Fortenberry Leads Georgia Take Back Action Fund

Kristi Fortenberry has been named Georgia State Director for Take Back Action Fund, the conservative leader in reforming the rules of political campaigns to stop pay-for-play efforts to distort the will of the people.

“We are grateful to have Kristi leading our efforts in Georgia,” said national field director Lars Wiechman, who like Fortenburg and Take Back Action Fund (TBAF) President John Pudner learned the political process through grassroots fieldwork for Republican candidates before joining the nonpartisan TBAF.  “Kristi’s proven ability to train and maximize efforts from political canvassers to exceed quotas for Lynne Homrich (Home Depot executive running for Georgia’s 7th Congressional District) as well as train cadets to work together in team-building exercises in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) made her the perfect fit. She has won over Georgia residents in political settings and briefings and provided military briefs - making her the perfect leader for TBAF’s efforts.”

The combination of military and political background ties in directly to TBAF’s current effort in Georgia to advocate the advantages of using an instant runoff system to allow voters to have their votes counted without requiring a casting a second ballot - a particular hardship for military voters overseas.

“Veterans In Defense of Liberty” (VIDOL) was thrilled to learn of Kristi Fortenberry’s appointment to lead the Take Back Action Fund,” said Dr. William Scott Magill, a veteran and Executive Director of (VIDOL). “I believe it is important that someone who understands the hardship of trying to return a ballot from overseas while serving our country and can follow Alabama’s lead in allowing those based in Afghanistan or elsewhere to record their second and third choices when they vote the first time rather than need to track down another ballot weeks later to make sure their votes are counted is in this position.”

Take Back Action Fund set up the website Georgia Instant Runoff to explain that system, and Pudner is published on other issues such as the need to keep the electoral college, stating that anyone who is serious about “campaign finance reform” should start by supporting a ban of Act Blue processing billions of dollars in unverified credit or gift card contributions that invite foreign meddling.

“My 25 years in Republican political campaigns started with the same kind of fieldwork Kristi runs, so she is a perfect fit for this effort,” said Pudner, who ran the 16 state faith-based effort for Bush 2000, helped flip state legislatures from Democrat to Republican, and was first featured on Fox News after running Dave Brat’s upset of Majority Leader Eric Cantor. “I transitioned from candidate campaigns to this effort because of the void I perceived in only groups on the left working to determine the ‘rules of the game’ from where redistricting need to be reformed to what constituted bad money in politics to voter ID laws to whether a ranked-choice or instant runoff system would best ensure every vote be counted. Kristi is a great addition to the team to work for conservative reform while countering partisan liberal efforts such as the ‘sue until they are blue’ approaches of some groups.”

Fortenberry will tour the state to attend local meetings, share ideas and get feedback, and build membership to better convey to elected officials the priorities of their constituents. She will work with TBAF’s lobbyist Josh Jones, Advisory Board Chair Martha Zoller, National Field Director Lars Wiechman (who first held the same position as her in South Carolina), and President John Pudner.

“This is a great opportunity, and the chance to interact with so many Georgia conservatives working on behalf of Lynne Homrich led me to understand the concerns of many people about the state of our political system, “ Fortenberry said. “Organizing people into a strong, long-term effort can build lasting trust and feedback between constituents and their elected officials.

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