The Henry County local’s campaign focuses on improving infrastructure and education.
Mishael White, candidate for Georgia’s 81st district, campaigns door to door in Henry County (credit: @mishaelwhiteforgeorgia)
CLAREMONT, Calif. — Mishael White, a veteran truck driver from Henry County, Georgia, now running for the state legislature, says he plans to tackle a mounting problem for drivers: finding a place to park.
Truck drivers in Georgia and across the United States increasingly lack adequate parking and rest areas, a result of growing consumer demand for e-commerce. White’s political campaign, run from his home, provides a window into a perplexing issue for Georgia voters.
Henry County, 33 miles south of Atlanta, saw its population rise 27% between 2010 and 2024. That growth, coupled with the soaring e-commerce market, has exacerbated traffic congestion. According to a 2024 report by Rough Draft Atlanta, a local media organization, Georgia’s retail sales, including online shopping, have grown 470% over the last two decades, leading to more trucks on the road.
The 43-year-old White, a Democrat who garnered 3,212 votes in the primary, faces Republican Noelle Kahaian, 50, a consultant from Locust Grove. “Henry County is ready for a representative who truly embodies our conservative values,” Kahaian said in a press release after the primary.
With 23 years of trucking experience, White seeks to represent working-class individuals. “I know what families in District 81 care about because I'm one of them,” White said in a phone interview. “My experience as a truck driver has solidified my understanding of getting up every day and doing the job right.”
The issue, White said, is “that our infrastructure isn't robust enough to handle the sheer volume of commuters on the roadway at any given time.”
The lack of infrastructure has contributed to a parking mess. White said truckers driving on Interstate Highway 75, a major thoroughfare in Henry County, spend as much as 40 miles trying to find adequate parking.
White believes that solving the parking problem could alleviate traffic congestion. “If we can give truckers a place to park, get their supplies for the night…and take their off-duty breaks, we’d see less trucks on the roadway during daytime driving,” White said.
Georgia’s budget surplus could be a source of funding. The state surplus was $16 billion in the fiscal year ending 2023, according to a report released by Georgia Budget & Policy Institute.
Parking shortages affect urban centers nationwide. City planners have implemented “curb management strategies” to tackle the issue. Washington, D.C., has increased designated pick up/drop-off zones for truckers, while New York City authorized the first use of e-cargo bikes in April. These efforts mirror White’s campaign initiatives.
White is running in a new political landscape. District 81 was created in 2023 by legislatures aiming to increase majority-Black voting districts. Although the area has historically leaned Republican, it is now considered a toss-up, with the population 50% white and 42% Black. In addition to infrastructure, White announced intentions to improve public education.
Kahaian, White’s Republican opponent, is running on a different slate of issues. As an ambassador for Veterans for Trump, Kahaian aims to increase awareness for veterans in the county, according to her campaign website. Kahaian is also president of Protect Student Health Georgia, an organization that fights to protect “children from the potential harms of gender identity ideology,” according to the website. The Kahaian campaign did not return requests for comment.
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