With gubernatorial primaries just a couple of months away, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr stopped by the city of Norcross on March 4 to pitch himself as the Republican Party’s preferred candidate for governor.
“I think we’re the model for the nation as it relates to job creation and keeping people safe,” Carr said, citing a correlation he has observed throughout Georgia between public safety and economic development.
During qualification week, Carr detailed his experience in state government and shared his thoughts on issues facing Georgians at the weekly People Drinking Coffee community meeting in Norcross at 45 South Cafe.
The primary election in Georgia is on May 19, where voters will choose from either party’s slate of candidates for several state and local offices.
Carr grew up in Dunwoody and attended Marist School before earning his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Georgia in the late ’90s. He said his campaign is focused on lowering the cost of living, supporting public safety, and investing in job creation, education, and mental health.
Carr introduces himself
“We moved to Georgia [from Michigan] in 1978 when I was in kindergarten,” Carr said. “My dad had wanted to start a small business. Kind of borrowing a line from Ronald Reagan, he saw Georgia as that ‘shining city on the hill,’ because we do it differently, the good schools and business environment.”
Former Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Carr as attorney general in 2016. He went on to win two reelection campaigns before announcing his bid for governor. Prior to his role as Georgia’s chief legal officer, he served as state economic development commissioner (2013-16) and chief of staff to former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (2007-13).
As attorney general, Carr said he shifted the office’s historical focus on civil cases to aggressively pursuing criminal prosecutions for human trafficking, gang activity, and domestic terrorism.
“I don’t care your race, your gender, your religion, your sexual orientation, where you live, or where you’re from. In this state, you deserve to be safe,” Carr said. “You’re not going to come here for the World Cup or go to Savannah for the greatest Saint Patrick’s Day parade in the world if people don’t feel safe. So that’s what we’re focused on.”
Carr touted securing 84,000 jobs and $14 billion in investment in the state of Georgia as a state commissioner.
“We should be the logistics capital of the United States because we are two days by rail and two hours by plane from 80 percent of the US market,” Carr said.
To keep Georgia as a national model for economic growth, Carr said he wants to expand school choice, align K-12 curriculum with high-demand careers, invest in mental health, and prosecute organized crime.
Carr on issues facing Georgians
Carr touted his record as a state official and leveled criticism against his three most prominent competitors, front-runner Rick Jackson, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
“In this state, part of our DNA is that the public and private sectors just come together to solve problems,” Carr said. “On the Republican side, there are three really rich guys who are trying to buy the race. I have spent the last 25 years working and building relationships.”
Carr said he supports continuing to gradually lower the income tax rate through a relief fund. Capping property tax assessments is more in demand, he said.
“At the end of the day, it does not matter where I am in the state. People are talking about this issue,” Carr said. “They’re tired of their assessments, unrealized gains going up in a way that is pricing them out of their homes.”
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has advocated for eliminating the income tax by 2032 to match states like Florida, Tennessee, and Texas.
“What I don’t think makes sense is the lieutenant governor’s plan,” Carr said. “He’s going to shift the burden from people to business, and he’s going to do away with the economic development that has built this state.”
Norcross Council Member Bruce Gaynor told Carr he is concerned the General Assembly may cap the growth of local governments’ tax digests and eliminate other revenue streams, like franchise fees.
Carr said he supports capping assessments to protect homeowners but opposes any legislation that would “decimate” city budgets and eliminate essential services.
“If you believe in private property, you are, in essence, legally paying rent for your own property,” Carr said. “There’s got to be some sort of stability and certainty that we can give.”
A Dunwoody neighbor in Norcross
The city of Norcross is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, allowing Carr to address voters from across the political spectrum.
To separate himself from a crowded field, Carr pitched himself as a moderate Republican, capable of winning the party primary and statewide election in November.
“Democrats have now won in the state of Georgia six times in the last five years,” Carr said. “Every time the Republican Party nominates the person with the most money and one endorsement, we lose. The way you win in the state of Georgia in 2026 is you must appeal to the growing independent, persuadable voter.”