Republican Blake Tillery visits Perry to launch campaign for Lieutenant Governor

PERRY – True Conservative Republican Blake Tillery visited the Perry-Houston County Airport on Monday, Aug.11, to kick off his campaign for Lieutenant Governor in next year’s Gubernatorial Election. 

Monday was a busy day for Tillery as he visited many cities to spread the word of his campaign. During his campaign launch, Tillery shared that they stopped by Houston County because he believes every voice in Georgia matters.

Local leaders were in attendance, including County Commissioner Chairman Dan Perdue and Sheriff Matt Moulton. 

The current Lt. Governor, Burt Jones, is looking towards running for Governor, leaving his position open. Tillery is now vying to take over his role. 

Tillery is a lifelong Georgian, born and raised in Vidalia. He said he was raised on his state’s values. Vidalia is where he and his wife, Dr. Ashlee Nicole Tillery, made their home and are raising their two sons. 

In 2016, Tillery was elected to the State Senate, where he served as Senator for the 19th district. He also served as Chairman of the Georgia Senate Appropriations Committee, which has given him insight into how the state works. 

Tillery shared what he has done while serving in those roles, which was standing on conservative values. He has opposed “woke” ideology, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mandates and worked to make sure Georgia is strong and safe. 

In his legislation, when they started seeing sanctuary cities, he made sure to hold people accountable. He said if sanctuary city policies allow illegal immigrants to cause harm to Georgia families, they should be able to recover from sanctuary cities. Tillery shared he will continue to push those policies and drop legislation on sanctuary cities. 

He said when he saw conservative voices being silenced by banks across the nation, he made sure they were constitutionally protected. 

Tillery said when he saw in the state’s budget money going towards transgender medical care, it appalled him. He believes state taxpayers should not be paying for “elective” surgeries, especially for prisoners.

“That’s not right. I dropped the legislation to make sure we were not paying for sex change operations with your Georgia state taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Tillery’s plan for Georgia is:

• Eliminating the state income tax
• Fighting illegal immigration
• Defending state values
• Protecting constitutional freedoms
• Reduce crime

As State Appropriations Chair, he has reduced the state income tax by 15%. However, one of Tillery’s priorities is eliminating the state’s income tax.

He believes eliminating the state income tax will send a message to conservatives, the liberal crowd and the moderate crowd. Tillery said they understand people are paying more for gas, groceries and child care.

Tillery shared that if people are given an automated 5% raise in their pay, the state should do that. 

He believes Georgia has to remain competitive. States like Tennessee, Florida, New Hampshire, Wyoming and Washington State do not have a state income tax. According to Tillery, it’s not because of tourism; it’s their government making it a priority. 

Tillery also shared North Carolina and South Carolina are also rapidly reducing their income tax. He said Georgia views itself as the “Empire State of the South,” and to remain competitive, he will figure out how to eliminate the tax. He said now, it’s a question of “when? And how?.”

“If I’m elected Lieutenant Governor, we will continue that policy, and Georgia will remain competitive with its neighboring states,” he said. 

Tillery aims to continue defending constitutional rights because he believes they’re essential. 

“I want to make sure those rights are protected, not just for me and you, but for our children, for our grandchildren, for our grandchildren’s grandchildren, so that they grow up in the same Georgia that we grow up in with our parents,” he said.

Tillery believes it needs to be taught to fear God, have common decency and respect fellow man. That is what he wants to do for Georgia and continue it for the next generation. 

According to Tillery, he is the only candidate in the race to travel around the state to make his announcement. He said his campaign wants to do something more and believes every voice matters.

“Whether you live on [Interstate] 75 or inside [Interstate] 285, whether you live down [Interstate] 16 or you live inside [Interstate] 520, if you’re a Georgian, you have a voice and that voice matters,” he said. 

Tillery believes everyone’s vote matters, but more than that, he thinks people matter. He urges supporters to talk to their friends, and he will attempt to speak to everyone in middle Georgia. 

Tillery also believes word of mouth will help in his campaign.

“Your friends are going to vote for who you think is the best fit for your state. Your friends are going to vote for the person that you feel comfortable talking about around your water cooler. Your friends are going to vote for who you like and share on Facebook or Instagram or social media,” he said. “But most of all, they’re going to vote for the person who you’re talking about over their kitchen table. That’s what I ask you to do.”

Tillery shared that if anyone is hosting a civic organization, church function, or family reunion, he wants to be invited because he knows meeting people will win the race. 

He believes governments should be run efficiently and effectively, which he will strive to do if elected. He said he is not running for his Georgia, but for the people’s Georgia.

Tillery said Georgians should vote for him because he aligns with their values, which is the reason he’s running for Lt. Governor. He hopes to provide Georgians with a safe place to raise their families. He and his wife have been raising their children in Georgia, and he wants to make sure they can also raise his grandchildren here.

“Let’s make sure that Georgia taxpayers are protected, that we’re reducing their state income tax and providing families with a good place to raise their children, their grandchildren and their great grandchildren,” he said.

To keep up with Tillery’s campaign, click here. Election Day is Nov. 3, 2026.