Oxendine's change of heart changes mind of only announced Republican candidate for Insurance Comm'r, but not that of Democrat Guy Drexinger.

Last Friday we learned that since Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine will keep his current job rather than run for lieutenant governor in '06, party switcher and former Athens-Clarke Mayor Doc Eldridge was abandoning his own plans to run for insurance chief (3-18-05 The Athens Observer).

Did such change of heart by Oxendine change or dampen any plans by Democrat Guy Drexinger of Marietta to seek the office of State Insurance Commissioner?

Not in the least, according to Mr. Drexinger. In fact, while he was evaluating the race, Ralph Reed's name had surfaced as a likely candidate for lieutenant governor, leading Drexinger to expect that Oxendine would change his mind and decide to try to keep his present job.

Guy Drexinger says he will be running on a campaign stressing Georgia's individuals and businesses need for an Insurance Commission working for them, and one that is independent from the insurance industry it is supposed to regulate. This sounds good to me.

I met Guy and his lovely wife Chris this summer while on the campaign trail. His enthusiasm and grassroots organization of the Cobb County Democrats led me to post on my Web site that the rest of us could learn from observing how they were doing things in Cobb County in the get out the vote (GOTV) effort.

Guy served as Chairman of the Cobb County Democratic Party from 2001-2004, and as 1st Vice-Chair from 1999-2000. During that time, Cobb went from having two Democratic legislators in Cobb County to now having seven.

In addition, from 2003-2004, Guy served as Treasurer of the Georgia Association of Democratic County Chairs.

Guy is an attorney and also a CPA. His practice emphasizes representing small businesses.