Georgia House of Representatives District 52 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 52 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 52

Incumbent Shea Roberts defeated Wendy Ahrenkiel in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 52 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shea Roberts (D)	60.5	14,089
		Wendy Ahrenkiel (R)	39.5	9,181

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,270
= 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?

Shea Roberts (D)

I’m the most qualified candidate in Georgia’s House District 52 race. As the incumbent, I’m the only candidate in this race with prior state legislative experience. Additionally, I have been a land use attorney for almost 25 years. That experience has included lobbying on behalf of individuals, homeowners associations, and developers/builders in front of city and county elected or appointed officials throughout the metro Atlanta area. Being a land use attorney requires knowledge of legislative procedure and significant statutory construction skills that have proved extremely helpful in my committee meetings and when evaluating and drafting state legislation during my first term. Being a zoning attorney also requires mediation skills to fin

I will work to build a Georgia where everyone can thrive because it is fiscally responsible. The health of our economy is directly related to the health of our workforce. Fully expanding Medicaid is the bare minimum of what we need to do because insuring 500,000 Georgians who fall into the gap will improve the quality of Georgia’s healthcare system, provide thousands of new jobs, and keep Georgians working and providing for their families. Uninsured citizens are being forced to use emergency rooms as primary care doctors which distracts from those who truly need emergency care. We have had five hospitals close just in the last 4 years. Next month when our sixth closes, we will have only one Level I trauma center for the entire Metro Atlanta

Safe communities and justice are not mutually exclusive. We can support our law enforcement by paying them their worth and making sure they have the resources needed to protect themselves and our citizens. We can also implement more transparency and provide training in de-escalation tactics to build trust between law enforcement and the public. It’s also important that we address social determinants that lead to crime by investing more in our schools, including wrap-around services that will help our high risk students be more successful such as after-school and apprenticeship programs. We need to decriminalize poverty and low-level drug offenses that are perpetuating the pipeline to prison. More access to mental health is critical too. T

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Shea Roberts (D)

I am passionate about making sure that we have free and fair elections that are transparent so citizens can trust that their vote is counted. This is paramount if we hope to preserve the democratic principles upon which our country was founded. I am also passionate about policy that makes Georgia the best place to live, work and do business. That encompasses so many aspects of our life including: healthcare, education, public safety, economic development, worker wage and security issues, housing affordability, environmental protection, and an equitable legal and social system. I am working to build a Georgia where everyone can thrive, not just survive.

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

Shea Roberts (D)

First and foremost, I believe it's important to be accessible to my constituents, to listen to their needs and help in whatever way I can. Being a state representative involves politics but I try to prioritize public service.

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

Shea Roberts (D)

While partisanship and gridlock plague our political system, problems facing all Georgians should be resolved via bipartisan action rather than divisive rhetoric. Most constituents want the government to work for them. I could never support laws that directly inflict pain and hardship on my constituents, but there is a limitless number of issues where I believe legislators on both sides of the aisle could find common ground. Typically, no one gets everything they want so incremental steps towards progress are better than going backwards or standing still. I remain committed to building consensus within my party and those across the aisle to help address my community's problems. That’s why I’m proud to be part of the small group of legislators in the minority party to pass bipartisan legislation last Session. If reelected, I’ll continue to seek common ground.

See also

More about these elections:

• Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2022

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

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