Shane Hazel representing Libertarians in governor race

PERRY, Ga. — Cherokee County resident Shane Hazel is the Libertarian candidate running for governor of the state of Georgia.

Hazel has put in his bid for other political seats in the past, including a run for a Georgia U.S. Senate seat as well as a spot with the 7th District of the Georgia House of Representatives. During the more pressing times of the pandemic, he decided he would try to represent the state as governor.

“When Brian Kemp put forth, Apr. 2nd of 2020, the shelter in place lockdowns and invaded our homes and our businesses … he immediately went into the highest threat that I understood at the time, and so, while I was running for U.S. Senate, I decided that, then and there, I was going to make a push for governor,” Hazel said.

He said that, as governor, his political standing would call for the nullification of some legislation in order to control an “out of control legislature and an out of control judiciary.”

“As governor, you have the responsibility to nullify bad laws,” Hazel said. “You have the responsibility to notify the sheriffs, the mayors and all the other executives in the state of what laws should not be followed, of what laws should be decentralized, nullified, down to the county and local levels — and that’s to protect people … As a governor, instead of working through the legislative process, it’s much easier to begin nullifying all the bad parts of government that have inundated our lives.”

Hazel added he holds an understanding of the U.S. and Georgia Constitutions and approaches legislation with the goals of “maximum liberty and the sovereign individual.”

“We want you to have maximum freedom, we want you to keep all of your money, we want you to make the choices in your life with your resources and your poverty that you see best fit,” Hazel said. “That is not what Stacey [Abrams] or Brian [Kemp] want to do.”

If Hazel was to win the governor seat, he said his first day would involve having a meeting with all the state sheriffs and mayors addressing various issues on drug laws and community relations with law enforcment.

“The drug war is over,” Hazel said. “We are going to release and expunge all non-violent criminals from jails and prisons in Georgia.

“We are going to end qualified immunity. We are going to get rid of civil assist forfeiture. We are going to get rid of the blacked-out cop cars. We are going to start to heal relationships while making those relationships with law enforcement safer.”

He continued, saying his office would do away with property and income taxes among other forms of tax, as well as educate residents on the use of Bitcoin cryptocurrency and adopt it statewide as a legal tender.

According to his website, shanehazel.com, he would plan to repeal and nullify as many gun laws as possible, bring more nuclear power to Georgia, nullify all health mandates placed by the state and federal government while privatizing the health industry as well as nullify educational mandates across the state.

A Marine veteran with Special Operations experience, Hazel spoke on why his previous leadership roles would qualify him during the gubernatorial race.

“There’s a lot of intensity in leadership and understanding what it is to be a leader,” Hazel said. “There’s a lot more to it than holding a title.

“This, presented with the understanding of Austrian economics and libertarianism, we believe that you don’t hurt people and you don’t take their stuff — and that doesn’t change with a gun, or a badge or with an age.”

Hazel will be going up against the current incumbent Brian Kemp (Republican), Stacey Abrams (Democrat), David Byrne (Independent, Write-in) and Milton Lofton (Independent, Write-in).

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Early voting is currently open, and will continue each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Nov. 4.

To confirm your status as a registered voter, you can visit the Secretary of State’s website at mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/.

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