GEORGIA (WALB) - Voters in Georgia’s 8th Congressional District decide Election Day between Rep. Austin Scott, the Republican incumbent, and Dr. Kelly Esti, the Democratic challenger.

Both candidates sat down for interviews before Election Day. Here is what each said.

STATEWIDE RESULTS

Why they are running

Esti said “the chaos from the last two years” was a catalyst for his campaign. He said he sees community members who “can’t pay rent or buy food like they used to.” Esti said he grew up in rural Mississippi and chose the 8th District “because it reminds me of home.”

Scott said he has been in Congress for several years. He serves on the Armed Services, Intelligence and Agriculture committees, and he is vice chair of the Agriculture Committee. Scott said he is asking for votes to keep the military strong and to continue representing Georgia’s farmers. He said he was born and raised in Georgia and has lived there 56 years.

The economy and cost of living

Scott said Republicans secured the border and stopped a tax increase in less than two years in charge. He said the cost of energy is “embedded in the price of everything,” including groceries and diesel. Scott said the country needs more refining capacity, more electrical generation from nuclear and gas, and more pipelines to move diesel. He said Democrats have supported windmills and solar panels, while Republicans have supported nuclear energy, refining and pipelines.

Scott said the cost of living in Georgia has gone up, “but it’s gone up everywhere.”

Esti said inflation spiked after the president took office again. He said people will lose health care in January, that people are losing access to Medicaid and SNAP benefits, and that gas and diesel prices are double what they were a year ago.

Esti said the “big, beautiful bill” takes more than $1 trillion from “common Americans” over 10 years and gives it to wealthy people. He said Congress should remove tariffs because that power belongs to Congress, not the president. He also said tax breaks for the wealthy “got to go away” and that the budget needs to be reoriented.

Iran

Esti said the war with Iran “needs to end.” He said, “There was no reason for us to attack Iran.” Esti said his brother was on the USS Abraham Lincoln for nine months at sea. He said he served in the Navy.

Scott said Iran had 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enriched to 87%. He said that is enough for 10 nuclear weapons and that 90% is considered weapons grade. Scott said the International Atomic Energy Agency demanded that Iran hand over the material and Iran refused. He said President Donald Trump “did what had to be done” to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon.

Farmers and agriculture

Scott said the main priority for farmers is passing a farm bill. He said Democrats have demanded that 82% of farm bill spending go to SNAP benefits, which he said would leave less than 10% for production agriculture. Scott said that share should be in the 20% range.

Scott said the federal estate tax exemption of up to $15 million per person will let most small businesses and farms transition to the next generation. He also said the increase in reference prices in H.R. 1 will help farmers. Scott said the average age of the American farmer has continued to rise.

Esti said farmers trusted the Republican Party, which he said took away their workers and customers and then placed tariffs on them.

Data centers

Esti said Republicans “are going to pollute your lands with these data centers.” He said that in five years, as technology changes, neighborhoods could be left with a data center they do not want.

Scott said zoning decisions on data centers should be made locally. He said who is building a data center should be disclosed and non-disclosure agreements “need to go away.” Scott said data centers should use closed-loop water systems and purify water before it is released. He said data centers should pay for the construction and transmission of their energy and that power bills for residents should not increase.

What they would do if elected

Scott said his first priority would be passing a budget. He said a budget resolution is needed to carry past December and he hopes it can extend to Oct. 1 of next year. He said he will continue to press for assistance for farmers and to make sure the military has what it needs.

Scott said he represents almost 30 counties and that the majority of the district is agriculture and armed services.

Esti said he wants to create a Youth Congressional Council, offer free public school education, and develop a statewide transportation plan connecting Georgia’s cities and towns. He said he also wants to return health care to nonprofit status.

Esti said he has visited 25 of the district’s 29 counties. He said Scott does not hold town halls and sent his first mailer after 10 years without communication. He said Scott’s disclosures show only corporate PACs. Esti said he would hold town halls and is considering creating an app for constituents to send concerns.

Messages to voters

Esti said about 108,000 people of color in the district have not voted. He said politics affects where people live, where they send their children to school, whether they can afford rent and groceries, and how much money they make. “What has your non-vote done for you?” he said.

Scott said Republicans and Democrats differ on border security. “If you want an open border, you should vote for the Democrats. If you want a secure border, you should vote for Republicans,” he said.

NATIONAL RESULTS

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