Amanda Duffy

Amanda Duffy earned a high school diploma from Ramsey High School and an associate degree from Bergen Community College in 2010. Her career experience includes working in accounting.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Amanda Duffy is a neurodivergent suburban working-class mom. She and her husband, Jim, have neurodivergent twin girls who will be starting Kindergarten in the fall in Georgia's public school system. They also have two dogs and have lived in the suburbs of Augusta, GA for about 10 years. Since their twins were born almost 5 years ago, Amanda worked a full-time job in accounting for a local construction company while her husband worked two full-time jobs serving as a firefighter locally. Because of the financial necessity for 3 jobs between her and her husband to afford childcare and the costs of having unexpected twins and no support otherwise, she solo-parented about two thirds of the time throughout their children's infancy and toddlerhood all while battling the increasingly difficult symptoms of both a spinal fluid leak and PCOS. Her life experience has taught her many lessons and has built many leadership traits; for example, advocating medically for both herself and her children taught her resiliency and perseverance in the face of dismissal.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As Governor, I plan to first address upgrading the state income tax system to accurately reflect present-day income amounts and switch from the current flat rate tax system to a graduated tax system with tax brackets that actually make sense and put money back in the hands of the Georgians struggling the most financially.As Governor, education reforms will be a large priority of my administration, focusing on lessening stress for teachers & students through customizing our public school curriculum to better serve how students learn best. Creating these 2-pathways of learning will help give options for all students who struggle with the rigidity of a system that only offers one method of learning; this'll also assist in addressing neurodiverse students' struggles. Introducing social-emotional learning as part of the overall focus of the curriculums will help tackle bullying preventatively. Pre-planning for expanding on our lottery pre-K program to make it truly universal, guaranteeing a spot for each child of that age will be a priority as well.As Governor, I also plan to tackle lessening food insecurity in our state. Roughly 15% of Georgians struggle with food insecurity & is getting worse as the cost of daily living increases & incomes do not. Georgia also faces a statewide issue regarding quickly dwindling landfill space. Addressing food insecurity issues will also help slow down the emergency aspect of this statewide landfill space issue. Working to introduce & pass legislations addressing both food insecurity & waste management will help solve both along with creating a collaborative long term solution with police stations throughout the state to get more vehicles to mobile food pantries / food banks to help alleviate rural food insecurity.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about updating the tax system, education reforms, expanding medicaid, tackling food insecurity issues and waste management problems, and focusing on prioritizing our environment through renewable energy initiatives and energy efficiency.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, humility, and having a strong moral compass are, I believe, the most important characteristics of any elected official.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Prioritizing the safety of all citizens above political party or any other differences is of the utmost importance. Secondarily, managing the state budget, working with state legislators to pass legislation that helps Georgians, and appointing people to offices as necessary based on merit and not simply political affiliation.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Advocating for my own medical diagnoses for 4+ years to finally get my CSF spinal fluid leak that was leaking into my veins fixed, and more recently to finally get my PCOS diagnosis.

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

During natural disasters, mass casualty events, or reactively to federal government overreach to protect the citizens of Georgia.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

As a middle-schooler, I witnessed the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center's Twin Towers and the collective emotional aftermath.