Olens' political star getting brighter
The political star of Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens seems to be getting brighter every day.Olens was elected attorney general in 2010 in his first statewide race. He had been a popular chairman of the Cobb County Commission and was the appointed chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission for years.
His leadership abilities became clear in those metro Atlanta positions where he was especially skilled at building consensus among metro leaders. He was one of the strongest proponents of promoting Metro Atlanta regionalism we have seen in a decade.
His election as attorney general was not surprising, and he has generally gotten high marks for his work in the AG office. He’s also getting attention on the national level -- he will be a speaker at the Republican National Convention, scheduled Aug. 27-30 in Tampa, Fla.
Olens has been an advisor to Romney on the 2010 health care law, which Olens is fighting with a lawsuit against the federal government.
Getting to speak at the GOP convention is a big deal for Olens. As one Kennesaw State University professor said: “Olens has turned some heads in the Republican Party ... He can be relied upon for ideas, for strategy, and it helps the Georgia GOP get in the limelight. It’s great for him personally and for the state party.”
We agree.
As Olens’ star gets brighter, what’s his future? If Romney wins the presidency, Olens could get a lofty position in the Romney Administration. Otherwise, we suspect Olens will be around Georgia politics for some time in higher positions. Maybe even governor or U.S. senator.
He’s one of the GOP’s brightest stars in our state.
