John Oxendine
David Poythress

Still nearly two years away, the field already is crowded in the race for governor of Georgia.

Two candidates who were the first to announce their plans to seek their party’s nominations and try to succeed Gov. Sonny Perdue say they also have plans that directly impact Northwest Georgia.

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine, 46, a four-term commissioner, is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2010.

David Poythress, 65, a former state commissioner of labor and former state adjutant general, is seeking the Democratic nomination.

Mr. Oxendine, who briefly ran for lieutenant governor in 2006, was at the Red Cross in Dalton last week to talk about a new child car seat program, but he was also willing to talk about his campaign.

He said as governor he would push for more regional cooperation and construction of reservoirs to solve the state’s water supply shortage. He also wants an “interstate equivalent” alternative to Interstate 75 that could begin in Northwest Georgia or Chattanooga and extend to Savannah.

“This would provide economic development in other areas of the state and also take the transportation pressure off the city of Atlanta,” he said. “It would use a lot of the existing U.S. 27 road bed and curve into middle Georgia and then to Savannah.”

Mr. Poythress, a retired Air Force brigadier general and former labor commissioner and secretary of state who ran for governor in 1998, is seeking the governor’s post again 12 years later.

He said Friday the immediate goal is economic recovery and development, especially in Northwest Georgia.

“This may happen before my term as governor, but I want to direct as much federal stimulus money as possible into Dalton and North Georgia where people are hardest hit and people are most in need of jobs,” Mr. Poythress said in a telephone interview.

The Democratic candidate said he is urging the state’s congressional delegation to help extend unemployment benefits and he is encouraging people to use the state Department of Labor as an asset in learning new job skills and finding jobs.

Mr. Poythress ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1998, when Roy Barnes won the Democratic nomination and served one term. Former Gov. Barnes, who lost to Sonny Perdue in 2002, has been rumored as having interest in running again.