Georgia governor appoints McLean County native to U.S. Senate

Posted on December 4, 2019
Kelly Loeffler (right) and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (left). (Photo Twitter/Kelly Loeffler)

 

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp appointed McLean County native Kelly Loeffler to the U.S. Senate Wednesday to succeed retiring Sen. Johnny Isakson.

Loeffler, 49, who was raised in rural Stanford, is the CEO of Bakkt, a financial service company, and co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

She attended Olympia High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s from DePaul University.

“I’ve lived the American dream, but it’s far from where I came from,” Loeffler said during a news conference Wednesday. “I grew up on a family farm, we lived simply, and life revolved around farming, church, school, and 4-H.”

Loeffler noted she is not a career politician, but credited her business background.

“Here’s what people will learn about me. I’m a lifelong conservative. Pro-Second Amendment. Pro-military. Pro-wall. And pro-Trump,” she said.

Loeffler is just the second woman to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate.  She confirmed that she will be running to retain her seat in November.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

 

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…