GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Scott Soracco, a retired Army officer and former federal emergency management official, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for Georgia House District 29, a seat covering Oakwood and parts of Gainesville in Hall County.
The district is currently represented by Republican Matt Dubnik, chairman of the House Education Appropriations Committee.
Soracco said his campaign is rooted in long-term planning, education funding, healthcare access, and fiscal responsibility — priorities he ties directly to decades of public service.
Local roots and public service background
Soracco said he has longstanding ties to the Lake Lanier area, dating back to childhood summers and weekends spent in North Georgia.
“I grew up coming to Lake Lanier,” Soracco said. “We’ve been spending time up here since 1968, and I’ve seen this area grow.”
He served 27 years as an Army Reserve officer, including seven years on active duty. His military career included service in the first Gulf War, deployments to Bosnia and Germany, counterterrorism work, and drug interdiction operations based out of Key West.
After retiring from the military around 2010, Soracco joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he worked as an operations section chief and participated in more than 50 disaster responses nationwide.
“States are always in charge,” Soracco said of FEMA’s role. “They ask us to come in. My job was to work with state emergency management and design the operation — which federal agencies would support the state.”
Why he decided to run
Soracco said he began exploring public office after retiring from FEMA, initially looking at local government before turning his attention to the state legislature.
He said residency boundaries and election timing ruled out a county commission run, but a Democratic recruitment effort focused on contesting unopposed House seats ultimately led him to District 29.
“There’s a lot to getting on the ballot,” Soracco said. “Ethics filings, campaign accounts, tax ID numbers — things they don’t teach you in school.”
Long-term planning and education funding
Soracco said the biggest issue facing Georgia is a lack of long-term fiscal planning.
“We need to plan for the future — five, 10, 15 years out,” he said. “That’s what I’ve done in the Army and with FEMA.”
He said education funding is a key example of where the state falls short, arguing Georgia is not fully meeting its obligation to public schools.
“People say property taxes pay for education, but that’s only half,” Soracco said. “The state is supposed to pay the other half, and it doesn’t seem like that’s happening.”
While acknowledging the incumbent’s leadership role in education appropriations, Soracco said his focus is on systemwide funding challenges rather than individual lawmakers.
“What I’m seeing is that education still isn’t fully funded, and that affects counties across the state,” he said.
Soracco also said Georgia’s decades-old education funding formula should be reviewed to reflect population growth and economic changes, particularly in fast-growing communities like Gainesville.
Healthcare and access to care
On healthcare, Soracco said individuals — not politicians — should make medical decisions in consultation with their healthcare providers.
“Our citizens need the freedom of choice to make their own healthcare decisions with their medical advisors and based on their values,” he said.
He also said the state should take a closer look at Medicaid policy and how funding decisions affect hospitals and access to care, particularly outside major metro areas, while praising the strength of Hall County’s healthcare system.
Taxes and fiscal responsibility
Soracco said he is skeptical of proposals to eliminate Georgia’s state income tax without a clear plan to replace lost revenue.
“How do you plan to replace the income the state needs?” he said. “Are we that rich?”
He said shifting the burden to higher sales taxes could disproportionately impact residents and said alternatives should be studied carefully.
“What’s wrong with looking at a flat income tax of four percent or even three?” Soracco said.
Soracco said he is still learning the details of state government and fiscal policy and plans to continue meeting with voters to better understand local needs.
“There’s a lot to learn,” he said. “I’m meeting people, I’m learning what the needs are, and I’m figuring out how the state works.”
Campaign focus
On the campaign trail, Soracco said he plans to focus on direct voter outreach, fundraising, and encouraging participation in the election process.
“I plan to get out and meet people,” he said. “Fundraising is important, but so is making sure people know I’m running and understand the platform.”
He said voter engagement remains a concern.
“A lot of people don’t vote,” Soracco said. “That goes back to education — people don’t always know why they should.”
The Democratic primary is scheduled for May. With no primary opposition, Soracco is expected to advance to the general election in November.
