Nunn takes victory lap with Reed, sidesteps ACA vote questions

Hours after securing her nomination as Georgia’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Michelle Nunn painted herself as a Washington outsider and “independent voice” who — unlike her potential Republican challengers — is eager to work across the political aisles.

But Nunn still refused to say how she would have voted on the Affordable Care Act, a question that has plagued her in recent weeks leading up to Tuesday's primary in which she scored an easy victory.

Speaking at the Majestic Diner on Ponce de Leon Wednesday with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Nunn said her focus is on improving President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare reform. Still, she sidestepped multiple questions about how she would have voted if given the chance.

“I wasn’t there five years ago,” she said of the vote, noting she was then leading the nonprofit Points of Light. “What I can address right now is what we should do with the law and how we should carry it forward.”

Nunn applauded elements of the law, including coverage of children up until the age 26 and for people with pre-existing conditions. But some elements of the law must be changed, she said, such as adding more affordable coverage for some individuals and families and repealing cuts affecting rural hospitals.

Nunn added Georgia should expand Medicaid insurance eligibility under the law, noting Deal’s decision not to expand Medicaid sends “taxpayer dollars to other states.”

She believes the Affordable Care Act will remain a key topic leading up to the general election.

“I think we’re going to have a debate that includes healthcare, and as I said, I believe we need to move forward and I believe we need to build upon the things that are working…and we need to fix the things that are not.”

She also rebuffed suggestions she has built a reputation as a rubberstamp candidate and described herself as an “independent voice for Georgia” unafraid of disagreeing with party leaders.

On that note, Nunn said she was disappointed that Obama did not authorize much-anticipated funding for the Port of Savannah and said he should have done more to tackle long-term debt and engage business leaders.

“Clearly my name is the one that’s going to be on the ballot and I’ve pledged to be an independent, pragmatic and common-sense leader for Georgia who is going to work across the aisle,” she said. “I actually believe, and I don’t think the folks on the other side are going to say this, that we can achieve better results when we work together.”

Reed, who sits on the Democratic National Committee’s executive board, said Nunn’s race is the “most important election for Democrats in the state.”

Nunn defeated former news anchor and state Sen. Steen Miles of DeKalb County, Atlanta psychiatrist Branko Radulovacki and Columbus firefighter Todd Robinson for the nomination.

She will face either Perdue or Kingston in November’s election, pending the results of a hotly contested July run-off that Reed predicted will draw the men into a protracted fight.

“You have two gentlemen who want to be a United States senator very badly,” he said. “…I think it’s going to be very hard for those gentlemen to survive in that campaign without going to the extreme right.”

Just whether Reed will show similar support for Democratic state senator Jason Carter, who is challenging Republican Gov. Nathan Deal for the state’s top job, isn’t yet known.

Reed and Deal are longtime allies, thus Carter’s race puts the mayor in a tight spot. And though Reed has said he’s primarily focused with his second term, having won re-election last November, some believe Reed is also eyeing a 2018 gubernatorial run.