Georgia elections: Live updates from Atlanta Press Club debates
Two days of debates kick off Monday with showdowns for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, Public Service Commission and governor.
Eleven debates. Two days.
The Atlanta Press Club will launch it’s Loudermilk-Young debate series Monday, featuring candidates for statewide office.
Stay with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for real-time updates in races up and down the ballot. You can livestream the face-offs on gpb.org.
Here is the schedule:
- 1:30 p.m.: Lieutenant governor
- 2:45 p.m.: Attorney general
- 3:45 p.m.: Secretary of state
- 5:30 p.m.: Public Service Commission District 3
- 6:30 p.m.: Public Service Commission District 5
- 8 p.m.: Governor
The debates begin a day before the start of advance in-person voting Tuesday.
Kemp, Jackson launch statewide tour as early voting nears
Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson kicked off a daylong fly-around tour Monday with Gov. Brian Kemp, urging GOP voters to turn out as Georgia’s three-week early voting period begins Tuesday.
Kemp used the opening stop to cast the governor’s race against Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms as a referendum on public safety, one of Jackson’s main lines of attack against the former Atlanta mayor.
“The number one responsibility of the governor is to make sure that our citizens are safe,” Kemp said. “And there’s no doubt in my mind that Rick Jackson will do that.”
Early voting runs through Oct. 30 ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Jackson defends skipping debates: ‘My priority is not the media’
Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson defended his decision to skip additional debates against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, saying Georgia voters care more about affordability than seeing the candidates square off.
“I have visited thousands of Georgians for the last nine months. I’ve gone hundreds of places. I’ve not had one voter ask me a question about debate,” Jackson said during a campaign stop in Atlanta.
He pointed instead to gas prices, property taxes and overall economic concerns as the issues voters are raising on the trail.
“My priority is not the media and what they want,” he said. “My priority is what Georgians want, and that’s the answer.”
Jackson participated in last week’s Atlanta News First debate against Bottoms but has declined other invitations, including tonight’s Atlanta Press Club event. Bottoms is set to appear alone, with an empty lectern marking Jackson’s absence.
“After last week’s debate, it’s clear that Rick Jackson is unable to give Georgians the answers they deserve," Bottoms' spokesperson TaNisha Cameron said.
How to watch Atlanta Press Club debates
The Atlanta Press Club's Loudermilk-Young debate series kicks off at 1:30 p.m. today.
It will be live streamed live on GPB.org. Replays will be available on YouTube. The debates will also air on local GPB stations. The U.S. Senate and governor debates will be aired live, while the others will be shown at other times. See the full GPB schedule.
Stay with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for live updates during all 11 debates. Our team of experienced journalists have been providing unparalleled coverage of the races in Georgia and will be weighing in with real-time highlights and analysis.