Democrat admits to challenge

Bobby Saxon knows he's in an uphill battle.

The Democratic challenger to 10th Congressional District Republican Rep. Paul Broun says the odds are against him.

"I would say calling me an underdog would probably be an understatement," the Army veteran said. "I'm running in a district that has been Republican for 14 years."

Still, he thinks many Republicans in the district see him as the type of congressman who shares their values and belief in the Constitution.

"I believe in the Constitution -- all of it, not just parts," he said. "I believe in the right to own a gun. I will fight for that until the end. I don't understand people who will stand up for one part of the Constitution while trampling the rest of it."

He said he wants to go to Washington as a combat veteran and business owner to try to bring some common sense to the nation's capital.

"As a 46-year-old man, what I see going on in Washington, D.C., frustrates me," he said. "It's not about Democrat or Republican party. It's about America to me. When I'm on the campaign trail and people ask whether I'm a Democrat or a Republican, I say I'm an American."

He's a Christian first, an American second, a father third and so many other things before he is a Democrat, he said.

"There are a lot of things more important than my party affiliation," he said.

The most important thing is doing the right thing, which is why he wants to be a congressman, he said.

"If I wake up Nov. 5 and I am not a congressman, I won't be disappointed because I don't have access to fame, power or money," he said. "I'll be disappointed because I can't go make a difference."

Mr. Saxon vowed to represent all 700,000 people in the 10th District.

"And we don't have that right now," he said. "We have people in Washington who will do anything or say anything to stay in power."

Mr. Saxon has challenged Mr. Broun to a series of debates throughout the district and is waiting to hear whether he will accept.

Mr. Saxon is a major in the Georgia Army National Guard and co-owner of an insurance agency in Athens.

He enlisted in the National Guard in 1983 as a military policeman and rose through the ranks until 1987, when he began active duty as a field artillery officer with the Army. He had a three-year assignment in Germany, after which he returned home and entered the Individual Ready Reserve.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Mr. Saxon returned to active service with the National Guard. After various assignments, he was promoted to major in 2004.

While attached to the National Guard Bureau in Washington, he performed three missions in Afghanistan and two in Iraq. He then deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in 2005. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Badge for his performance there.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.