Deffenbaugh to face Cameron in run-off for House District 1 seat
John Deffenbaugh will face Mike Cameron in a Republican runoff on Aug. 11 to determine who will take the state House District 1 seat in January.
Neither candidate received a majority vote on Tuesday, June 9. Deffenbaugh earned 3,561 votes (42%), between Dade and Walker counties. Meanwhile, Cameron had 3,163 total ballots (37%) cast for him. Republican Vikki Mills, the other candidate in the race, earned 1,808 votes (21%).
The results are unofficial results, pending counting of a few provisional ballots, according to
the Walker County Board of Elections. The runoff winner will take the seat as there will be no qualified Democratic or third-party opposition in the fall. The House seat represents all of Dade County and portions of Walker.
Deffenbaugh previously served three terms in the Georgia House. Prior to that, he was elected and served four years on the Dade County Commission, one year as chairman. He also served as the GOP chairman for Dade County for several years.
A graduate of Covenant College, Deffenbaugh is a retired U.S. Navy veteran and a board member of the West Brow Fire Department. He has worked as an operations manager for Horizon Electronics for over 30 years and received an “A” rating and endorsement from the NRA for his candidacy.
“The candidates in District 1 were an outstanding
group, no negative campaigns,” he said on Thursday, June 11. “We all talked about what we wanted to accomplish when we were in the Georgia House. With three people in the race, it is almost inevitable that there would be a run-off. The next hurdle is to get voters out on Aug. 11.
“Most people are kind and generous. There are other people that are not. I enjoy being with the good ones. There is a saying — every man is my superior, in that I can learn from him. I want to learn about them.”
Deffenbaugh said during the campaign that working with the public in a variety of areas — in business, in the military and as a past House representative — equipped him with “valuable, successful, interpersonal experience for problem solving” and that his past experience in building relationships “better equips him to serve”.
“This experience allows me to relate to both Republican and Democratic members of the House and Senate,” he said dur
ing the campaign. “During my time of service, I was able to pass, unanimously, a resolution that was sent to the President of the United States and the Congress to extend the military discharge time, allowing veterans to have additional time to resolve any medical or emotional issues before returning to civilian life.”
He added that he felt it was important for children, from a young age, to be taught and to understand the United States’ form of government and that “by understanding our free-enterprise system, students are better equipped to preserve our freedoms.”
Cameron, who was elected chairman of the Walker County Republican Party in 2018, said he was encouraged by the election results, stating that he has “prepared accordingly” for the campaign, which he said is a marathon not a sprint.
“It’s clear that as the race progressed, my campaign started gathering great momentum, especially after the debates in both counties,” he stated on Thurs
day, June 11. “The reason our campaign has gathered steam is that voters see someone in me who has worked very hard to serve and improve our community, plus some who represents the beliefs and values of people in District 1.
“I will continue to take the message of limited government and personal freedom to the voters during the remainder of this campaign and as the next representative from District 1.”
Cameron worked as a liaison for Republican candidates during the 2018 state campaigns and helped lead the effort to transition Walker County’s government from a sole commissioner to a board of commissioners.
He has 32 years of experience in the health insurance industry, working at a national level on legislation that affected people with Medicare. A community volunteer who has worked with a local school and on the redevelopment of downtown Rossville, Cameron said his passion for service will make him a viable candidate for the
state post.
He said he was concerned about the state’s budget and how it would be affected by the fallout from COVID-19 and that his goals, if elected, would be to make sure that Georgia is on “sound financial footing,” to work with Attorney General Chris Carr on legislation to combat human trafficking and senior abuse, to work with other House members “to strengthen the work started by the Heartbeat Bill” and to “work to represent the values and beliefs of the voters of House District 1” by listening to their voices and concerns.
“I have built relationships with various members of our community,” he said earlier in the campaign. “A state representative needs not only to do the work in Atlanta, but be involved in the communities they represent. I do that.”
Married for 33 years and a mother to five children, Mills, a former registered nurse who said she retired from her job in order to raise her children, entered the House race as a staunch pro-life, pro-gun and pro
business Republican candidate.
“While I had hoped for a better result on Tuesday night (June 9), I am nonetheless encouraged by all who came out to support me,” Mills said in a statement on Wednesday, June 10. “I will still continue to champion the causes so many of you came out to support. The American way of life is under increasing attack and we must all rally to defend our country.
“Will I seek office again? I will always leave my options open.”
Deffenbaugh previously served three terms in the Georgia House before being narrowly defeated by Colton Moore in May of 2018. However, Moore announced in March that he would not run for re-election as he instead planned to challenge incumbent Jeff Mullis for the state Senate District 53 seat. Mullis defeated Moore in that race on Tuesday, June 9.
Steve Tarvin, the Republican incumbent from Chickamauga, was the only qualifying candidate for the state House District 2 seat.