Cynthia
Johnson
Igniting Hope for
Georgia State House District 148
Georgia State House District 148
Accountability, Transparency & Trust
You Deserve a Representative Who Works in the Light
I have watched this district be represented by people who show up at election time and disappear afterward. Who make decisions in back rooms. Who vote in ways that seem to serve everyone except the families who sent them to Atlanta. Who let developers, utilities, and well-funded interests set the agenda while constituents wait for a call that never comes.
That ends with me. Accountability is not a campaign promise for me — it is the reason I am running.
What Happened with the Data Center — and Why It Matters
In our own district, a hyperscale data center — one of the largest in the country — was approved by the county commission with almost no public process that meant anything. Residents found out after the decisions were made. There were no completed environmental impact studies. The company behind the project was formed in 2025 and has disclosed almost nothing about its ownership structure, its capital partners, or who the end users of its facility will be. Georgia's Open Records Act allows "trade secret" exemptions that can shield incentive agreements from public view entirely.
This is not how government is supposed to work. When public dollars — in the form of tax exemptions, infrastructure commitments, and utility rate structures — flow to a private corporation, the people whose taxes and bills are funding that deal have a right to see it. All of it.
I cannot undo what was approved. What I can do is lead a public oversight effort that demands transparency at every stage going forward — and go to Atlanta and change the rules so this never happens to another community the same way.
What I Will Do in the Legislature
Stronger Transparency Requirements for Major Developments.
I will push for legislation requiring robust public hearings, documented environmental and health impact disclosures, and genuine community input before state tax credits or other public benefits are extended to major industrial projects. The hearings must be real — not pro forma check-the-box processes held after the deal is already signed.
I will advocate for stronger conflict-of-interest rules for public officials involved in development approval processes, and for fair enforcement of open records requirements so that "trade secret" exemptions cannot be used as a blanket shield against public accountability.
Community Benefit Agreements: Accountability Written Into Law.
I will introduce or co-sponsor legislation requiring Community Benefit Agreements as a legal condition of receiving state tax credits above a defined threshold — for any employer, whether it is a data center, a film company, a manufacturer, or a private detention operator. Those agreements must include verified local hiring targets, workforce training commitments, water and land protections, and a defined infrastructure contribution. Signed. Before the first shovel hits the ground.
Reform of Utility Oversight.
Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission have operated for too long in a system that benefits the utility and its shareholders at the expense of ratepayers. All five current PSC commissioners have received campaign funding from Georgia Power and its lawyers. Not one of them uses Georgia Power to power their own homes — they use EMC cooperatives with rates 20–40% lower. They are not experiencing the consequences of their own decisions.
I will support reform of the PSC oversight process to end utility campaign contributions to regulators, increase transparency in rate-setting proceedings, and ensure that the preferential rates negotiated for mega-power users like data centers do not shift hidden costs onto residential customers.
Voting Rights and Election Access.
As a lifelong voter who has participated faithfully in every election, I believe voting is both a sacred right and a serious responsibility. I will oppose any effort to make voting harder and will support policies that expand fair, accessible elections: robust early voting, secure absentee voting with clear ballot-curing processes, accessible drop boxes, and well-resourced polling places in both urban and rural communities.
The recent changes to Georgia's election laws, combined with polling place closures and consolidations, have made it harder for many people to vote — with the sharpest impact on low-income rural residents, Black, Latino, and Asian voters, and people with disabilities. I will advocate for fair redistricting and oppose maps drawn purely for partisan advantage.
My Commitment to You Directly
This is not a talking point for me. This is the reason I am running.
"I am running to change that relationship. Completely. Permanently. Starting on day one."
You will always know what is happening — because I will make sure of it.
I have watched this district be represented by people who show up at election time and disappear afterward. Who make decisions in back rooms. Who vote in ways that seem to serve everyone except the families who sent them to Atlanta. Who let developers, utilities, and well-funded interests set the agenda while constituents wait for a call that never comes.
That ends with me. Accountability is not a campaign promise for me — it is the reason I am running.
What Happened with the Data Center — and Why It Matters
In our own district, a hyperscale data center — one of the largest in the country — was approved by the county commission with almost no public process that meant anything. Residents found out after the decisions were made. There were no completed environmental impact studies. The company behind the project was formed in 2025 and has disclosed almost nothing about its ownership structure, its capital partners, or who the end users of its facility will be. Georgia's Open Records Act allows "trade secret" exemptions that can shield incentive agreements from public view entirely.
This is not how government is supposed to work. When public dollars — in the form of tax exemptions, infrastructure commitments, and utility rate structures — flow to a private corporation, the people whose taxes and bills are funding that deal have a right to see it. All of it.
I cannot undo what was approved. What I can do is lead a public oversight effort that demands transparency at every stage going forward — and go to Atlanta and change the rules so this never happens to another community the same way.
What I Will Do in the Legislature
Stronger Transparency Requirements for Major Developments.
I will push for legislation requiring robust public hearings, documented environmental and health impact disclosures, and genuine community input before state tax credits or other public benefits are extended to major industrial projects. The hearings must be real — not pro forma check-the-box processes held after the deal is already signed.
I will advocate for stronger conflict-of-interest rules for public officials involved in development approval processes, and for fair enforcement of open records requirements so that "trade secret" exemptions cannot be used as a blanket shield against public accountability.
Community Benefit Agreements: Accountability Written Into Law.
I will introduce or co-sponsor legislation requiring Community Benefit Agreements as a legal condition of receiving state tax credits above a defined threshold — for any employer, whether it is a data center, a film company, a manufacturer, or a private detention operator. Those agreements must include verified local hiring targets, workforce training commitments, water and land protections, and a defined infrastructure contribution. Signed. Before the first shovel hits the ground.
Reform of Utility Oversight.
Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission have operated for too long in a system that benefits the utility and its shareholders at the expense of ratepayers. All five current PSC commissioners have received campaign funding from Georgia Power and its lawyers. Not one of them uses Georgia Power to power their own homes — they use EMC cooperatives with rates 20–40% lower. They are not experiencing the consequences of their own decisions.
I will support reform of the PSC oversight process to end utility campaign contributions to regulators, increase transparency in rate-setting proceedings, and ensure that the preferential rates negotiated for mega-power users like data centers do not shift hidden costs onto residential customers.
Voting Rights and Election Access.
As a lifelong voter who has participated faithfully in every election, I believe voting is both a sacred right and a serious responsibility. I will oppose any effort to make voting harder and will support policies that expand fair, accessible elections: robust early voting, secure absentee voting with clear ballot-curing processes, accessible drop boxes, and well-resourced polling places in both urban and rural communities.
The recent changes to Georgia's election laws, combined with polling place closures and consolidations, have made it harder for many people to vote — with the sharpest impact on low-income rural residents, Black, Latino, and Asian voters, and people with disabilities. I will advocate for fair redistricting and oppose maps drawn purely for partisan advantage.
My Commitment to You Directly
This is not a talking point for me. This is the reason I am running.
- Quarterly in-person town halls — one in each county, every quarter. Not in election years only. Every year, in every corner of the district, including the small communities that are typically overlooked
- A plain-language vote newsletter after every legislative session — explaining what I voted for, what I voted against, and why. Not spin. Not talking points. A clear, honest account of every significant vote I cast
- Accessible and responsive communication — phone, email, an updated website, and active social media — so constituents can reach me, track what I am doing, and hold me to account in real time
- Insistence on transparency for every public institution I interact with — not just my own office, but the agencies, utilities, and regulators whose decisions affect your life
"I am running to change that relationship. Completely. Permanently. Starting on day one."
You will always know what is happening — because I will make sure of it.
PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS
PAID FOR BY CYNTHIA JOHNSON FOR GEORGIA
P.O. Box 42 Cordele, GA 31010 | (229) 805-0094
copyright 2026 Cynthia Johnson for Georgia
PAID FOR BY CYNTHIA JOHNSON FOR GEORGIA
P.O. Box 42 Cordele, GA 31010 | (229) 805-0094
copyright 2026 Cynthia Johnson for Georgia