personal matters.

We live in a world where the term politician is often met with public distrust and vilification, and in many instances justifiably so. We can look no further than the national polls on the U.S. Presidential race to gauge the public consensus on that. At the local level, however, those who day in and day out carry out the work of the people do so with a certain level of sacrifice. First and foremost they do so through their willingness to serve and represent the people. The countless hours of training, meetings and workshops, the personal phone calls and emails from constituents often require time away from family and other personal pursuits, all in the name of public service.

They often demonstrate a willingness to step forward at the risk of public scrutiny and political fallout, sometimes going it on their own — against the majority as Kidd often has during his legislative career. Indeed, politicians understand the risks when they seek office, but it is often said that politics has a way of changing people, so much so that even those who aren’t new to the arena are met with unforeseen challenges.

Though Rep. Kidd will no longer hold public office after Dec. 31 of this year, he will remain an influential, knowledgeable asset for the local community and his time serving the people of the 145th District is much appreciated.