Polls have closed in Gwinnett County for Tuesday's runoff elections. Follow AJC.com for complete Georgia election runoff results and live election night updates from the AJC politics team.
Original story:
Polls opened for Republican and Democratic runoff elections in Gwinnett County at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Republicans will cast ballots to determine their party's gubernatorial candidate. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp were close in the polls leading up to election day. In the days before the election, Kemp was endorsed by President Donald Trump, and Vice President Mike Pence campaigned on his behalf.
Republicans will also be able to cast ballots for the lieutenant governor runoff between Sen. David Shafer and former state Rep. Geoff Duncan, and for the secretary of state runoff between former Alpharetta mayor David Belle Isle and former state Rep. Brad Raffensperger. Voters in house districts 97, 102 and 105 also have runoffs for Republican state house candidates.
Chuck and Barbara Damren cast their ballots for Kemp, Shafer, Raffensperger and Superior Court judge candidate Tracy Mason at McKendree United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville shortly after 9 a.m. Their choice of Kemp was solidified by Trump’s endorsement and Kemp’s Saturday appearance at a Faith and Freedom Coalition forum; Cagle did not attend the forum, but his wife and state Sen. Renee Unterman appeared in his place.
Chuck Damren saw Kemp as a more positive candidate than Cagle, saying the lieutenant governor had engaged in more “mudslinging” during the campaign. Both Damrens, who are married and work together renovating houses, hope Republicans can get past the bitter campaign and unite behind the eventual nominee come November.
“It’s important to fight together to keep our rights and our freedoms and to work together for President Trump’s agenda,” Chuck Damren said.
While Democrats decided their gubernatorial candidate in May, they are not left out of the Tuesday runoff. In Gwinnett County, Democratic voters can cast ballots for their party's nomination in the 7th Congressional district for candidates David Kim and Carolyn Bourdeaux. Statewide, Democrats can also vote in the runoff for state superintendent of education. Candidates Ortha Thornton and Sid Chapman emerged as the top two vote-earners in the May primary.
Lawrenceville resident Eric Nichols votes in every election he can, and came out to support Bourdeaux on Tuesday. He hopes she wins the 7th District, which leans Republican, but isn’t overly optimistic.
“Maybe [Democrats] could flip another, but not this district,” Nichols said.
Dawn Kemp cast her ballot for Kim, citing his views on healthcare and minimum wage as key reasons why she chose him.
“I am looking at retirement and wondering, am I going to be able to maintain my standard of living?” Dawn Kemp said.
Dawn Kemp believes there’s a good chance a Democrat could win the 7th District in November because Gwinnett County went to Democrats in the 2016 presidential election. The district encompasses most of Gwinnett County and part of Forsyth County.
Gwinnett County also has a nonpartisan runoff for a Superior Court judge seat between candidates Veronica Cope and Tracy Mason.
To find your Gwinnett Couty polling place, click here.
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