Chris Carr has served two terms as attorney general, Georgia’s top law enforcement official. The Dunwoody Republican is seeking his party’s nomination for governor.
Here are his stances and record on key issues:
Affordability
Carr says the cost of living is the “No. 1 issue” facing Georgia families because they feel the impact of rising prices on their groceries, gas, housing, healthcare, childcare and property taxes.
If elected, Carr plans to focus on policies that would directly lower costs and make life more affordable, such as cutting taxes and reducing regulations. He also points to his tenure as Georgia’s economic development director, highlighting his role in recruiting high-paying jobs to the state.
While rising prices threaten Georgians’ standard of living, Carr says he wants to keep the American Dream within reach for people who work hard, follow the law, and want to settle in Georgia for the long run.
Taxes
Georgia needs to have the lowest combined tax burden of any state to maintain its status as a business-friendly state, Carr says.
Carr says Georgia should cut income tax rates in half and reduce local property taxes.
The Georgia General Assembly passed a bill this year that gradually lowers the state income tax rate from 5.19% to 3.99%, but proposals to drastically reduce property taxes failed. Instead, legislators passed a bill to cap property value assessments at the inflation rate.
Property taxes – the primary funding source for schools and local government — should only be reduced in a way that doesn’t shift the costs onto homeowners and local communities, Carr says. During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers proposed replacing property taxes with sales taxes.
Instead of giving the government new ways to take taxpayers’ money, Carr suggests that excess revenue should be returned to residents through taxpayer relief funds.
Immigration
Carr praises President Donald Trump for more aggressively enforcing U.S. immigration laws and working to secure its border. He argues that weak border enforcement has contributed to public safety concerns.
Immigrants don’t commit crimes at a higher rate than non-immigrants, according to a 2024 analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Carr supports federal immigration enforcement to deport immigrants who commit crimes while living in the U.S. illegally. He says he will always back law enforcement and “make crime illegal again.”
Carr also says Congress needs to pass an immigration overhaul that permanently secures the nation’s border. Federal lawmakers have struggled for decades to enact sweeping immigration changes, leaving candidates to debate how much can be done from the state level.
Healthcare
Carr says rising healthcare costs are putting pressure on Georgia families, but he opposes federal programs that impose a “one size fits all” approach to healthcare.
As attorney general, Carr joined a lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions and provides subsidies to purchase insurance plans among other provisions. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the law.
Carr says Georgia should pursue its own healthcare solutions. He wants to improve access to care in rural Georgia, increase competition, provide greater transparency, and reduce costs.
Like most Georgia Republicans, Carr opposes the full-scale expansion of Medicaid through the ACA. Medicaid is the state-federal health program that provides coverage for low-income residents, people with disabilities and other eligible groups.
Georgia is one of 10 states that has decided against broad Medicaid expansion. The ACA would provide 90% federal funding for health insurance coverage to lower-income adults who still earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid.
Housing
Carr says owning a home is getting harder for young families and first-time home buyers who are trying to put down roots in Georgia.
He says home values are rising, rents are going up, and property taxes are making it harder for families to plan for the future.
Carr says he wants to support the growth of housing supply, expand the economy and reduce government tax burdens that contribute to rising costs for homeowners.
He says his goal is to make Georgia a state where hard work can still lead to homeownership.
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