PG A.M.: Election marked by incumbent wins and upset in Georgia House
About last night: Incumbents dominated most primary and nonpartisan election races, including those for the Georgia Supreme Court, the U.S. House and the General Assembly. Even tough challenges from well-organized opponents fell flat.
Two inadvertent stars of the Trump trial — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton Superior Judge Scott McAfee, cruised to easy wins Tuesday night, as did Justice Andrew Pinson. He turned back a challenge from former U.S. Rep. John Barrow, who had pledged to protect abortion rights if elected to the state Supreme Court.
State Sen. Sally Harrell, a Democrat in Fulton County, also won her primary against the father of a slain Israeli officer. And state Rep. Saira Draper trounced fellow Democratic Rep. Becky Evans in the only incumbent-on-incumbent race.
But not all incumbents prevailed. In one of the most shocking outcomes of the night, Smyrna-based Democratic state Rep. Teri Anulewicz lost her seat to Gabriel Sanchez, a progressive challenger who had the blessing of the Democratic Socialists of America.
The group took to social media to hail Sanchez as the first Democratic Socialist lawmaker in Georgia history — a premature claim as he will face Republican Diane Jackson in November. They also cheered his work as a leader of Atlanta DSA’s Stop Cop City campaign.
Also in Cobb County, voters handed defeat to District Attorney Flynn Broady, who lost his reelection to challenger Sonya Allen.
It’s hard to divine many deep lessons into a low-turnout primary with no partisan statewide races on the ballot. But we’ll try anyway:
- An “I” by your name is the most powerful weapon a candidate has. Up and down the Georgia ballot, most incumbents easily prevailed over challengers, proving anew the challenge of trying to unseat an officeholder at any level. That proved true even in races with well-funded rivals who generated huge media attention. See Barrow, the former Democratic lawmaker who staked his campaign on vocal support for abortion rights — and was still trounced by Pinson. Barrow overperformed in parts of east Georgia he represented in Congress, but Pinson dominated in most other parts of the state and cut his margins in DeKalb and Fulton counties.
- But challengers can still pose dire threats. State Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, lost to fellow Republican Noelle Kahaian. And Anulewicz’s defeat to Sanchez was fueled by backlash to her alignment with the party’s establishment. Progressive activists singled out her vote on a resolution supporting Atlanta’s public safety center and her husband’s role representing a defendant in the election-interference trial. She said she has no regrets: “I served with hard work, integrity and honesty, and I ran my campaign with hard work, integrity and honesty.”
- In deep-red quarters, former President Donald Trump still dominates. His endorsement helped his longtime aide Brian Jack, until recently virtually unknown beyond political circles, almost secure an outright victory in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District. He nearly doubled the vote total of Mike Dugan, who he will face in a June runoff.
- Was the state Supreme Court race a referendum on abortion? Gov. Brian Kemp’s advisers would like to think so. His adviser Cody Hall’s takeaway: “If Democrats think running on abortion will save Biden here, think again.” Barrow begs to differ. “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.”
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CONGRESSIONAL INCUMBENTS SWEEP. Ten incumbents in Georgia’s congressional delegation didn’t have a primary Tuesday night, but the three who did all won their races with relative ease.
U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, faced off against six challengers who cited his age and declining health as reasons why it was time for fresh blood. But he won with nearly 60% of the vote, according to early returns.
Congresswoman Lucy McBath’s victory was so overwhelming that her race was called by the Associated Press within an hour of precincts closing. The Marietta Democrat had nearly 85% of the vote, according to unofficial results, with her two opponents splitting the rest.
The only other incumbent with a primary was U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, of Cassville, who faced off against two other Republicans in Georgia’s 11th District and won handily.
All 13 of Georgia’s incumbents are in safe seats that will make it hard for a member of the opposing party to beat them in November.
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JAN. 6-ER ADVANCES. Chuck Hand, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, has advanced to the runoff for the Republican nomination in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District.
Hand will face A. Wayne Johnson, who worked in former President Donald Trump’s administration, in the June 18 contest. The winner will face U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, in November where the southwest Georgia seat still tilts Democratic.
Several other Georgia congressional primaries are also headed to runoffs where the winners will face incumbents in the general election. And of course, there is the runoff for the state’s only open seat in the 3rd Congressional District.
Click here for a complete listing of every Georgia congressional race result.
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NEW NEIGHBORS. Gwinnett voters seemed poised Tuesday night to approve the new City of Mulberry. If the final count holds, the city would be created out of unincorporated portions in the northwest corner of the county.
The AJC’s Alia Parr reports Mulberry would be Gwinnett’s second-largest city by population and the largest by land area. It won’t affect schools or current property taxes but will provide new Mullberrians with planning and zoning, code enforcement, storm water services, and that cozy new name.
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LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” we’ll chat with Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson on the heels of his election night victory. Republican strategist Stephen Lawson and Emory professor Andra Gillespie will also join the show to discuss voting results.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
If you missed Tuesday’s show, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman and Maya T. Prabhu and WABE’s Sam Gringlas previewed primary races to watch.
Looking ahead to Thursday’s episode, AJC senior economics reporter Michael E. Kanell is our guest and will discuss the effects of inflation on Georgia voters on everything from gas to groceries to housing prices. We welcome listener questions for Kanell as well as comments about the economy. Leave us a voicemail at 770-810-5297.
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PRISON OVERSIGHT. The U.S. House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved legislation that would require more inspections of federal prisons, require the Bureau of Prisons inspector general to report recommendations to Congress and create an ombudsman to investigate complaints from staff, inmates or their families.
The bill is the brainchild of Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, and was sponsored in the House by U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta. But they brought in Republicans as cosponsors as a show of bipartisan support.
The House vote was 392-2, with the two dissenting votes coming from conservative Republicans outside Georgia. The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.
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RELIEF AT THE PUMP. Ahead of the busy Memorial Day travel weekend, the Biden administration announced plans to release 1 million barrels of gasoline from a national reserve in hopes of bringing down fuel prices.
“By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
ABC News reported the move comes after Congress inserted language in a March spending bill requiring the federal government to close off its Northeast gas reserve facility, which has been open for 10 years.
The national average gas price is $3.60 a gallon compared to $3.54 a year ago, according to AAA.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden meets at the White House with Kenyan President William Ruto.
- The House votes on legislation regarding the regulation of digital assets such as cryptocurrency.
- The Senate has more confirmation votes on the schedule.
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FROG OF THE DAY. Meet Max Tolar, the 13-year-old Shih Tzu mix who used to live in the big city, but is now living the good life on the Georgia coast with Bryan and Keri Tolar.
Max once roamed the halls of the state Capitol with Bryan, but now spends his days walking on the beach, going for runs in (shallow) water, and carefully investigating his new neighbors, including this little marsh frog.
He keeps Bryan company during Zoom calls and keeps Keri company while Bryan is in Atlanta during the legislative session. For all that and more, Max, you’re our Dog of the Day!
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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