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With the 2020 election in the rearview mirror and the 2022 midterms on the horizon, politicians are already hitting the campaign trail, eager to garner support. Dr. Wayne Johnson, the Republican candidate for 2nd Congressional District, came through Bainbridge Wednesday, meeting with County Commissioner Steve Brock and giving an interview to the Post-Searchlight.

“The biggest thing we discussed was water,” Johnson said of his talk with Brock. “Farmers need water, and what can we do to irrigate more farmland, and what can we do to basically break down the regulations, but at the same time preserve the integrity of the aquifer.”

Johnson, a Georgia native, previously worked in the Trump administration, having been appointed by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to oversee student loans as the Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Student Aid program. He also served in the military, is an Eagle Scout, and has spent 40 years working in the banking industry, most of that time with Visa.

“I’ve always been looking at ‘How can I have a third opportunity to be a public servant?’” Johnson said. “My first was in the military, my second was at the Department of Ed, now I’d like to be a member of Congress so I can change laws.”

In addition to helping farmers with water, Johnson has also stated that he has an interest in addressing student loan debt, rural healthcare, maintaining and growing the military, and creating “good, wage-earning jobs.” Johnson emphasized bringing manufacturing jobs back to America.

In an official press release, Johnson stated he is “not a politician.”

“I believe our politicians have been too busy talking and earning power instead of facilitating success for the people they represent,” he said. “I want to solve problems that positively impact your day-to-day life, the things you talk about with your family around the kitchen table.”

Johnson previously vied for the Senate position that Kelly Loeffler was appointed to, and which Raphael Warnock eventually won.

“I hope to be able to prevail in the Republican primary and then take the opportunity to run against Sanford Bishop,” he told the Post-Searchlight. “The thing that’s probably most significant for them (the voters) to know about, is that the Congress is going to go Republican in this election,” Johnson said. “The real question is ‘Will the people of this district be able to benefit from a Republican Congress and be in the majority?’ and I can be that person that allows them to ride that wave to be a part of the majority.”