One of Georgia's political

leaders who started his career in Fayette County kicked off his 2004 run

for Congress yesterday.

In a series of announcements

throughout the district, state Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Sharpsburg) announced

he will seek Rep. Mac Collins' Eighth Congressional District seat in next

year's election. Westmoreland is the minority leader in the state House

of Representatives, the highest post among Republican members in the Democrat-controlled

chamber.

The conservative Collins is

challenging moderate GOP Congressman Johnny Isaakson for retiring Sen.

Zell Miller's seat. Miller, a conservative Democrat and former governor,

was appointed in July 2000 to the unexpired term of the late Paul Coverdell

and then won a special election later that same year to serve the remaining

four years of Coverdell's term.

If both Collins and Westmoreland

win, Fayette and the Southside would have two powerful allies in D.C.

"I'm excited about it.

It's a big district to cover," Westmoreland said.

The Eighth District covers

18 counties, and Westmoreland said he's going "to have to buy a gas

credit card" to cover all the landscape and meet the citizens.

The district stretches from

Muscogee County to the south, Carroll County to the west, Fayette to the

north and Jasper County to the east.

So far, he's met a lot of people

in the district and knows what one of the main issues in the campaign

will be.

"We've got to get behind

the President and get this economy going," he said.

Between now and the election,

Westmoreland will continue to serve as the leader of the House Republican

Caucus and in the General Assembly.

According to his web site,

"in 1976 the Westmorelands moved to Fayette County, where he started

a building company, L.A.W. Builders. During his work in the construction

industry, Rep. Westmoreland has worked in all aspects of the trade, including

commercial and residential construction, land development, and served

as a construction consultant for various governmental agencies.

"Rep. Westmoreland is

a licensed real estate broker and has also served as a mediator in various

capacities....

"His political career

did not begin until 1988 when he ran for state Senate. In 1992 he was

elected state representative of the 104th district, which includes parts

of Fayette and Coweta counties. His constituents have reelected him to

his sixth term as a state representative. He now serves on the Appropriations,

Legislative Services, Reapportionment, and Rules Committees," according

to Westmoreland's web site, www.lynnwestmoreland.com.

He now serves on the Christian

City Advisory Board, the Safe Kids Council for Coweta and Fayette counties,

and the Stakeholder's Advisory Committee for Kennesaw State University

and is a member of the Midwest Georgia Homebuilder's Association, his

web site states. He and his wife Joan have three children and two granddaughters,

according to his web site.

Also running for the post is

state Sen. Mike Crotts of Conyers, the senior Republican member of that

body whose District 18 covers a small portion of Fayette.

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