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- Six Republican candidates are running for Coastal Georgia's U.S. House seat.
- The candidates come from diverse backgrounds, including military, local government, and the private sector.
- Common policy priorities among the candidates include cutting government spending and addressing affordability.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This story is one of two previewing qualified candidates for U.S. House of Representatives District One, which covers Georgia's coast. Due to the abundance of candidates, the Savannah Morning News sent questionnaires to each candidate asking about their backgrounds, the central issues facing the district and policy priorities to address those challenges. The responses were used for the story, and candidate websites were used when responses were not received.
Coastal Georgia's U.S. House of Representatives seat is a traditional stronghold for Republicans. With current seat holder U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-St. Simons) vacating the post for a U.S. Senate bid, this year's race has drawn six Republican candidates.
The race's candidates have an array of backgrounds, from the military and local government to the private sector. Candidates tout plans to address affordability and cut unneeded government spending.
Here is more on each candidate's background and policy priorities.
Pat Farrell
Farrell's bid for the seat comes after an over 20-year run as a Chatham County Commissioner. Farrell has dubbed himself a "strong, reliable conservative" in the race, according to reporting by the Savannah Morning News on his campaign announcement.
Farrell has worked as a farmer in Southeast Georgia, operating a cattle ranch while also producing corn, peanuts, cotton and beef.
The candidate's website states his policy priorities are to secure the border, cut government spending and defend farmers. Other priorities include supporting the second amendment, being anti-abortion and putting America first.
Farrell did not respond to the Savannah Morning News' questionnaire.
Jim Kingston
Kingston is the son of one of the district's former seat holders, Jack Kingston, who held the post for over 20 years.
Jim Kingston is now entering the race with a career working in commercial insurance. Kingston also said he has been involved in state Republican politics throughout his life and volunteered in campaigns including his father's, according to reporting by The Current.
Kingston said that experience has given him deep knowledge of the district and also first-hand encounters with how federal policy can impact small businesses.
“Georgia's First District deserves someone who understands what life actually looks like for the families, farmers and businesses that make this region work and who will bring that perspective – and our Southeast Georgia values – to Washington,” Kingston said.
Kingston said the two biggest issues facing the district are rising cost of living and the fact the federal government has “simply stopped working for regular people.”
The candidate referenced how costs of groceries, gas, housing and insurance have increased. He also said federal regulations are strangling farmers and small businesses.
“When I talk to farmers about regulatory overreach, when I talk to builders about permitting delays, when I talk to families about healthcare costs, the story is the same: Washington is making life harder, not easier, and the people paying the price are the ones who can least afford it,” Kingston said.
Kingston’s core policy priorities are to cut taxes, lower costs, support domestic energy production and advocate for core Southeast Georgia industries.
The candidate specifically referenced support for tax cuts in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, adding he would seek to build on them if elected. Kingston also said he would roll back regulations that burden businesses.
Finally, Kingston referenced regional ports, military bases and farms as the core economic engines he would support in Congress. Kingston said those industries are not just local priorities, but national priorities too.
“A congressman who understands these assets and advocates for them can create real, tangible economic benefit for every county in this district. That's the job, and I'm ready to do it,” Kingston said.
Brian Montgomery
Montgomery is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a U.S. Army combat veteran. He enlisted in 1997 and served for over two decades, according to his campaign website.
The site says Montgomery has an "unshakable belief in American exceptionalism" and also believes in the ability to achieve the American dream through hard work.
Montgomery's "five guiding principles" on policy are national security; fiscal discipline; conservative values; jobs, manufacturing and agriculture; and fighting crime and the fentanyl epidemic, according to his website.
Montgomery did not respond to the Savannah Morning News' questionnaire.
Krista Penn
Penn enters the race with over 20 years of experience as a U.S. Navy nurse. The experience showed her firsthand “the true cost of war and sacrifice.”
After a deployment in Afghanistan, Penn moved on to work in healthcare leadership. She has managed multi-million-dollar healthcare budgets as an executive, she said.
Penn said her military and healthcare experience has showed her how government decisions impact hospitals, medical providers and patients.
“I am not a career politician. I am someone who has spent a lifetime leading teams, managing complex organizations, serving my country, and caring for people during their most vulnerable moments,” Penn said. “I believe Congress needs more leaders with real-world experience, accountability, and a servant’s heart.”
Penn said the two biggest issues facing the district are rising costs and growing the local economy while preserving the character of its existing communities.
She added that the district has “incredible opportunities” from the ports, military installations and other business sectors, but it also faces challenges with infrastructure, healthcare access, workforce shortages and overdevelopment in some areas.
“People in this district want practical leadership focused on strengthening local communities and making sure the next generation can afford to build a future here,” Penn said.
Penn said she would support policies that lower costs, pointing to those that encourage domestic energy production, lower unnecessary federal spending and cut regulations that drive up business costs.
The candidate also said a priority is to strengthen workforce development and healthcare access. She referenced policies to support technical education and apprenticeships, while also expanding telehealth options and retaining healthcare providers.
Penn’s third priority is to support veterans and military communities through improving access to healthcare and mental health services and strengthening the transition from military service to civilian careers.
“At the end of the day, my focus is on practical leadership and real solutions that help working families, strengthen our communities, and ensure the next generation has the opportunity to build a good life right here in the 1st District,” Penn said.
Kandiss Taylor
Taylor is a fifth-generation resident of the district, she said. She also brings over 20 years of experience working in education, including as a teacher and counselor.
Taylor also said that she understands the issues facing the district because of her deep ties to the region, adding that she has traveled to all 15 counties within the district.
“This seat doesn’t need another career politician or someone sent in by the establishment. It needs someone who knows the people, shows up, and will fight for them every single day,” Taylor said.
She believes the top issues facing the district are affordability and the fact that the district is being “overlooked” by officials in Washington D.C. Taylor said that rural and coastal communities specifically are not being prioritized.
The candidate added the affordability crisis is hitting working families, farmers and small businesses the hardest.
“When people can’t afford to live and feel like they’re not being represented, everything else becomes harder,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s first policy priority would be to cut costs and restore economic stability, she said. She pointed to policies that would cut “federal overreach,” reduce “wasteful spending” and drive down energy costs.
The candidate also said a policy priority would be to strengthen local industries such as farming, timber, fishing and the ports. Taylor called those industries the “backbone of our district.”
Taylor is also advocating for empowering states and local governments, particularly in education and workforce development. She said she supports local job training programs and is opposed to “Washington mandates.”
“Affordability doesn’t improve with more bureaucracy,” Taylor said. “It improves when we empower our communities, grow our economy, and put the First District first.”
Eugene Yu
Yu was raised in Augusta by Korean immigrant parents; his father was a retired Korean Marine, and his mother was a "dedicated homemaker," according to his website.
The candidate touts experience working for the Augusta Fire Department and studied criminal justice at Augusta College, according to the site. Yu is now a resident in Pooler.
Yu's policy page includes "deep dives" into trade, jobs, veterans, healthcare, infrastructure and digital-related issues such as cybersecurity.
Some specific items mentioned include foreign economic investment, similar to that seen in the Savannah metropolitan area, in Brunswick and Glynn County, and subsidies or tax cuts for companies building needed infrastructure.
The page also mentions addressing rural healthcare shortages by increasing medical training for rural paramedics, providing them training similar to that of a physician's assistant or nurse practitioner to increase the level of care they can provide when responding to medical emergencies.
Yu did not respond to the Savannah Morning News' questionnaire.
Evan Lassetter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at