CAIRO — Latham Saddler brought his campaign for a U.S. Senate seat to Cairo on Wednesday afternoon.

Saddler, a Republican, is  running for Democrat Raphael Warnock’s seat. The election is set for November 8, 2022.

Saddler, who spoke at the Grady County Republican office, is the third Republican to announce their candidacy for Warnock’s seat. Cobb County businessman Kelvin King and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black are the others.

Former president Donald Trump has encouraged ex-Georgia football player Herschel Walker to enter the race as a Republican as well.

Warnock won the seat by defeating Kelly Loeffler in a special election last year. Loeffler had been appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 after Johnny Isakson resigned for health reasons.

Saddler’s visit to Cairo was part of a busy week as he made stops in multiple South Georgia cities, including Columbus, Nashville and Bainbridge.

Saddler is a University of Georgia graduate who went on to become a Navy SEAL. Saddler also served in the Trump administration as the director of Intelligence Programs on the National Security Council. 

Saddler said he also served as a White House Fellow. During that time, he worked on criminal justice reform.

Saddler told the Grady County crowd that Trump’s America First policy was the right one for the country.

Kevin Price can be reached at 229-226-2400, ext. 1820