Hulsey announces run for State House seat
County Commissioner Jennifer Hulsey announced today that she’ll be giving up her seat to try for a new position in state government, if the voters of the 16th district decide to send her to Atlanta.
Hulsey, who has served on the county commission since 2015 and has served as chair since 2018 of the board, will resign to run for the State House seat. She said that she was thankful for the opportunity to serve the county during her tenure in office — she began her second term 2018 — and wants the opportunity to do more for Polk County and surrounding areas if given a chance in the legislature. Her love for the community drives it forward
“For the past six years, I have had the honor to serve as a Commissioner of Polk County. As a lifelong resident of the county, I absolutely love this community and the people of Northwest Georgia,” she said. “It has been one of the highlights of my life to represent the community of Polk
County. I am grateful for the opportunity by the constituents to represent them on the County Commission.”
A former English teacher at Cedartown Middle School, Hulsey grew up local and has deep roots in the area. Her mother hailed from Haralson County and her father grew up in Cedartown too.
“I continued that legacy when I married my husband, Johnny Hulsey, 28 years ago and we chose to plant our family roots here and raise our children here in Cedartown, too,” she said. “Growing up, my parents always taught me the value of hard work, along with serving and giving back to our community. I live my life by those values today and serving this community through my 25-year career as a teacher or through my 6 years as a county commissioner, service has been a big part of my life story.”
That service includes a long list of accomplishments on Hulsey’s part. Those include her role as chair of the county commission since 2018 and as vice chair in 2017, serving as vice chair of the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission this year, co-founder of Polk Against Drugs, an Association of County Commissioners of Georgia Board of Managers member from 2018 to 2020 and as first female president of the Cedartown Exchange Club.
Hulsey also founded the Take Back Polk mentoring program, took part in Polk’s strategic planning committee on Economic Development, served the local Republican party as first vice chair in 2011, and member of various other local boards and organizations that help out in the community like Our House Women’s Shelter, Northwest Georgia Parkinson’s Association, the Cedartown Junior Service League as examples.
She also founded the Parkinson’s Walk for Hope.
“From as far back as I can remember, I was taught to fear the Lord and love and respect your country, family and community,” she said. “While I do believe life experiences play a part in who we are and how we react in situations, I believe that principles and values are the foundation of one’s moral fiber. I can assure you that I have lived my life by those principles and values.”
Those foundations come from years of service to the community, but also to children previously when she taught youth for more than two decades.
“Having experience in education for the past 25 years has been crucial in seeing so many issues that face our community. In addition, working as a county commissioner has taught me so much about how government works on a local level, as well as the disconnect between local and state government,” she said. “Decisions made by our State Representative affect the people in this district and the future of our community.”
She added that “My goal as a State House Representative is to continue to serve this community by being accessible, engaged, listening and putting the concerns of the citizens at the forefront. Just like you, I want my representatives to represent me and put my interest above those of a political party and personal gain. You have my promise, I will always put the citizens and community before my own self-interest.”
Hulsey’s resignation from the county commission will be effective on March 4. She finishes out her final meeting with the county during it’s regular session this evening before she qualifies for the seat.
She’s previously run for her seat locally as a republican, and has served as a fiscal conservative during her past years in office. Hulsey said she stands firm on the role of a limited government and free markets when it comes to her economic beliefs.
“I also believe that my experience, proven leadership and accomplishments set me apart from anyone else in this race,” she said. “My integrity is everything and my word is my bond. You have my word. You can trust that I will work for you and I will fight for you.”
This will be Hulsey’s second try for the state house. She previously ran for the seat on the 2012 ballot.