In less than 24 hours Georgians will head to the polls yet again for the runoff elections, and Donald Trump is looming large in two congressional races.
WRBL reporter Chuck Williams joined “Politically Georgia” from Columbus to give an update on the runoff between former state Sen. Mike Dugan and Brian Jack, a former aide to Trump.
“They are totally intertwined,” Williams said of Trump and Jack.
A runoff happens when no candidate gains a majority of the vote. In the five-candidate GOP primary for the 3rd Congressional District on May 21, Jack bested Dugan in every county in the district but Carroll, the former Georgia Senate GOP leader’s base.
“It was 22% was the difference between Dugan and Jack, so (there’s a) substantial amount of air between the two of them right now,” Williams said.
“If you look at this seat in a normal situation, Mike Dugan would be the front-runner. He’s a U.S. Army Ranger, he’s a (former) state senator who’s been very successful out of the area,” he added.
Despite the star power Trump’s endorsement of Jack brings, Dugan was hopeful about the outcome of Tuesday’s race when he spoke to Williams.
“Dugan contends (the Jack campaign is) just solidifying their support, they’re not bringing in new people,” Williams said.
Just a little further south, in the 2nd Congressional District, Chuck Hand and Wayne Johnson are competing for the GOP nomination.
Hand is one of at least four people convicted of Jan. 6 crimes running for Congress this year, all as Republicans. He was sentenced to 20 days in federal prison and six months of probation.
He made headlines for storming off a debate stage earlier this month.
“He got some national publicity out of it,” said Williams, who moderated that Atlanta Press Club debate.
Johnson won almost 45% of the vote in the May 21 primary while Hand won almost 32%. Tuesday’s winner will challenge 16-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop in November.
The TV journalist added, “We’ll see what he (Hand) does tomorrow, but he certainly has a following.”
Polls across Georgia open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. You can find your local polling place here.
Tuesday on “Politically Georgia”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Niesse joins us to talk about the runoffs.
