Georgia House of Representatives District 101 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Georgia, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Georgia House of Representatives District 101 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

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• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 101

Incumbent Gregg Kennard defeated Zach Procter in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 101 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gregg Kennard (D)	55.3	10,681
		Zach Procter (R)	44.7	8,646

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,327
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Zach Procter (R)

Georgians deserve to keep more money in their pockets through lower taxes to survive inflation.

We are blessed with great schools in Gwinnett, but education isn't "one-size-fits-all," and parents' should be able to choose where their children go to school, whether they can afford to move or to pay private school tuition or not. Vouchers would create educational equality and create opportunities.

Every Georgian should feel safe in their community. This will be achieved only through a comprehensive approach including improving schools, creating opportunities, and rebuilding respect and trust between police and the citizenry.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Zach Procter (R)

I am passionate about addressing issues in the most effective way, instead of the way that scores political points. If we want safe communities, we have to address mental illness, addiction, and lack of opportunity that stems from an education system that has been failing far too many students. The best government is the one that can be influenced the easiest by the people, and that adapts easiest to the people, and is therefore the government that is closest to the people. States need to take authority back from the federal government, and redistribute it back to the counties and cities, because if someone is going to make decisions that affect your daily life, they should be someone you can stop in the grocery store to chat about it.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Zach Procter (R)

Theodore Roosevelt grew up very privileged in a wealthy family, but dedicated his life to improving our nation and improving the lives of others.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Zach Procter (R)

The Conservative Heart, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and San Fransicko

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Zach Procter (R)

Integrity, the willingness to listen to all voices, and empathy sound be paramount in any elected official.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Zach Procter (R)

Empathy, a talent for problem-solving, and integrity.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Zach Procter (R)

A representative must advance initiatives that improve the lives and secure the rights of their constituents, while standing against unnecessary legislation that causes government to grow without serving an important purpose.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Zach Procter (R)

I want to bring government back to the people through term limits and election reform, and I hope to leave a legacy of bringing desperately needed treatment to those Georgians with mental illness who have been unable to get adequate care in the past.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Zach Procter (R)

I vividly remember the day the Challenger shuttle exploded, killing the brave crewmembers, including Christa McAuliffe. We had been anticipating the launch for weeks and discussing it at school, and it was a huge shock to watch the tragedy as it happened.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Zach Procter (R)

I worked in the sporting goods department in Walmart in Gainesville, GA for a summer when I was in high school.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Zach Procter (R)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson paints a picture of a complex society that is the backdrop of compelling stories involving truly complicated and relatable characters.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Zach Procter (R)

The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Zach Procter (R)

Watching my mother fight breast cancer for 15 years was extremely difficult. Her courage and spirit are what hasn't inspired me to stand up to serve and make our society a better place to live.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Zach Procter (R)

A governor and a legislature should collaborate for the benefit of the people. Where there are disagreements, there has to be respect to engage in debate and deliberation. Ultimately, however, there will be times when no compromise can be reached, and legislation will fail, and that is exactly what is intended in our form of government. There is a lot of truth in the saying "government's job isn't to pass laws - it is to prevent bad laws from being passed."

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Zach Procter (R)

Georgia will tackle widespread changes in the way we approach education, taxation, crime, and mental healthcare in the next ten years. We are facing an exciting but challenging decade in which we will decide how to implement school choice, reform our state tax code, build safer communities, and care for those in need of mental health treatment.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Zach Procter (R)

Obviously the benefit of a single chamber legislature would be efficiency, but it would also reduce the amount of deliberation and debate on each topic. Our bicameral system was designed to be inefficient because a government that works quickly, often does not act thoughtfully.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Zach Procter (R)

In certain ways, prior experience in government is helpful, but I believe the membership of any legislature should consist of a wide range of the citizenry it represents. We should be working to increase citizen participation in the legislature, which is why I support term limits. More Georgians should have the opportunity to serve in the legislature.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Zach Procter (R)

It is always beneficial to build relationships with anyone. They better you understand another person, the better you will be able to communicate and understand any disagreements.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Zach Procter (R)

Redistricting should be handled fairly and logically. Districts should be drawn to reflect common geography and community, and should not look like someone squashed a bug on the map and outlined it with crime scene chalk.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Zach Procter (R)

I am willing to serve wherever I am needed, but as an attorney, I am of course interested in the judiciary committees. My family ties to the medical community and my interest in mental health naturally draw me to healthcare committees, and being a father of two school aged daughters and the husband of a teacher, I would like the opportunity to serve on the education committee.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Zach Procter (R)

I admire the integrity of folks like Harry Truman, JC Watts, and Thomas Massie. It takes guts to stand on principle.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Zach Procter (R)

I am focused on doing the most good possible in this position. In service of ensuring a government that better reflects the people, I have viewed to term limit myself, and I will consider other opportunities to serve once that time comes.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Zach Procter (R)

Clients I represented as a court appointed attorney have made a big impact on me and on the goals I seek to achieve in the House. Foremost in my mind are those clients suffering from untreated or under treated mental illness, and those clients' families. Mental health treatment in our society is woefully I'll addressed. Adequately addressing this issue will improve life in more ways than we can measure.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Zach Procter (R)

Yes, emergency powers cannot be allowed to activate automatically. Each situation should be evaluated and debated individually.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Zach Procter (R)

Yes, where you can, you should be willing to compromise to accomplish the goals of serving the people. But everyone has principles on which they cannot compromise. The trick is in knowing which is which.

See also

More about these elections:

• Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2022

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