InsiderAdvantage has previously reported on the state Senate District 31 GOP primary where Jason Anavitarte and former Dallas mayor Boyd Austin are vying to represent most of Paulding, Polk and Haralson counties. Significantly, Anavitarte’s anti-President Trump tweets and onetime board membership in the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO)– which Austin calls “an open borders lobby”— are big issues.
Similarly, illegal immigration is also a factor in the state Senate District 54 GOP primary where carpet industry manager Dan McEntire is running against state Sen. Chuck Payne. McEntire has attacking Payne for voting with Democrats to block a law that would make it easier for people to recognize the illegal aliens who obtain state drivers’ licenses.
In the Dalton district race, campaign challenger McEntire says: “My stance on immigration is if an immigrant is here legally, I don’t have a problem. If they are here illegally, I am against it because of all the free giveaway.”
In contrast, according to a 2019 report at GeorgiaRecorder.com, Payne contends immigrants, even those who remain undocumented, are “part of the fabric now. They’re part of the nation. They are part of the melting pot.”
Meanwhile, Back in Senate District 31
Breitbart News interviewed Austin this week, who declared: “I am not the establishment’s candidate. The Georgia Chamber (of Commerce) has endorsed my opponent. He has powerful people who want to continue his (immigration) process, with a lot of money coming from out of state.”
Anavitarte welcomes the Georgia Chamber’s endorsement, saying: “I am so grateful to the Georgia Chamber, and its thousands of members and Georgians they employ, for their endorsement in this race. With their support, we can work hard every day for the people of West Georgia to ensure they have the quality jobs they deserve, that we continue to make Georgia #1 for doing business, and allow small businesses to thrive and grow in our communities.”
The Chamber’s endorsement is a warning signal, counters Austin, because its members are eager to help big companies gain control in towns around the state. He told Breitbart: “Those are the big businesses, the corporate giants. They benefit greatly from suppressed wages – they want to run things in the (state) Capitol and pull the strings. They do not represent the local chambers, and they are not in the communities.”
