Fayth Park on Data Centers, Affordability and GA-13 | Candidate Conversations — Episode 95
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Candidate Conversations — Episode 95 of The Town Square Podcast
Georgia’s 13th Congressional District is holding a political sprint. After the death of longtime Congressman David Scott, the state scheduled a July 28 special election to fill the remainder of his term. There is no party primary: Democrats and Republicans appear together on what Fayth Park calls a “jungle-style ballot,” and a runoff follows if no candidate wins a majority.
It is a compressed job interview for a seat representing communities across Clayton, DeKalb, Henry, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton counties. In Episode 95, Park joins Trey Bailey—Gabriel Stovall was away following a death in his family—to explain why she entered the race and what she would try to accomplish during the short term.
A blue-collar childhood and a wrestler’s path to Georgia
Park grew up as the youngest of four in a blended, blue-collar California family. Her father worked as a mechanic before also teaching, and her mother stayed home. One of Park’s strongest childhood memories is the family dinner table: “We didn’t have everything … but we always had each other growing up.”
Athletics became her route to higher education. Park wrestled on scholarship at an Oregon community college and later at Emmanuel University in Georgia. She earned a business degree, completed a master’s degree in positive psychology and worked as a graduate assistant for women’s wrestling at Life University. She also discusses her experience wrestling boys and explains why she strongly supports protecting separate opportunities for girls and women in sports while treating every person with dignity.
Georgia became home through school, church, her husband and eventually a house in Clayton County—purchased on the same day she graduated with her master’s degree. Now 29 and the mother of a young son, Park frames the race as a call to service, not the next rung in a political career.
“People … want someone who’s going to show up”
The decision came quickly, but not, Park says, as a sudden bolt of inspiration. After Scott’s death, she researched how a special election worked, discussed the possibility with her husband, family, church and friends, and decided she could not remain on the sidelines. She points to previous advocacy against child trafficking and exploitation as part of a longer pattern of civic involvement.
During the campaign, Park says she attended more than 50 events across all six counties. The lesson she heard repeatedly was less ideological than practical: “People at the heart of it just want someone who’s going to show up and listen to them after the election.”
Park describes herself as a conservative and a political outsider running a grassroots campaign without PAC or party funding. Her Christian faith is central to her identity, but she says her goal is to compete for every vote and work across party lines on problems that directly affect the district.
Data centers: growth, resources and the need to slow down
Data centers become the episode’s most detailed policy discussion. Park says residents across the district are worried about developments approved near homes, schools, hospitals and farmland, particularly when local input appears to arrive after major decisions are already in motion.
She does not argue that data centers or artificial intelligence should disappear. Instead, she calls for a pause on new development in sensitive areas until impact studies examine energy, water, infrastructure, noise and quality of life. She also raises questions about consumer privacy, who can access the enormous amount of information stored by these facilities, and whether highly specialized buildings can be repurposed if technology moves elsewhere.
“I’m not against the data centers. I’m not against the growth or technology or economic revenue for a neighborhood or a county,” Park says, “but not at the expense of the character of our communities and our resources as well.”
For long-term economic development, she wants the district to look beyond what she calls a short-term money grab. She identifies healthcare, aviation, logistics, skilled trades and apprenticeships as industries that could create durable local career paths—especially if young people can train, work and build their lives in the communities where they grew up.
Healthcare access that became personal
Park makes healthcare tangible through her own family. While pregnant and covered by a state plan, she says her available hospital choices were roughly 45 minutes from her home in the Ellenwood–Rex area. Her family later learned that moving to her husband’s employer plan would cost them about $700 per month while the employer contributed another $2,300.
Her answer is more competition, more choices and better value for what families and businesses already pay. She also wants a system that rewards preventive care instead of becoming financially engaged only after a person is sick. “Healthcare should be about caring for people,” she says, “and not navigating this system that’s impossible to afford.”
Immigration, education and the national debt
On immigration, Park argues for a secure border and a legal immigration process that is safe, fair and functional. She says the current system strains housing, healthcare, businesses and local law enforcement while leaving people pursuing legal entry waiting for years. Her stated priority is ensuring American citizens can access the services they need.
On education, Park supports reducing the federal role, increasing school choice and returning decisions closer to families and local communities. She favors more pathways into trades and apprenticeships rather than treating a four-year degree as the only route to a stable life. She also supports preserving protections such as Title IX and voices concern about the cost of higher education and student debt.
Federal spending is another generational issue for her. Park argues that Congress should be held to the same basic discipline families face at the kitchen table: set priorities, eliminate waste and ask hard questions about every dollar. “My son didn’t ask for $40 trillion in his country’s debt,” she says, adding that Congress has a responsibility to balance the budget.
“Show up, listen, and fight”
Park closes by returning to the idea of public service. She says she is not seeking a title or a lifelong career in politics, and that running for Congress is not the destination—serving people is.
“Voters deserve someone who remembers who they work for,” Park says. “I will show up, I will listen, and I will fight for the people of this district.”
Voters can agree or disagree with her prescriptions. Candidate Conversations exists to let them hear the reasoning, experience and temperament behind those positions before making that decision.
What voters should know
Election Day is Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The special election fills the remainder of the current congressional term. All candidates appear on one ballot, and a candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two will meet in an August 25 runoff.
Voting details vary by county and precinct. Voters should confirm that they live in the 13th Congressional District and check their assigned polling location through Georgia’s My Voter Page before heading out.
Candidate Conversations is not an endorsement. It is an invitation to listen closely, compare the candidates and make an informed choice.·
Watch Episode 95 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/spFm7bzu58Q
Fayth Park for Congress: https://votefaythpark.com/
Georgia My Voter Page: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/
Newton County GA-13 Special Election Information: https://www.newtoncountyga.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/840
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