Kevin Martin has spent more than 35 years in accounting and finance. Now, at 60, he wants to take his first big step into politics.
In an exclusive conversation with HT.com, Martin, a Republican running from Georgia’s 6th District, spoke about his childhood, why he left accounting for politics, his views on President Donald Trump and the Iran war , and his message to voters. His mother worked full-time at Bell South. But if he and his brother wanted something extra, they had to earn it. That is why he started cutting grass at nine to buy a bike. “I’m not tired. Martin is a fifth-generation Cobb County native. He studied at Georgia Tech and Georgia State, and still lives in Smyrna. He feels Congress has the same problem. In his view, the country cannot control its deficit if it does not know what it spends and why. He believes a Republican candidate has a chance to win it back this time.
He also said the defense department has failed 28 straight audits. The district is about 55% Democrat and 45% Republican after the last redistricting, according to Martin. Because it gives me something to do,” Martin said, i actually enjoy work simply.
Martin says he grew up in a hard-working family. His father was a crew foreman at Atlanta Gaslight Company, according to him. He says his parents paid for food, clothes and school needs. He says the lesson stayed with him. Martin says that in every company where he worked as a controller, he found problems with budgets or reports. “For the past 20 plus years, Congress has not had a budget,” he said. He also says the move felt like a calling. “It feels like there was a godly presence behind me saying, I need you to walk this path,” Martin said.
About 30% of a house’s cost comes from government red tape, according to him. Because high energy prices have driven most of the recent inflation, as per him, the first step is to bring down energy costs,. Martin named three top priorities: veterans, education and health coverage for the elderly. As per him, veterans should be able to get care anywhere. He wants an open market with many insurance providers, so one big company does not decide the rates. He also wants doctors kept separate from insurers and hospitals. He also wants better medical centers and patient transport in rural areas. Martin also spoke about high housing costs. He wants less red tape, and more single-family homes where children can play in a yard. Martin also wants Washington to give local leaders more control. His ask is simple. Voters should tell him their needs first, and he will work to meet them. He ended by saying how close he is to the district. And he will more than likely be buried there. To do that, he wants more oil and gas pipelines, including the Keystone pipeline. He also supports small nuclear reactors and calls them clean energy. The leaders of Iran’s IRGC care only about their own power, not about the Iranian people. His answer is to cut off their money. As per Martin, once the IRGC has no money, it can no longer pay groups like the Houthis, and the people of Iran can then take back control.
On veterans, he says long waits at VA hospitals are a big problem. “Just tell the veterans you can go to any place or facility to get the medical attention that you need,” he said. On education, he says he wants practical degrees that lead to jobs, so students are not stuck with huge loans. He says the US is short of skilled workers like welders and electricians, and trade licenses help them earn more. On health, Martin says many seniors have to choose between food and medicines. “Let doctors be doctors and do what they do best, which is curing people,” he said. He also says property values were pushed up so counties could collect more tax. Federal money often comes with strings, which stops towns from picking the best and cheapest contractor, according to him. He says Congress members should ask local leaders what their needs are. His message to voters in simple, Martin says he sees the campaign like a job interview, with voters as the boss. “I am interviewing for a job where you’re the boss,” he said. “If we meet the needs we will find a way to get to the wants,” Martin said. Martin says he backs President Donald Trump’s plan to grow the economy. He says he is not against solar and wind power, but he believes more research is needed on them. On the Iran war, Martin says there is no single fix. He says they attack other countries to make people afraid of them. “The best way is choking off their economy,” he said. He says he would continue Trump’s current plan of putting economic pressure on Iran. He says any country that helps or supplies Iran should face the same sanctions. He also said Russia and China need to understand that what Iran is doing is harmful to the world. If the US does take military action inside Iran, Martin said it should be done all at once and with full strength. “We don’t do it lagging,” he said.
