The stylistic contrast emerged during an Atlanta Press Club debate taped Sunday. Congress has become a place where members score points by bashing the opposing party.
"I am unashamedly conservative," Mike Dugan said during the debate. "But that does not mean that you disregard other people that were elected by the same number of people that you represent in your district."
Dugan is a former state senate leader running for the 3rd district seat against Brian Jack. Jack was a White House advisor to then-president Donald Trump — who was not known for his bipartisan touch.
"I’m proud to have played such a key role in President Trump’s administration working with both the Republican House and working to notch policy wins in the Democrat House," Jack said.
Congress has, at times, devolved into partisan schoolhouse taunting. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was at the center of some of that last month.
"I think your fake eyelashes are messing up your screen," Greene told a Democrat during a hearing as the room howled.
A panelist in the Atlanta Press Club debate asked about Greene’s confrontational style and whether that approach appealed to them.
"It's pretty obvious," Dugan said. "My goal is to get stuff done. My goal is not to go up and be a TV star."
"Mike and I are certainly in alignment here," Jack said in agreement. "I talk a lot about working with President Trump over the last eight years, but you rarely saw my name in the headlines because I put my head down to do the job of the American people."
With Trump's backing, Jack almost won the 3rd district primary without a runoff but faces Dugan next week.
There’s a Democrat in the race. Retired US Army Lt. Colonel Maura Keller is a political newcomer. She would be a longshot to beat whichever Republican wins next week in the November general election.