Congressional candidate Ray McKinney (R-Savannah) this week hired longtime Savannah-area Republican and community activist Clint Murphy to manage his campaign for Congress.

“As I share my message of low taxes, reducing gas prices and a smarter government I’m excited to have someone of Clint’s experience and background join my campaign team,” said McKinney.  “Having grown up in Savannah, gone to college in Statesboro, and especially having run a campaign for Congress in this district, Clint will be an invaluable part of my efforts to win the Republican nomination and represent the voters of the 12th District in Congress.”  

McKinney’s campaign headquarters is in Rincon.

Murphy, who also serves as the campaign’s chief spokesperson, said he’s honored that McKinney has asked him to be a part of his campaign team.

“Like many voters, I am tired of high gas prices, pork barrel spending in Washington, and politicians who are more concerned with caustic rhetoric than results,” said Murphy. “Ray is the only candidate running for the Republican nomination from the 12th District who has taken the time to walk and talk to the citizens of the district in the communities in which they live. Ray is not a politician and in a year in which voters are tired of politics as usual, he’s the kind of person we need to send to Washington to represent us.”

Following his graduation from Georgia Southern University in 1998, Murphy started his political career working on Sen. Paul Coverdell’s successful reelection campaign. He then moved to Washington, D.C., to work as a fundraiser for the National Republican Congressional Committee. In 2001 he worked as a political appointee in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Murphy returned to east Georgia in 2002 to manage Barbara Dooley’s primary election campaign for Congress.

Since 2003, Murphy has worked as a realtor while continuing his involvement in politics, co-chairing Johnny Isakson’s 2004 Senate campaign in Chatham County and in 2006 was Chatham County Chairman for Casey Cagle’s successful campaign for lieutenant governor.

Murphy’s community involvement includes serving as chairman of the Chatham Urban Transportation Study Citizens Advisory Committee and sitting on the CUTS Policy Committee. A cancer survivor, Murphy is a part of the Relay for Life of Savannah 2008 planning committee, a 2008 American Diabetes Association Kiss-A-Pig Campaign manager, and the vice chairman of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign.  

“Locally, the 12th District race is poised to be one of the nation’s most competitive races, as it was in 2006,” said Murphy.