Jimmy McCamey is running for mayor of LaGrange. McCamey was born and raised in LaGrange and was educated in the LaGrange Public Schools. His platform is restore the local economy, reduce all forms of violence, transform education for all and reduce economic inequality. McCamey has lived in both districts and believes he will be a bridge between government and community that will ensure both districts have equal access to community resources.

McCamey has more than two decades of leadership and management experience in higher education, residential treatment, psychiatric and community base treatment facilities and nonprofit organizations. He said he understands the needs of small business owners as an entrepreneur who has owned a small business for 20 years in West Georgia that provides individual, group and family counseling. McCamey is an educator who has taught for 15 years. He is presently a tenured Associate Professor of Social Work and Mental Health Counseling at Fort Valley State University currently awaiting final confirmation of promotion to full professor in November of this year. As Former Chair of the Behavioral Science Department at FVSU for more than five years, McCamey said he has saved tremendous amounts of money on costs of additional faculty and created a research consortium at FVSU that allowed collaboration between junior faculty and senior faculty improving visibility and credibility for human services programs at FVSU.

For the city of LaGrange, McCamey said that shows that he understands the importance of collaboration with city government, county government, community leaders, LaGrange College and West Georgia Technical College to enhance overall education opportunities for the city of LaGrange. McCamey said he has research experience LaGrange needs having authored three books and research publications in the areas of mental health, poverty, social welfare, academic achievement and African American issues, race, class and gender.