College is great but coupled with a skill, that is the golden ticket.McKinney, in a surprise performance, bested Sen. John McCain, Sen. Sam Brownback, and Rep. Tom Tancredo in the Texas Straw Poll held September 1, 2007, in Fort Worth, Texas.

[2] Along with his mother, he gave complimentary blood pressure checks at a booth at the Fort Worth Convention Center during the straw poll, and addressed the delegates during the main session prior to voting along with candidates Rep. Duncan L. Hunter of California, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, Alabama psychiatrist Hugh Cort, and Illinois lawyer John H.

[3] During his campaign, McKinney often had the highest ranking at U4Prez.com of all candidates registered with the Federal Election Commission.

McKinney ended his bid for the presidential race on November 14, 2007, announcing his intention to run for U.S. Congress from Georgia.

In the Republican primary, McKinney and Thunderbolt Fire Chief Carl Smith, who earned 43% and 28% respectively, headed to a runoff.