First district U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston may have some competition in the coming election.
Glynn County resident Nathan Russo has announced his plans to seek the congressional seat and face off as a Democrat against Kingston, a Republican.
Russo, originally from New York, has lived on St. Simons Island in Glynn County full-time for six years now, but has owned a home there for 23 years, he said.
Russo said his calling to run for Congress came after spending time in Southeast Asia. Although he got very few American television stations, he saw enough to realize the country was in trouble, he said.
“The more and more I thought about it, the more I thought, ‘wow, my country is really in trouble,’” he said. “So I thought, ‘Well, what else can I do?’ It seems like nobody is talking to anybody in Congress these days. People are bitter on the left and bitter on the right, so maybe I could make a difference if I could get into Congress.”
Though Russo has no political background, he said he is up-to-date with political ideas.
“I read a lot about political things not only here but in other countries, so I’m well-versed on the political ideas here and how other countries do things,” he said.
He also said he is a good listener, something he feels is important in a congressman.
“I’ve learned that you need to be a listener and even though you not be able to satisfy everyone’s needs, pick themes out that people are talking about and try to represent their needs honestly in government,” Russo said. “You need to represent the people and not the lobbyists.”
He is involved with charity work overseas in countries like Vietnam and Thailand, but he also works with the Optimist Club on St. Simons Island, which allows him to work with children, he said.  
Read more in the May 16 edition of the News.