In her latest run at an elected office, Kandiss Taylor’s bus and her message haven’t changed a great deal.

Taylor made a campaign stop last Thursday in Hinesville, less than a week after she and her campaign bus made a brief stop for a meet-andgreet. The Appling County educator is running to supplant Buddy Carter as the U.S. House 1st District representative.

“I want the people to know I’m going to represent them the best I can every single day,” she said. “Nobody is going to outwork me. None of them do outwork me, and they know it. I am going represent the people and protect our morality. I’m not going up there to make myself a quad-millionaire. I’m up there to serve the people and come home. I’ll be a leader in D.C., but I will serve the people here.

Taylor ran for the U.S. Senate seat held by Kelly Loeffler that Raphael Warnock won in a runoff after what is known as a “jungle primary,” with candidates from all parties thrown into a single vote.

Taylor hit the campaign trail again two years later to run for the Republican nomination for governor against incumbent Brian Kemp.

A two-time graduate of Georgia Southern University, and the holder of a doctorate from Regent University, the Baxley native is one of six Republicans running to replace Carter. The winner of the Republican primary will face the winner of the Democrat primary, which has eight candidates.

“It is a crowded field,” Taylor acknowledged.

Taylor said there about 40% of the electorate is undecided at the moment, and she is working to persuade them. “My voters are passionate,” she said.

Taylor also called out Jim Kingston, whose campaign has raised more than $1.8 million, according to Federal Elections Commission data.

“When you’re fighting a political machine of millions of dollars, they can get their message out. He’s not showing up at events, he’s not showing up to debate,” she said. “I want them to know I show up now, I’ll show up when I get to D.C. If you’re not going to show up now, you’re definitely not going to show up then. If you’re not going to answer questions now, you’re not going to answer questions then.”

House membership could experience a vast turnover in 2026 — of the 435 seats, more than 50 will not have incumbents seeking re-election, and the number is growing. Dissatisfaction with Capitol Hill is a constant refrain from voters, according to Taylor. Ballotpedia’s latest poll puts Congress’ favorability at 21%.

“Its approval rate is terrible,” she said.

Should she be elected, Taylor said her first order of business is to build relationships.

“I can’t just go up there and get on social media and get on the news and become famous screaming and hollering,” she said. “You’re not going to get anything done that way.”

Taylor also vowed to communicate frequently with the constituents of the 1st District.

“They are going to know what’s going on,” she said, “and I am going to hear from them what they want me to execute and do. They get tired of being ignored. They don’t know what’s going on — and there will be times when you have to make a hard decision.

“That’s the stuff we’re sick of — we’re sick of Congressmen making a decision based on how much money it will benefit them personally.”

Though President Trump has endorsed Jim Kingston, son of former 1st District House member Jack Kingston, Taylor proclaims her staunch support of the president and the MAGA, or Make America Great Again, philosophy.

“If it’s going to impact my district and hurt the people, then we’ll disagree,” she said.

For instance, Taylor said she is ready for the U.S. to end its involvement in Iran. “I am America first,” she said. “My district is going to be put first every single time. The things he talked about when he was running for office, I am completely aligned with.

“But I am ready to get out of Iran. I don’t want to fund endless wars. I don’t want to rebuild other nations when our nation is trillions of dollars in debt and our economy is out of control with inflation. People know. We’re feeling the squeeze. I hear it every day across the district.”

Taylor added potential voters are telling her they want their children to afford buying their own home, and they are worried about economic instability.

Taylor also is championing prison reform and, with her background in education, she also said she’s been an advocate for children suffering from abuse.

The 1st District seat has been in Republicans’ hands since 1992. No Democrat has come within 15 percentage points of taking the seat in the last 17 elections.

But Taylor is worried about the seat remaining in GOP hands if she is not the candidate in November.

“The issue is turning out the voters,” she said. “It’s a real issue for Republicans right now. The Republican Party is very apathetic and the Democrat Party is preying on the apathy right now. If Jim Kingston wins, we’re in danger of losing this seat. When I am the nominee, we will win bigger than we ever have, because my voters are passionate. They know they can’t beat me.”

Taylor applauded the Democrats for their ability to coalesce and form a united front. She said she hopes to become a unifying force for the Republicans.

“Democrats stick together. The Republicans argue about every little thing, but the Democrats are so unified, they look stronger than what they are,” she said. “I’m a unifier and I am going to unify this party.”