Endorsement for Secretary of State: Michael Mills (D-Atlanta)

The race for Georgia Secretary of State is a important one for democrats. The office, controlled by republicans have been riddled by partisan bickering & rulings by former Secretary of State Karen Handel such as the removal of more than 50,000 registered Georgia voters who had been "flagged" because of a computer mismatch in their personal identification information. And at least 4,500 of those people back in 2008 had their citizenship questioned. In Muscogee, Georgia that year, a county official purged 700 people from the voter lists, supposedly because they were ineligible to vote due to criminal convictions. The list included people who had never even received a parking ticket.

And now just as Handel did, Brian Kemp, appointed Secretary of State wants to implement a Citizenship check for voters to verify their citizenship status. The DOJ has ruled against the measure twice, but Kemp is again suing the DOJ over the right to have the new measure implemented.

The Secretary of State's office is more than just overseeing elections, it oversees businesses, Rules & Regulations, Profit Corporations, Professional Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, Licensing, etc.

In the democratic race, you have 5 Qualified candidates to be Secretary of State. All have very broad platforms to offer, but this about electing the best, the most ready candidate for the job.

That's why Peanut Politics is endorsing Michael Mills for Secretary of State








Mills have what it takes to win the Secretary of State Office for the democrats in November.

Mills Six point plan for Election Reform:

-Comprehensive Elections Task Force

-Halting Lawsuit and Implementation of SB 86 (Voter ID Law)

-Voter Rights Education and Elections Ombudsman

-K-12 Curriculum

-Increase communication and interaction with local elections officials

-Reconfigure the Georgia Elections Board

Mills’ plan will to ensure Georgia voters trust that elections are secure and accurate, and that participating doesn’t require overcoming unnecessary obstacles.

Not only that, but his plan to Growing jobs and revenue by creating a business resource center for small companies, non-profits and entrepreneurs at the Corporations Division & Protecting citizens against financial ruin and fraud through the professional Licensing and Securities Divisions are ideas that will help transform Georgia's Secretary of State Office.

He will bring a blend of political, business & elections credentials to the Secretary of State's office & he has a very proven track record.

He is currently a small business owner & launched Vote for America-Georgia, a non-profit dedicated to improving educated voter turnout across the metro Atlanta region, which registered thousands of voters, mobilized volunteers and helped raise 2002 voter turnout by more than seven percent, which bucked traditional double digit declines in off-year elections. He was selected to Georgia Trend Magazine’s list of “40 Under 40 & was a press secretary for Mark Taylor's 1998 campaign for Lt. Governor.

I'm sure that the other candidates would do fine as well, but Mills will bring a fresh voice, a new vision with ideas to the Secretary of Office & most of all bring NEW" Blood to the Georgia Democratic Party, a party that's badly in need of some new leaders to rise to the forefront. In addition his platform & ideas will appeal to rural Georgia which is in need of a jolt to jump start job growth in a region that is high in poverty & poor.

Its time for a new way forward & Michael Mills will no doubt move the Secretary of State office in that direction from the last 4 yrs of partisan bickering & partisan games by the GOP.

ATL Stonewall Democrats endorse Michael Mills for Secretary of State

Michael Mills today received the endorsement of Atlanta's Stonewall Democrats. According to the group's press release:

"We look forward to supporting our endorsed candidates throughout the campaign season, and we are excited to have such a large class of fair-minded Democrats running for office in 2010", says Tim Cairl, Chair of Atlanta Stonewall Democrats.

Atlanta Stonewall Democrats is the metro area's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally Democratic community. As LGBTQ and ally Democrats, we have a unique and critically important role to play in our community's struggle for equality. We are working to continue making progress within our Party on issues important to our community, to inform the LGBT community about the differences between the Parties, and to elect fair-minded Democrats to public office.

"I've spent my entire career trying to engage and empower people through the civic process," said Michael Mills. "The Stonewall Democrats live that every day by championing the equal treatment and protection of all Georgia citizens under the law, and I am honored to stand with them in their ongoing efforts."

Press Release: Mills to Perform "Green Audit" as Secretary of State

Initiative to save taxpayers money and lessen environmental footprint

March 2, 2010 - Michael Mills today announced plans to perform a comprehensive "green audit" of the Georgia Secretary of State's office within the first 100 days of his administration. The audit's goal is to find and reduce financial waste and limit detrimental environmental practices.

The Secretary of State's office impacts a wide swath of citizen lives' through the Archives, Corporations, Elections, Professional Licensing and Securities Divisions. More than 300 employees work at four facilities across Georgia, delivering services that run the gamut from ensuring fair elections to licensing more than 40 different professions. The "green audit" seeks to root out financial waste, ensuring that the offices are properly staffed to deliver top-notch customer service without unnecessary overhead. The audit will also identify opportunities to improve the office's environmental footprint, reducing energy use, recycling waste and leveraging technology to eliminate reams of paper, etc. The final report will present opportunities to create a culture and tangible policies that ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and the office's environmental footprint is reduced.

The Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts currently reviews a limited set of performance metrics for various government agencies each year. However, the last review of the Secretary of State's office focused solely on "financial and compliance activities" and did not include a comprehensive performance audit or environmental analysis. Mills will leverage existing state data where possible and leverage private auditors from the financial and environmental sectors to review all functions of the Secretary of State's office and recommend policies to increase fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship.

The audit's first phase will analyze the office's financial performance, including staffing levels, the physical plant and budgets. Phase two will measure the office's carbon footprint and review practices related to energy and material use in all facilities. A final report will be completed within the first 100 days of the new administration. From there, each Division will develop and fully-implement "action plans" in the first year of Mills' administration.

"The state of Georgia is suffering through one of the most protracted recessions in history and we also face significant environmental issues that require each of us to play a role in developing solutions," said Mills. "This comprehensive audit will ensure we root out financial waste while also becoming a more environmentally sustainable office."

Mills has worked on environmental issues for companies both small and large throughout his career. Accomplishments include:

Serving as a strategist on the 2001 Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Clean Water Initiative, which brought government, business and environmental leaders together to develop legislation creating the state's first water management district - Governor Roy Barnes signed the bill into law in 2001

Creating a statewide coalition of businesses, labor unions, citizens and local governments to push for achievable solutions to global warming

Driving corporate sustainability policies and practices for both small and large companies - increasing engagement with the environmental community while reducing their carbon footprint, and cutting energy and water usage

"Businesses, visitors and new residents have relocated to Georgia for decades because of our low cost-of-living and high-quality of life," Mills said. "Unfortunately the bills of this success have come due and our recent failure to tackle fiscal and environmental problems has created competition from neighboring states, which threatens Georgia's future." He continued, "being better stewards of taxpayer dollars and our natural resources will make Georgia more competitive while also remaining a great place to live and do business."

Michael Mills, a Rising Star in Democratic Circles looking to become the next Secretary of State

He's young, energetic, passionate & he wants to be the next Secretary of State. Yes I'm talking about Michael Mills. Although he's no stranger to Georgia Politics, he worke as a legislative aide to then Secretary of State Lewis Massey & then as press secretary to Mark Taylor successful campaign for Lt.Governor back in '98.

Now he wants his shot at his old boss's office Secretary of State. He is in a field that includes Gary Horlacher, a former press secretary for Roy Barnes 1998 campaign, Gail Buckner, who ran for SOS back in 2006, as well as Darryl Hicks, a native of Crawford County & Angela Moore.

He brings a mix of political, business & elections experience to the table in his run for Secretary of State, which is badly needed from the hyper, partisan four years Karen Handel. Mills platform includes:

Building a Georgia that allows citizens to have a voice, become prosperous and is a place we can all be proud to call home.

Ensuring the security of Georgia’s election system while limiting unnecessary barriers to voting for all eligible citizens.

Growing jobs and revenue by creating a business resource center for small companies, non-profits and entrepreneurs at the Corporations Division.

Protecting citizens against financial ruin and fraud through the professional Licensing and Securities Divisions




Michael grew up in a hard-working blue collar environment with dedicated parents who instilled a deep sense of values and service to others. His mother was a registered nurse and his father was a school teacher. The lessons of hard work, perseverance and personal responsibility learned at home stick with him today.



Mills made a natural transition to the public policy world, working at PR firms to shape health care, environmental and transportation legislation. Highlights included

Building a statewide coalition to educate elected officials about the Kyoto Protocol and global warming,

Serving as a key strategist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s Clean Water Initiative.


He served as a board member for the League of Women Voters of Georgia

And launched Vote for America-Georgia, a non-profit dedicated to improving educated voter turnout across the metro Atlanta region.

He also supported non-profits by driving corporate philanthropy and service, while empowering small and medium-sized businesses to work with one of the world’s largest brands – enhancing local revenues and creating jobs in the process.

He was selected to Georgia Trend Magazine’s list of “40 Under 40,” is a Leadership Buckhead graduate and was named Georgia State University, Communications Department “alumni of the year,” for his work with Coalition for a Voting America and Vote for America-Georgia.

Mills has accomplished alot during his time & now it maybe his time to take the reigns of Secretary State & put his experience & expertise to work to make the state of Georgia to grow & prosper in helping small businesses & creating & bringing world-class jobs to the Peach state. Mills is a battled tested guy who is the future of Georgia & the democratic party. He's going up against veterans like Gail Buckner, Gary Horlacher, Angela Moore, who herself is a small busniess owner in his bid to become the democratic nominee against either Brian Kemp, a Perdue Lapdog who was appointed to the position or Doug Macginnite, who is running strong at the moment.

Democratic Candidate for Secretary of State Michael Mills Staement on Kemp Appointment

Poll-after-poll and trend-after-trend shows Georgians are increasingly cynical about politics and resentful of government. The latest partisan power grab that was the appointment of a new Georgia Secretary of State will only reinforce these disturbing trends. Citizens must take the power back and make their voices heard - at the ballot box in 2010 and every day in-between.

While an abdication of her sworn responsibility, Secretary of State Karen Handel's decision to resign to better serve the office being vacated and her campaign for governor seemed innocent enough. At face-value, we could support the decision because it ensured Georgians had someone in the Secretary of State's office fighting for their rights instead of advancing personal and partisan agendas. But scratch the surface, and it smacks of politics.

Handel - a close ally of Governor Sonny Perdue - resigned, leaving him to appoint a successor. This presented the governor an opportunity to do the right thing by selecting someone to do the people's work, and not use the situation as a launching pad for the Republican Party or his selection's own campaign. Governor Perdue selected Jim Cole, his House Floor Leader, to fill the term. Cole immediately announced his intentions to accept the nomination and run in 2010. Oddly, something changed during the weekend and Cole declined the appointment. Governor Perdue scrambled to pick a replacement, settling on Brian Kemp, a Republican already in the race.

Any Georgian actually paying attention to the process would need a tour guide and scoreboard to keep up. This appointment process fails to pass the smell test, coming off as a partisan power grab in an election year - ensuring the Republicans have an incumbent on the ballot. And at best, it looks mishandled. Georgians will be further disenchanted with government and its leaders when this fiasco is combined with the recent scandals that came to light during the replacement search for former House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

I've heard first-hand, as a candidate traveling statewide, how families are suffering in a poor economy where jobs are scarce and their futures are uncertain. I've listened to eligible voters afraid of losing their rights because of partisan attempts to limit ballot access (see federal lawsuit Handel v. Morales). I've talked with small business owners who are outraged that Georgia government is doing little to support their efforts to create jobs at a time they are so sorely-needed. And I've consoled consumers who lost their life savings or were ripped off by fraudulent business practices.

These are the issues covered by the Georgia Secretary of State's five divisions (Archives, Elections, Corporations, Securities and Licensing). And they are the issues Georgians care about. Its time our leaders move beyond rhetoric and partisan power grabs to instead focus on protecting voter rights, making government more effective and supporting job creation, which will lift us out of recession.

Governor Perdue had a chance to place the interests of Georgia citizens - and our futures - first. He rejected that obligation and opportunity. Accordingly, it's time Georgia voters take back the power and elect leaders who rise each day to ensure our individual and collective futures are brighter than our past. Or we can settle on leaders more interested in personal gain and politics than creating forward looking policies that will stave off the efforts of neighboring states like North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina, who are stealing our moniker - "Engine of the New South." Our future is too precarious to remain silent and on the sidelines.

Michael Mills (D) Secretary of State 2010. Michael's remarks from the first fundraiser, September 30, 2009. He outlines a vision for Georgia, why he is running and actions he will take to ensure a "new way to govern" in our state.

Michael's remarks from the first fundraiser, September 30, 2009. He outlines a vision for Georgia, why he is running and actions he will take to ensure a "new way to govern" in our state.

Ray City Mayor Carl Camon, U.S. Senate Candidate R.J. Hadley, State Representative DuBose Porter & Secretary of State Candidate Michael Mills all attended the Democratic Rally sponsered by the Houston County Democratic Party & Middle Georgia Democratic Women Commitee led by Kristina Sims, who is President of the Organization.

Carl Camon, Dubose Porter, R.J. Hadley & Michael Mills all attended the Forum at Creekwood Park in Perry on Saturday. All the candidates were great. Let me break it down in my own words:

Carl Camon along with his campaign manager Jameson Brewer arrived first at the event. Carl gave a rousing speech to the faithful. He is a candidate democrats need to take seriously. This man, who I've met earlier over at a Meet & Greet at Ft. Valley State University is the real deal! He has a great knack of the issues, especially education, (which is going to be the big issue in 2010). Camon will be campaigning full time now, he told me at the Forum. Camon is your classic outsider & who is someone I consider the darkhorse in the race for Governor. He had to leave early to attend another event in South Georgia, but if you have not heard this man speak in person, you better soon. He is legit.

DuBose Porter was next & he gave a rousing, passionate speech as well. Porter stressed his 27 yr Legislative record in the General Assembly, as well as some of his accomplishments. He also stressed to the crowd that it was important for democrats to take back control of the house from the republicans so the state can move forward again. (I agree with him 100% on that one) We talked for a while & we talked about a whole range of issues from Agriculture, Jobs, & Congressional Races. I'll say this, DuBose has paid his dues & he wants best for the state more than anybody. Again the estabilshment democrats need to get their heads out of the clouds over the prospect of Roy Barnes coming to save the day for the party, while you have DuBose Porter as well as Carl Camon & let's not forget David Poythress as strong, viable options who maybe better positioned to win in 2010 due to geography, baggage, & polarization.

Next Michael Mills, candidate for Secretary of State spoke & he was vey impressive. A close friend of former Lt. Governor Mark Taylor, Mills is a small Business owner who was selected to Georgia's Trend 40 under 40. Michael stresses the need to grow jobs, giving citizens a right to vote, & to limit unnecessary barriers for citizens who want to vote. He is a young democrat, who I'm behind 100% in his bid to become Georgia's next Secretary of State. Very engaging & brings alot of substance to the table, not just general talking points.

And last R.J. Hadley, who is running aginst Johnny Isakson for the U.S. Senate in 2010. I was very impressed by this young, Ivy League canddiate. He has great speaking ability, he really had the crowd's attention. He spoke about how Georgia can do better that what we have no up in washington & that is Johnny Isakson. He is not someone who will just sit on his tail & accept the Status Quo. I am sold on his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. He, in my opinion is a future star for Georgia Democrats. He is not a big-ticket recruit by the DSCC, nor the State democratic party. He just answered the call when others are just too doggone afraid to run against a man who is a spitting image of Saxby Chambliss as far as voting goes. In other words, he just "MANNED UP"! He had courage, he had guts to run when no one came forward. I respect someone like that. Hadley is a guy who will surprise alot of folks in this state once 2010 rolls around. He has a good shot of upsetting Isakson. I was glad to finally meet Mr. Hadley. After seeing & hearing him, he's got my vote. Dems better get behind his candidacy because I predict there will be no one else stepping forward to run in the democratic primary in 2010.

Kudos to Kristina Sims (who was great) & the Houston Co. Democrats & Middle Georgia Democratic Women for hosting this event. The food was great & the music was awesome.