Incumbent Lewis has momentum

By Noreen Lewis Cochran

District 5 U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-East Point, has been re-elected 11 times to the seat he first won in 1986.

A former Atlanta City Councilman from 1982 to 1986, Lewis, 70, serves on the Congress’ oldest committee, House Ways and Means, is chair of its Subcommittee on Oversight, belongs to three task forces and is a member of 43 caucuses.

“I’ve served in Congress now for a few years; I’m serving a 12th term, and I think I’ve done a good job,” he said. “I’ve tried to be good to the people in this district. They’ve been very good to me.”

While a partial list of his honorary degrees includes Princeton and Columbia universities, during the 1960s the Troy, Ala., native trained for the ministry at American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University, both in Nashville, Tenn.

Combining spiritual leadership concepts with the emerging civil rights movement, Lewis formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, organized lunch counter sit-ins, participated in Freedom Rides, conducted voter registration drives, spearheaded the 1965 march from Selma, Ala., and spoke at the 1963 March on Washington.

“I’m not a newcomer to public life. For more than 50 years I think I stood up for what is right and fair and just,” he said. “I think the people in this district, in Georgia, throughout America and around the world respect my leadership and my vision for not just Georgia or people of the South, but a world community at peace with itself.”

Lewis said his top three issues include transportation.

“I will continue to work for more federal dollars for Atlanta that create jobs and improve our transportation infrastructure,” he said about projects like Sandy Springs’ Hammond Drive widening, for which he secured a $500,000 earmark. “We’ve got to come up with a regional transportation plan, get some of the cars off the road and do more to get transit and commuter rail all over metro Atlanta.”

Education and jobs are Lewis’ other priorities.

“We still have a lot of work to do. We have to create jobs and put people back to work,” he said. “These new jobs require an educated workforce.”

Lewis’ honors include the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for Lifetime Achievement.

He and his wife, Lillian, have a son, John Miles Lewis, 33.

Lewis’ campaign has raised $783,943 through June 30, the last report submitted to the Federal Election Commission.