The Georgia state senate could have a new face seated in District 48 next year. First time candidate and Sugar Hill resident Kevin Grindlay has announced his intention to run for office in the November 2022 general midterm election.

“I’ve decided to run for state senate seat 48, and I’m all in,” Grindlay said in an exclusive interview with the North Gwinnett Voice. 

A native of Valparaiso in northwest Indiana, Grindlay and his wife, a nurse practitioner, have called Georgia home since 2008, having lived in Norcross and Cumming before moving to Sugar Hill in 2011. Grindlay describes himself as “just a regular person. I’m a Christian, husband, father of two precious young girls and a grocery clerk. I’m not a business superstar or somebody with lots of political connections, but I know I’ll give the people of District 48 the representation they deserve.”

Before he gained his highest esteemed title, “Dad,” Grindlay graduated from Purdue University in 2005, followed by law school at Northwestern University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 2008. After passing the Georgia bar, he had difficulty finding legal work and decided to pursue a job path outside of law. 

“I’ve worked as a law school entrance exam instructor, a customer service rep and a freelance-marketing writer,” Grindlay said. “I’ve also been a stay-at-home dad. I now work in a grocery store, and I love what I do.”

Grindlay and his family attend Shadowbrook Church in Suwanee, where he serves on the security team and is part of a weekly life group.

Despite his background in law, Grindlay said he had never considered serving as an elected official until recently.

“I’ve come to believe the United States is rapidly descending into tyranny and cultural Marxism,” Grindlay explained. “To right the ship, we desperately need more elected officials who are there for the right reasons. If you enter politics for power or personal gain, you are part of the problem. I feel like it’s a good thing to have more ordinary citizens in public office — people who view the role as a service to their community and the next generation.

“It is critical that patriotic, freedom-loving Americans step into action now, or else we might not leave a constitutional republic to future generations,” Grindlay continued. “That might mean running for office, attending school board meetings or otherwise becoming a patriot activist. Too many people have sacrificed defending this great country to give it up without a fight.” 

With the filing deadline approaching on Friday, March 11, for the November 2022 midterm elections, the window for those everyday heroes to step up is closing. But not before Grindlay joined the fight.

Describing himself as “The People’s Conservative,” Grindlay said his platform issues include fair elections, stopping medical mandates, school choice, protecting the preborn, standing up to the Chinese Communist Party and transparency within the state legislature.

“I determined that the only way to make our government do the people’s work was to get honest, tenacious people in office. So, I decided to run for office myself,” Grindlay said. “There is nothing special about me, but I can promise you that I will never sell my constituents out. I will not be intimidated, and I will always do what I believe is right.”

Grindlay will be running against Shawn Still for the GOP nomination, which will be determined by the results of the May 2022 primary.

Still is the president of Olympic Pool Plastering & Shotcrete, reportedly one of the largest pool contractors in the Southeast. Still’s business generates more than $20 million in revenue each year, according to his website. 

A resident of Johns Creek and member of St. Brigid Catholic Church, Still serves as chairman of the Georgia Republican Party Finance Committee “where he helped lead record-breaking fundraising results for the party in 2020,” according to his website, shawnstill.com. “He also serves on the Executive Committee for the GAGOP and serves on the Board of Directors for the GAGOP Foundation. He is a member of the Fulton GOP Chairman’s Circle and has served as a precinct captain.”

District 48 encompasses northwest Gwinnett, southeast Forsyth and northwest Fulton counties. 

Grindlay and Still will face off in the May 24 Republican primary to determine who will take on the Democratic nominee on Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the general midterm election.

For more information about Grindlay, visit votekevinga.com.