Recently, someone on Facebook asked a friend of ours here in Pine Mountain what makes Charlie Bailey, a native of Harris County running for state attorney general, “special.” Because our friend could not immediately reply, I jumped in to answer:

Many things make Charlie the ideal person for this crucial post: (1) his ability to connect with people from many different backgrounds, (2) his sense of justice and his desire to obtain it for everyone, regardless of class, race, sex, or faith; (3) his willingness to listen as well as to talk; (4) his evident intelligence; and (5) his unassailable competence.

Years ago, I wrote Charlie a recommendation letter to the Honors Program at the University of Georgia, as did many others.

Charlie got into that program and did well at UGA as an undergraduate. Then, he excelled at its law school, where his classmates elected him student-body president.

Later, he paid his professional dues as a lawyer in private practice in Atlanta, often as an advocate for victims of fraud and predatory lending, and, in a selfless shift with a built-in pay cut, as a dedicated senior prosecutor in Fulton County

It’s little surprise, then, that Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley, a Republican, has endorsed Charlie for the Attorney Generalship, noting that what most matters is not the candidate’s party affiliation (Charlie is a  —gasp — Democrat), but instead his ability to do the job.

Charlie is an ace prosecutor, bringing preparation, savvy and bulldog tenacity to every case.

Others of Charlie’s virtues include his work ethic, his commitment to consumer protection and his firm intent to develop a statewide organized-crime-and-gang division as well as an organized-crime database: vital law-enforcement tools that Georgia has too long lacked.

So, when you vote in the general election, consider Charlie Bailey for attorney general. He doesn’t need on-the-job training — he’s been in the arena for years.

Also, if elected, Charlie Bailey will be the first public servant from Harris County to hold one of its highest statewide offices — and deservedly so.

Michael Bishop

Pine Mountain