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Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District has been represented by Democrat Sanford Bishop since 1993. Chris West, a Republican from Thomasville, wants to change that. West recently announced that he will be challenging Bishop in the upcoming election after the district was altered by lawmakers as part of the recent redistricting process – bringing Thomas County into the district.
Chris West
“I’m proud to announce that I’m running for Congress in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District,” West posted on his Facebook Saturday. “As an Air Force Officer, Job Creator, and champion for President Trump’s America First Agenda, I’ll work every day to deliver results for the people of Southwest Georgia as their next Congressman.”
West kicked off his campaign this weekend, and Saturday posted pictures on social media of “driving the first sign in the ground.” West is using the hashtag #BootBishop and says it’s time to flip Georgia’s Second Congressional District. The 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses 30 counties in Southwest Georgia, now includes Thomas County, north Houston County, and parts of Muscogee County.
West describes himself as a “Christian, father, husband, and lifelong South Georgian born and raised in the 2nd Congressional District.”
He currently serves as a general counsel for Teramore Development, LLC – a local real estate development company. According to his website, West has helped complete over 150 projects across South Georgia and has helped create more than 1,500 jobs in the process throughout his career.
West is also an officer with the Georgia Air National Guard, where he serves as an executive officer in the 116th Mission Support Group at Robins Air Force Base. He serves on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia and has been a grassroots leader and volunteer in the Georgia Republican Party since 2004.
West was quoted recently as saying, “Southwest Georgia deserves a political outsider, job creator and problem solver who will push back against overreach of the federal government, get our economy back on track and deliver real results.”
West says he is “very involved in his community,” serving on the boards of the Rotary Club of Moultrie, United Way of Colquitt County, and as a Thomasville YMCA youth soccer coach. His family also owns and operates a third-generation agricultural business in South Georgia.
West received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Valdosta State University and his law degree from Faulkner University. Chris and his wife Jenny—a former Grady County School teacher—along with their children Preston, Presley, and Paisley reside in Thomasville, where they are members of First Baptist Church of Thomasville.
Congressman Sanford Bishop is the longest-serving member of Georgia’s Congressional delegation, having first been elected to office in 1992. Bishop garnered more than 59 percent of the vote last year, defeating Republican Don Cole.
