Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
The election cycle kicks into higher gear in Georgia on Tuesday with primaries that will shape the November races and the political future of one of the nation’s most important battleground states.
The biggest battle on the ballot is the Republican race for governor that pits incumbent Brian Kemp against former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who entered the contest at former President Donald Trump’s urging. Once treated as a toss-up, Perdue’s challenge has fizzled, though he’s holding out hope for an upset.
The former president’s attempts to refashion the state GOP will be tested in other ways, too. Trump has endorsed a dozen other candidates down the ballot, some who are shoo-ins and others with uphill battles in open races or against incumbents.
Democrats are spared marquee matchups at the top of the ballot, as Stacey Abrams avoided an intraparty challenge for governor and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock didn’t draw a viable opponent.
But the primary is studded with other competitive statewide, legislative and congressional races, headlined by the contest between U.S. Reps. Carolyn Bourdeaux and Lucy McBath for a Gwinnett County-based House district.
Some candidates, including Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Herschel Walker, aren’t worried about notching a primary win. He’s so confident of victory that he sent an (unanswered) invite to his rivals to a “unity celebration.”
For others, Tuesday is just the start of the battle. If no contender notches a majority of the vote, the race heads to a June 21 runoff.
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