Terry Coleman on Martha Zoller Radio Show

Seen in Rural Georgia (Telfair County)

I like this!

Endorsement for State Labor Commissioner: Terry Coleman (D-Eastman)

In the race to replace Michael Thurmond at Labor Commissioner, Peanut Politics has decided to endorse Terry Coleman in the democratic primary over Darryl Hicks for Labor Commissioner.







Coleman is the former Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives in which he served for 34 yrs as State Representattive.

After that he served as Deputy Agriculture Commissioner from 2007-2010 under Tommy Irvin.

Coleman's vast wealth of experience will be a valuable asset in helping bring Georgia's unemployment rate down & to provide jobs to our communities. And Coleman's plan for a 21st Century Team to help our state target the industries of the future: biotechnology, green industry, new innovations in agriculture and forestry and the other industries will be key in moving Georgia forward. As a small business owner Coleman knows small businesses are the backbone of our economy & that experience as a small business owner will be key in helping our small businesses create jobs & putting Georgians back to work.



Coleman, along with U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia)


Darryl Hicks is a fine candidate & I had the pleasure of meeting him a while back, but Terry's experience as a legislator, small business man, traditional values of hard work & services as well as his rural roots & renewed effort to education, which is a big piece of his platform makes him the best choice to lead the democrats in the General Election & to bring unemployed Georgians out of their funk of not being able to find Jobs due to the economic policies of the failed leadership of the Georgia GOP.

Labor Commissioner candidate Terry Coleman in Albany last Thursday

Terry Coleman (D-Eastman), shown with State Rep. Mike Cheokas (D-Americus) & State Senator Freddie Powell Sims (D-Dawson) made a appearance in Albany last Thursday Night. He met with people at the Hasan Temple to explain how he hopes to help people find new and better jobs.

Says Coleman in interview with WALB-TV:

We want to improve information about job availability from businesses who want to improve our service in the labor department. We want to make sure people are proactive in spending the necessary resources to council people and encourage them.

To see video, click on link at top of the page

This is what I'm talking about

A Terry Coleman for Labor Commissioner Sign sighting, this one in Laurans County. Coleman knows how to work Rural Georgia. And I hope every democrat running for statewide office who hasn't stepped foot in rural georgia realize its going to take some hard work to campaign in these areas. When I make my endorsements on July 1, this will be one part of my criteria when making endorsements.

Rural Democrat Terry Coleman wants to be your next Labor Commissioner

Ahhhh!!!........ It's nice to see some Red Clay on the ballot this year as longtime Conservative Democrat (& I mean a real conservative democrat) Terry Coleman is back, this time gunning for his first statewide seat, the office of Labor Commissioner. Many thought he was going to run for State Agriculture Commissioner to succeed longtime Commissioner Tommy Irvin, who is retiring after 41 years, making him the longest tenured statewide official in the United States.

Coleman entry into the race for Labor Commissioner cam as a surprise to many here in the peach state. Coleman faces Darryl Hicks, a native of Taylor County, (now resides in Fayetteville) for the democratic nomination, who was going to run for Secretary of State again after failing in 2006 decided to get into the race after current commissioner Michael Thurmond entered the U.S. Senate race to take on Johnny Isakson.

Coleman was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives back in 1972, where he served until 2004, where he retired after 32 years representing the conservative middle georgia district. He served as Speaker of the House from 2002-2004 before the GOP took control of the house mainly because of democratic party switching & retirements.

And when everyone thought he was going to enjoy retirement, then came commissioner Tommy Irvin who appointed coleman to Deputy Agriculture Commissioner in 2007, in a move may saw as Irvin was preparing coleman to replace him as Agriculture Commissioner.

But that didn't pan out as Coleman was approached by Party Members to consider runninf for Labor Commissioner after Michael Thurmond announced his bid for the U.S. Senate. And at the end of qualifying, that's what Coleman did, he decided to run for Labor Commissioner & State Senator J.B. Powell (D-Blythe), a farmer & project manager qualified to run for Agriculture Commissioner.

So why Coleman decided to run for Labor? This what he says:

With unemployment at 10%, too many of our friends and neighbors are losing their homes, their health care, and so many other things they've worked their entire lives to secure.

We can't go on like this. We must put Georgia back to work. That's why I'm running for Labor Commissioner.

There it is right there. That's good enough for me!

Words from supporters of Coleman range from: He's a man of integrity & character, he's the right man for the job, Georgia need more gentlemen like him in influential positions of goverment. I'm sure it doesn't stop there.



he has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Brenau University and a J.D. from Woodrow Wilson College of Law. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Mercer University and the John Marshall School of Law, as well as a lifetime member of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, the Georgia Chiefs of Police Association and the Georgia Firefighters’ Association & serves on the Board of Directors for the Bank of Dodge County and the Colony Bank Corporation.

A man who has worn many hats throughout his public & private life, Coleman maybe the person Georgia needs to get people back to work. (Not taking anything away from Michael Thurmond who has done a terrific job as Labor Commissioner), but since he is moving up the ladder for a shot at the senate, this is a time for someone with strong Georgia Values, strong leadership qualities, who wants to work for the people of Georgia & who is not interested in partisan games & show-boating.

GEORGIA NEEDS A WORKHORSE, NOT A PONY & RIDE SHOW!

Agriculture Commissioner: Something has got to give here democrats!

With a little more that a week left until qualifying, there is still no democratic candidate in the race to replace Tommy Irvin (D) for Agriculture Commissioner.

Let's cut right to the chase. Who are the most likeliest people to "POSSIBLY" make a run for Agriculture Commissioner.

Here they are & their status:



Terry Coleman, the Deputy Agriculture Commissioner to Irvin.

Terry Coleman spent 34 years in the General Assembly including two as House Speaker.
As agriculture commisionser, he oversees ag & food defense, trade division & international trade, homeland security and legislative issues. He is a member to the Board of Trustees at Georgia Southern University & he serves on the Board of The Tropics Foundation, whose mission is the financial stability of the Tropical Agricultural research and Higher Education Center located in Costa Rica.Coleman is founder of Coleman and Company Benefits, Inc. He is a Life and Qualifying Member of the Million Dollar Round Table, the life insurance industry’s most prestigious organization. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Bank of Dodge County and the Colony Bank Corporation. When I spoke to Coleman a while back a function, at the time he said he was not going to run for Ag Commissioner, but didn't close the door on a possible run.


State Senator J.B. Powell (D-Blythe)

Poweel serves on the Agriculute & Consumer Affairs committee as well as the Natural Resources & Environment Committees as well. He was elected to the State Senate in 2004 representing SD 23. Powell, a conservative democrat has been rumored as being interested in running for the seat if Coleman doesn't run himself.


Rand Knight (D)

Knight ran for the U.S. Senate back in 2008 losing in the primary to Jim Martin. Knight is only 37 yrs old & is a abusinessman & ecologist, so I guess that makes him qualified to become Ag Commissioner. He built significant respect in the media and Democratic leadership for his management and operational successes on a limited budget. I don't know about Knight. Just have to wait & see on this one.

DuBose Porter (D-Dublin)


I know I make the porter people mad when I say Dubose ought to switch races & run for Agriculture Commisisoner. By him being a legislator, he was barred from raising money for his campaign which will hurt him if stays in the race & goes up against Barnes, Poythress, Baker. Dubose is just as qualified & just as ready to be governor more than anyone in the field. Had Barnes not run for governor this time, Porter would probably be the favorite of the democrats headding towards the July 20 elections. Havig said that, Porter ought to take the money he's already raised & run for Ag Commisisoner. He's comes from the part of the state is heavily agricultural (Middle Georgia). In that race he would be the odd-on favorite to replace Irvin over Gary Black or Darwin Carter. It's a win-win for democrats if he did that. It will strenghthened the democrats donwballot & it will help democrats the most in rural georgia. I say why not.

Coleman eyeing AG Commissioner's post, but not ready to declare.

Terry Coleman has his eyes on the Agriculture Commissioner's race, say the guys over at The Insider Advantage Georgia. Unless you are subscribed with them, you cannot see the article. I sure can't.

Coleman is our best hope of retaining the AG Commissioner's post after Tommy Irvin retires next year. Gary Black (R) who lost to Irvin in 2006 will run again for the post. Black is a former lobbyist for Big Ahriculture & that will be a problem for him in 2010 as folks seem to dislike lobbyist, especially family farms, small farmers, & independent farmers who always gets screwed by the big boys.

Officials defend plant inspectors

Georgia's top agriculture officials on Tuesday defended the state's inspection process at a legislative hearing called to address the salmonella outbreak traced to a Georgia peanut processing plant.

The process came under fire after a state inspector found only minor problems when she probed the Blakely plant in October for less than two hours. Less than three months later, federal agents found roaches, mold, a leaking roof and other problems.

Terry Coleman, Georgia's deputy agriculture commissioner, told House lawmakers that no amount of regulation will deter people who are intent on violating state laws.

"If a person intends to break the rules, unless you have somebody standing
over that person from the time they get to work from the time they leave, there
is no way to prevent that," Mr. Coleman said. "And in this particular case we
believe that somebody in the plant intended to break the rules or break the
laws. All the inspections we could muster couldn't prevent that."

Still, lawmakers responded to the outbreak by passing legislation that would make Georgia the first state to require that food makers swiftly alert state inspectors if their internal tests show their products are tainted. That proposal is awaiting Gov. Sonny Perdue's signature.

Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin said such legislation would have "been impossible to pass" before the outbreak.

The remarks came at a meeting of the House Consumer Protection Investigation and Oversight Subcommittee, whose members seemed to agree with Mr. Coleman's assessment.

"We had a bad apple there," said state Rep. Ellis Black, D-Valdosta. "And no amount of inspections is going to prevent a disaster."

The best choice for dems: Terry Coleman for Ag Commissioner.

Terry Coleman (D-Eastman) is the deputy agriculture commissioner of Georgia, serving under Tommy Irvin (D-Mt. Airy) who will retire in 2010. Coleman is believed to be the frontrunner to run in place of Tommy Irvin in 2010. Coleman is from Dodge County in Central Georgia who served in the State Legislature from 1972 to 2005. In addition, he was speaker of the house from 2002 to 2004. I am endorsing Coleman for Agriculture Commissioner because he can continue the outstanding work of Tommy Irvin & he can continue to keep Georgia as the leader of Agriculture in the U.S. His rural roots & downhome conservatism makes him the best candidate for a position that is focused in food safety, food quality, protection of all the farmers of crops, plants, livestock & the unantcipated loss from natural disasters or otherwise. By him being from rural Georgia, he can get votes of farmers. ranchers, as well from rural voters who are moderate to conservative on various issues. He can maintain & inherit Irvin's network of supporters across the state is a reason I have endorsed Coleman. Although he hasn't announced whether or not he will seek the seat he have my upmost support if he does run, which I think he will.