In Metter, Georgia, where the community is still cleaning up Hurricane Heleneelectrician Brad Jones worries about what feels like the next storm: the election.
“From the economy position, from the borderline position to costs of groceriesThere is a lot riding on this election,” Jones said.
Jones, a longtime member and now chairman-elect of the County Board of Commissioners, supports former President Donald Trump, along with most of his neighbors. Metter is in Candler County, which Trump carried 70-30 in 2020.
Since 2000, rural voters have increasingly favored the Republican Party, but in this part of rural Georgia there is quiet support for Harris.
“I don’t support either party. I’m more the person that I’m definitely going to send to the candidate himself,” resident Tiffany Lee said.
Lee and her husband Sean raise quarter horses in Metter and own a clothing store nearby.
When asked if there is a kind of shy Harris voter, Lee said, “Absolutely. There are whispers about it. There are a lot of Harris voters here — a lot.”
For Brandon Byrd, born and raised in Metter, ’tis the season of voter involvement – not for a specific candidate, but for rural America. His Georgia Ignites project aims to activate and register voters across the state. On average, 80% of the Georgians they register are black and 50% are under 25 years old.
“I feel like people are tired, but people are tired of not being heard,” Byrd said.
Trump and Harris appreciate the rural vote, but for different reasons. Trump wants to increase the score, while Harris wants to lose red counties like Candler less than Biden. Every storm storm in Savannah, an hour from Metter.
Jones and Lee have made different choices for this election, but agree on women’s right to choose.
“I don’t want to be oppressed by the laws of others, which means I don’t want anyone telling me what to do with my body,” Lee said.
“I still believe that a woman should have the right to do whatever she wants to do with her body,” Jones said.
Shirley Hemley, Lee’s 92-year-old neighbor, has a Harris sign in front of her house. She says this is the first time she has placed a campaign sign in her yard.
“I have to stand up for what I believe, and I hope that Americans will stand up for what they know is right,” Hemley said.
For Byrd, his small-town roots and extended family blend as motivation and memory. His tattoo of a specific date in 1956 marks a turning point.
“February 4, 1956. This is the day my great-grandmother was registered to vote. That’s why I’m anchored in this work. It’s a good thing I have this as a reminder and I’ll continue to do my part to do good for other people too Byrd said.
In a city where everyone knows everyone and national often equates to red, this part of America would like a word and a different look.
Major Garrett
