Georgia House of Representatives District 117 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Georgia, 2022

---

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal

This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Georgia House of Representatives District 117 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 117

Lauren Daniel defeated Demetrius Rucker in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 117 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lauren Daniel (R)	50.7	13,335
		Demetrius Rucker (D)	49.3	12,949

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,284
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

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?

Demetrius Rucker (D)

This is the point where I ask you to clear you mind. Put aside the politically charged “R" or “D" behind the name, and let’s talk as neighbors. My only motivation for running for HD 117 is to represent this district and serve the people in it. I’m reminded of the passage on Jackie Robinson’s tombstone that reads, “A life is not important, except its impact on the lives of others,” that means something to me.

I’ve been a service-oriented person, and have been, since the day I raised my right hand to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic. I come from humble beginnings, my mother a school bus driver, my dad a pastor and small business owner. I have no agendas, personal or political, and my allegiance only lies with the people I serve; my leadership and transparency are at your service.

Lastly, my job is not to make statements and have you listen, my job is to listen to the people. I am NOT a politician, I am a veteran, I am your neighbor, and I am your next servant leader. Thank you.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Demetrius Rucker (D)

Veterans - I support HB 298 (Veterans Bill of Rights). One of the biggest area Veterans need assistance in remains mental health. Veterans are a population of our community that have active and ongoing mental health care needs. As a veteran, I will bring a personal perspective to the house that only a veteran can bring.

Economic stability/development - I support HB 116 (Minimum Wage Increase). Georgia is 1 of 2 states that does not plan on raising the minimum wage. We need to level the playing field for small business, cut out some of the “red tape” for opening a small business, and give more access to government contracts, especially minority owned, women, veterans, and the disabled. Lastly, invest in STEM training in our school so we're able to bring more quality jobs to Georgia with opportunities for apprenticeships.

Health Care - It’s time to expand Medicaid no matter the socioeconomic status of our citizens; Georgia is one of 12 states that has not done so. Combine that with hospital closures, our family member, friends, and neighbors will be impacted the most. Expanding Medicaid is the greatest tool to closing the health coverage gap, and them access to health care. Your elected officials should always start with the end in mind, and that is “people,” and we need to operate as a team to accomplish that task.

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

Demetrius Rucker (D)

I look up to my mother a lot. She taught me the essence of hard work and being self-sufficent. Present day, she still gets up every morning and drives a school bus.

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

Demetrius Rucker (D)

Anyone elected to office has these four responsibilities: listen, learn, help, then lead.

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

Demetrius Rucker (D)

While in the Army, after completing basic training, my first duty station was Korea, and it remains the first historical event I remember. Originally from Chicago, the plane trip to Korea was the first time I had ever left the country, I was 18 years old at the time

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

Demetrius Rucker (D)

My very first job was working for Habitat for Humanity while I was in high school. I work for the company my last two years of high school, and then I joined the Army.

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

Demetrius Rucker (D)

A governor is the chief executive officer of an entire state, and state legislatures consider matters brought forth by the governor or introduced by its members to create legislation that becomes law. The gensis of this relationship is to keep the end in mind, and that is ALWAYS, the people. The ideal relationship is one where [both] parties come to medium, it doesn't have to be a perfect medium. However, it should encompass legislation that is advantageous to people.

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

Demetrius Rucker (D)

No

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Demetrius Rucker (D)

I support HB 186 which outlines certain important procedures to the redistricting process which calls for two hearing – both open to the public – one in the highest populist district and one in the second highest populist district, with at least two members of the General Assembly in attendance. Additionally, I would host educational town halls with citizens, county and city officials and reapportionment representatives to display potential map changes and get feedback from all stakeholders.

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

Demetrius Rucker (D)

I do. Professional disagreement are expected. However, it’s how we rise above our differences to compromise and make decisions on behalf of the people within our communities that make us leaders. Leaders who engage in partisan divides, won’t accomplish the issues impacting the people in their communities. My job is to protect your rights and limit the issues effecting your prosperity. You and your families can achieve MORE when your elected officials compromise and rise above their differences to fix the issues facing the community. As a senior leader in the Army, the military taught me the positive affects of problem solving, teamwork, and conflict management.

See also

More about these elections:

• Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

District 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7District 8District 9District 10District 11District 12District 13District 14District 15District 16District 17District 18District 19District 20District 21District 22District 23District 24District 25District 26District 27District 28District 29District 30District 31District 32District 33District 34District 35District 36District 37District 38District 39District 40District 41District 42District 43District 44District 45District 46District 47District 48District 49District 50District 51District 52District 53District 54District 55District 56District 57District 58District 59District 60District 61District 62District 63District 64District 65District 66District 67District 68District 69District 70District 71District 72District 73District 74District 75District 76District 77District 78District 79District 80District 81District 82District 83District 84District 85District 86District 87District 88District 89District 90District 91District 92District 93District 94District 95District 96District 97District 98District 99District 100District 101District 102District 103District 104District 105District 106District 107District 108District 109District 110District 111District 112District 113District 114District 115District 116District 117District 118District 119District 120District 121District 122District 123District 124District 125District 126District 127District 128District 129District 130District 131District 132District 133District 134District 135District 136District 137District 138District 139District 140District 141District 142District 143District 144District 145District 146District 147District 148District 149District 150District 151District 152District 153District 154District 155District 156District 157District 158District 159District 160District 161District 162District 163District 164District 165District 166District 167District 168District 169District 170District 171District 172District 173District 174District 175District 176District 177District 178District 179District 180Submit