Pat Donahue/Times-EnterpriseU.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler greets supporters during a campaign stop Monday evening in Thomasville. 

THOMASVILLE — U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler offered her praise for President Trump and touted her own record in eight months on the job Monday night.

Loeffler greeted supporters in a campaign stop as she runs to retain the seat once held by Johnny Isakson. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to the post after Isakson’s resignation.

Now, Loeffler is in what is known as a “jungle primary,” pitted against 20 other candidates, from different parties, for her seat. 

“I’m really very focused on working for Georgia, making sure we’re doing everything we can to get this economy reopened to help fuel that economic growth that President Trump had going for our country,” she said. 

Loeffler said she also is focused on “addressing every opportunity we can to get kids back in school” and to stand with law enforcement.

The Republican National Convention is underway, and President Trump was re-nominated as the GOP’s presidential candidate Monday night. From Loeffler’s perspective, the president has a track record of economic success to show the American people.

“The message the president is going to have this week and that Republicans are going to have this week is one of optimism, of hope, of freedom, of opportunity for all Americans,” she said. “We saw that play out over the last three and a half years. What we saw last week is complete division, confusion, a lack of clarity about any other goals other than talking about our feelings. What we need to do as a country is unite behind the strong values we have as Americans for freedom, equality and opportunity that has lifted up this country and so many around the world, this free enterprise system.”

Loeffler also emphasized the administration’s efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly Operation Warp Speed, which has sped trials of treatments and potential vaccines.

“That’s what we need — common sense solutions that gets government, gets regulations out of the way,” she said. “What we heard from Democrats is they want to keep us locked down. They don’t have any other solutions. Joe Biden said he would shut the country down again. That’s not a hopeful message for this country as we stand back up as we fill those jobs and get this economy going again.”

She also pointed to the reports of a successful stage three trial of convalescent plasma for use as not only a therapeutic in treating COVID-19 but also in preventing the infection from worsening. 

Loeffler espoused her own stances, such as her support of pro-life measures and the Second Amendment. She also said she is in support of term limits for members of Congress.

Loeffler also discussed her opposition to the Black Lives Matter organization, which she says has a five-year plan to defund and abolish the police and also harbors anti-Semitic views. Loeffler told supporters that the Black Lives Matter organization and the statement “Black lives matter” are two different things.

“There is no place in this country for racism and we have to root it out where it exists,” she told supporters Monday night. 

An owner of Women’s National Basketball Association franchise Atlanta Dream, she wrote a letter to the league’s commissioner asking the league not to add Black Lives Matter messages to players’ uniforms. She also asked that American flags be placed on players’ uniforms. 

Loeffler said her stance was met with calls for her to resign her Senate seat and give up her ownership stake in the team. She has not been involved in the Dream’s day-to-day operations for nearly a year. 

Before being appointed to the Senate, Loeffler and her husband are part of Intercontinental Exchange, a commodity and financial service firm. Intercontinental Exchange has since bought the New York Stock Exchange. She also recounted growing up on a farm in Illinois and working as a waitress in her younger days.

“Georgians appreciate that I am a political outsider,” she said, “that I am not a career politician, that I have a calling to Washington to make sure that we protect the American dream. And that’s what I’m focused on, protecting the American values, the ideals, that can lift up all Americans.”

Editor Pat Donahue can be reached at (229) 226-2400 ext. 1806.