Noblitt wants to see abortion banned in Georgia, ‘no exceptions’

Published 7:55 am Saturday, May 21, 2022

Todd Noblitt said he is “100% pro-life.”

“With the recent leak from the U.S. Supreme Court that Roe vs. Wade may be overturned, it looks like we may have a chance to make Georgia 100% pro-life,” he said.

Noblitt, an insurance agent from Chickamauga, is seeking the Republican Party nomination for state House of Representatives District 2 in the Tuesday primary. District 2 includes parts of western and southern Whitfield County. Incumbent Rep. Steve Tarvin of Chickamauga and Jim Coles, a registered nurse from Ringgold, are also in that primary. No Democrat qualified. The term is for two years.

“I would like to see abortion banned in the state of Georgia,” said Noblitt. “Completely. No exceptions.”

Noblitt said he has concerns about the 2020 election regarding the possibility of what has been called ballot harvesting and the abuse of drop boxes, not just in Georgia but across the country.

The Associated Press reported this week, “The Republican head of Georgia’s election board said Tuesday a recently released film alleging ballots were illegally collected and dropped off during the 2020 presidential election falsely suggests there were tens of thousands of illegitimate votes in the state.

“Still, State Election Board Chairman Matt Mashburn promised a ‘fair’ investigation of its claims.”

“(Senate Bill) 202 will help us,” Noblitt said. “But we need to continue to monitor elections and make improvements as needed.”

That bill, passed by the legislature in 2021, requires drop boxes to be inside early voting sites and accessible only during early voting hours.

Noblitt is a lifetime resident of Walker County.

“I completed a two-year associate’s degree from Dalton College in general studies,” he said. “After that, I worked at Shaw Industries at the distribution center at Connector 3 from 1993 to 2002. During the late 1990s, I also went back to college and in 1999 graduated from Shorter College with a bachelor’s in ministry studies.”

While he was at Shorter, Noblitt was approached by a friend who suggested he would make a good insurance agent.

“That planted a seed, and in 2002 I took the classes for my insurance license and passed both of the state exams and got my license,” he said. “I started working for a couple of guys out of Chattanooga and learned the business.”

In 2004, a couple who had been in the insurance business in North Georgia for years sold him one of their agencies.

“All along, I’ve had an interest in politics, but life has kept me pretty busy,” he said. “I’ve been busy growing my business. I’ve done a lot of church work, taught Bible study classes, led children’s groups several years.”

He said he has coached youth sports teams that his children were on and served as a volunteer firefighter.

“I’ve helped with a few local campaigns, going door-to-door, things like that,” he said.

In 2020, he decided it was time for him to get involved. He ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Jeff Mullis in the Republican Party primary for state Senate District 53.

“I stayed active in the Walker County Republican Party after that,” he said. “I ran for chairman of the Walker County Republican Party and was elected in April 2021. As chairman, I was part of the 14th Congressional District committee. In May of 2021 I ran for the state Republican Party committee and was elected to that.”

When he qualified for the state House race, he resigned from those positions.

Noblitt said one reason he challenged Mullis and is running against Tarvin this year is that both men had been in office for several terms. Mullis, who is not seeking reelection, was first elected to the state Senate in 2000. Tarvin was first elected to the state House in 2014.

“I believe in rotation in office,” Noblitt said. “I’d like to see term limits.”

Noblitt noted redistricting changed the District 2 lines and brought in a much larger portion of Whitfield County.

“I want the people of the district and Whitfield County to know that I will be available,” he said. “I will be involved in the district, all of the district.”