Candidates for several different offices addressed issues and made their pitches to potential voters Saturday afternoon at the Riceboro youth center.

Sponsored by the Liberty County branch of the NAACP, candidates for Liberty County school board seats, county commission, the General Assembly and Georgia’s 1st District U.S. House seat addressed voters and questions.

Some candidates, including state House District 168 challenger Sabrina Newby, had previous commitments and could not attend.

Williams said he does not cast a vote on an important issue on the House floor without first getting feedback from the district. He added the state budget, which awaits Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature, includes $19 million for children in the foster system and will put literacy coaches in every kindergarten through third grade classroom.

Williams added he has reached across the aisle to his Republican colleagues in an effort to pass legislation.

“Can you help me do good?” he said of what he asks of his counterparts. “I’m a Democrat. I’ll work with you, but I want you to know who I am.

“Stop the foolishness, and let’s get serious about change,” Williams said.

The forum drew four of the eight candidates for the U.S. House District 1 Democratic nomination. The winner of that primary will face the winner of the Republican primary in November’s general election to succeed Buddy Carter. Carter is relinquishing the seat to run for U.S. Senate.

First District candidates focused on health care, affordable housing and affordability in making their statements.

“Child care is expensive. Health care is outrageously expensive,” said Patrick Wilver, a Chatham County resident and former Army infantry officer. “I think we need to have universal health care. Nobody can afford to have a child.”

Wilver, who graduated from West Point, also graduated from Ranger school. He said one of his priorities is getting the money out of politics and will pursue a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling.

“The president has taken a lot of the power that belongs to Congress,” he said. “Congress has been surrendering power to the president because Congress is totally dysfunctional. We need to look at term limits and we need to stop insider trading by members of Congress.”

Joyce Marie Griggs, a former Army lieutenant colonel, said she didn’t get into the race to become a millionaire. An Open Secrets 2020 report put the number of millionaires in Congress at more than 50%.

“I am in this race to fight for the people of this district,” she said. “I know the district intimately. I’m a fighter. I don’t give up.”

Griggs also said she would work to restore DEI — or diversity, equity and inclusion — measures that have been stopped.

“A lot of the things they have cut, we need those things reversed,” she said. “DEI has helped everybody.”

Griggs also said the cost of living continues to be a problem and for a district that has had a Republican representative since 1992, “we’re going to flip this district blue.” She lost to Carter in 2020 and lost the Democratic primary runoff in 2022.

Griggs also proclaimed she would file articles of impeachment on President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, if elected. A successful impeachment and conviction of President Trump would elevate Vice President J.D. Vance to the presidency.

Amanda Hollowell espoused putting in a tax credit for first-time home buyers. A former analyst with the Georgia Policy and Budget Institute, Hollowell is chief of campaigns with the Color of Change. In the latter position, she said, she has registered hundreds of thousands of voters.

“I know what it takes to get voters to show up,” she said.

During her time at GPBI, she said she helped state employees get paid family leave. She also called the lack of public transportation a deterrent for people entering the workforce. She also cited affordability as an issue.

“We know health care is too expensive,” she said. “We know prescriptions are too costly. Affordability is different in each county but it’s the same in being able to paid for your groceries and pay for your utilities.”

McCord, who calls himself a “Blue Dog” Democrat, said rural health care is a big issue. He cited the 2013 closure of the Charlton County Hospital. Without the 25-bed facility, residents of that county may have to go as far as 60 miles for health care. And in the event of a stroke and the “golden hour,” the 60-minute window when treatment can stop or ameliorate a stroke’s effects, that distance may be too much.

McCord also cited Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision not to expand Medicaid in the state.

“I will reopen these rural hospitals through a block grant,” he said.

Also on hand were two Democrats vying to take on Sen. Ben Watson for the state Senate 1st District seat in the fall. Both Corey Foreman, who is the chair of the Bryan County Democrat Party, and Barbara Gooby, castigated Gov. Kemp and Sen. Watson.

Foreman said the state’s surplus could be put to better use.

“The roads are horrible,” he said. “The infrastructure, it’s on the bottom of the list. Education is bad. We’re number one for business — you hear that a lot at the state capitol. Everything in this state, except business, is failing.”

Gooby, when asked if Liberty County is getting its fair share of opportunity to invite new industry, said money and effort is still going to the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County and it is creating traffic issues. Gooby said she would try to find support for small businesses and push for apprenticeships and training in the trades.

Gooby also is a proponent of environmentally- friendly jobs.

“There are a lot of needs coastal-wide the state needs to address,” she said.

Foreman also said Sen. Watson, who is a physician, is a reason Medicaid expansion has not taken place in the state.

“We’re 48 out of 50 states for health care,” he said.

Foreman, a former soldier who also once was stationed at Fort Stewart, said he has gotten support from Republicans and is willing to work with those across the aisle.

Gooby said she has been to city council and county commission meetings across the district and has found that flooding and drainage, traffic and access to water are issues. Gooby said she also supports access to affordable medical care, affordable housing and increasing the minimum wage to a livable wage.