Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson said he hopes his victory over former U.S. Rep. John Barrow sends a resounding message that “the people of Georgia back an independent judiciary.”
“From the beginning, we ran our campaign on keeping Georgia’s courts fair and impartial,” he said in an interview. “I took seriously that this was a nonpartisan race and tried to keep our message that way. And I’m grateful that message seemed to resonate.”
Barrow tried to turn a typically under-the-radar race for the judicial post into a referendum on abortion after vowing to oppose laws that restrict the procedure in unusually candid terms.
In a lengthy statement, Barrow warned of efforts to view his loss as a defeat for abortion rights.
“This was a contest between those of us who wanted to speak up on the issue of abortion rights and those who did not want to talk about it,” Barrow said.
“The people who have spoken up on the issue of abortion rights agree with me, and so the issue remains to be decided, first by the Supreme Court and ultimately by the people.”
Pinson steered clear of taking a stance on the issue and instead spoke in broader terms about his approach to the judiciary. He also leaned on support from Gov. Brian Kemp and other GOP leaders, along with several conservative groups that helped him win.
In the interview, Pinson said he was grateful for Kemp’s support but also the backing of bipartisan leaders on his steering committee.
“My opponent tried to make this into an issue-based partisan race, and people rejected that approach,” he said. “I hope that our victory tonight sends a message to folks who try to politicize the judiciary that the people of Georgia back an independent judiciary.”
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