2022 Elections - Page 4

(The Center Square) — It’s been a hot start to Georgia’s summer and the Peach State’s gubernatorial race is a dead heat.

A new Quinnipiac University Poll found that 48% of voters support incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, while an equal number of voters support Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams.

Interestingly, voters gave Kemp a 48% approval rating and 43% disapproval. That is up from January when 42% approved of Kemp’s job performance to 49% who did not.

“With both candidates getting positive numbers on honesty, empathy and leadership, Kemp and Abrams are in a Governor’s race too close to call,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in an analysis.

The poll also shows incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock with a 54% to 44% lead over Republican challenger Herschel Walker, a political newcomer and former University of Georgia football standout.

“Herschel Walker fumbles on honesty and tumbles on favorability as Raphael Warnock surges ahead in the race for senator,” Malloy added.

When it comes to the issues, Georgia voters identified inflation (41%), gun violence (15%), abortion (10%) and election laws (10%) as the top concerns.

“Despite the public’s sorrow and outrage over guns and abortion, inflation, a phenomenon that can affect virtually every Georgian, is most concerning,” Malloy said.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger used the primary election turnout as a talking point to prove Georgia’s new election law, Senate Bill 202, the Election Integrity Act, worked. Organizations, including the ACLU of Georgia, have criticized the new law, but a Raffensperger spokesman has repeatedly refused to comment on the complaints.

The Quinnipiac poll found nearly half of voters, 49%, plan to vote in person during the early voting period. Meanwhile, about a third, 34%, said they plan to cast their ballots in person on Election Day, while 12% plan to vote early by mail or absentee ballot.

On the national level, 33% approved of President Joe Biden’s job performance, while 60% disapproved.

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,497 Georgia registered voters from June 23-27.

By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) — Rep. Bee Nguyen, D-Atlanta, cruised to victory Tuesday night in Georgia’s Democratic primary for secretary of state.

The Associated Press called the race for Nguyen before 8 p.m.

Early returns showed Nguyen, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives since 2017, picked up about three-quarters of the votes cast, knocking off challenger Dee Hawkins-Haigler, a former state lawmaker.

Often described as a “rising star” in the Democratic Party, Nguyen emerged at the top of a crowded primary field on May 24, picking up about 44.3% of the ballots cast. However, she did not earn the clear majority needed to avoid Tuesday’s runoff.

In May, about 18.7% of voters cast ballots for Hawkins-Haigler.

In November’s general election, Nguyen will face Republican incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Libertarian Ted Metz, who ran for insurance commissioner in 2014 and governor in 2018. The Georgia secretary of state is a high-profile post amid ongoing discussions about the 2020 election and election security.

Raffensperger has drawn the ire of former President Donald Trump for his response to the 2020 election. Raffensperger won May’s Republican primary with about 52.1% of the vote, knocking off a trio of challengers, including Republican U.S. Rep. Jody Hice.

“Georgians deserve a Secretary of State who will fight for their freedom to vote, regardless of their party, zip code, or the color of their skin,” Nguyen said in a statement. “I’m running to be Secretary of State because our right to vote is the foundation of all our other civil liberties.”

Meanwhile, CNN projected that Charlie Bailey emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, defeating Kwanza Hall, who secured the most votes during the May 24 primary. Bailey faces Sen. Burt Jones, R-Jackson, in November.

Republican Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan did not seek re-election.

In the 6th Congressional District, located north of Atlanta, Rich McCormick defeated Jake Evans in the Republican primary. McCormick faces Democrat Bob Christian in November.

“While encouraged by the outpouring of support from every corner and every community, the real work begins now in earnest,” McCormick said on Twitter. “We must unite the Party to secure victory in November for Georgia Republicans up and down the ballot.”

In the 10th Congressional District, located east of Atlanta, Mike Collins knocked off Vernon Jones, a former Democrat, in the Republican primary. Tabitha Johnson-Green defeated Jessica Fore in the Democratic primary.

The winner of November’s election replaces Hice.

By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor

Mike Collins obliterated Vernon Jones in the runoff race in GA-10 on Tuesday. As of 8:50 p.m. Collins was leading Jones 77.07% to 23.93%.

Vernon Jones, who was urged by former President Donald Trump to jump from the gubernatorial race in Georgia to the 10th district race for Congress to replace Congressman Jody Hice, is no stranger to losses. 

Jones ran for United States Senate in 2008, but lost in the Democratic Primary to Jim Martin. Two years later, Jones ran for Congress in the 4th Congressional District and lost and four years after that, decided to run for Sheriff of DeKalb County, losing 76%-24% over Sheriff Jeff Mann.

When He Actually Won

Jones has been in elected office most of his adult life. Jones served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001, during which time he wanted to ban music with explicit lyrics from purchase by minors, and again from 2017 to 2021. 

He switched political parties in 2020 just days before a residency ruling was set to determine whether or not he was eligible to continue serving in the state house district he was representing. When Jones endorsed then-president Trump for re-election, the national headlines of a black Democrat lawmaker backing Trump overshadowed his alleged misdeeds at the state level. 

Jones was also the Chief Executive Officer, an elected office, in DeKalb County from 2001 to 2009, a period in the county’s history where a handful of Jones’ closest colleagues were under investigation by _. Jones himself was sanctioned by the state ethic’s commission for his campaign contribution receipts in excess of state law. 

Not-So-Conservative Track Record

The fact that Jones ever had a chance in the realm of conservative politics was surprising based on the lengthy list of initiatives to a contrary belief system. 

During his tenure as CEO in DeKalb, Jones championed offering health benefits for unmarried domestic partners and vetoed pay raises for police officers while walking back on a number of campaign promises. In 2003, he was investigated by a grand jury for his $800,000 per year security detail. 

In 2010, a jury awarded damages to plaintiffs who accused Jones of discrimination because, during his tenure, the number of senior county managers who were white dropped from 61 to 57 while the number of black senior county managers rose from 33 to 61. Similarly, the jury found DeKalb County liable for intentional discrimination. The finding was that Jones and two others “created and maintained a hostile work environment.” The lawsuit cost the county $1.3 million in legal fees and damages just to the plaintiffs. 

During his second bout of public service in the Georgia General Assembly, Jones made headlines for skipping more than 100 votes while being marked ‘present’ on the House floor, meaning he simply did not cast a vote. 

These inconsistencies and alleged improprieties, however, did not stop Jones from garnering support on a statewide and Congressional district level. He initially launched a race against Governor Brian Kemp in April 2021, but switched races in February 2022. The 10th Congressional district was a crowded one, however, Mike Collins had significant name recognition after running in 2014 and losing in a runoff to now-Congressman Jody Hice. Collins is also son to the former Congressman Mac Collins who represented the district in the early 2000s. 

Governor Brian Kemp picked a horse in the race for the 10th district Congressional seat this past week.

Republicans Mike Collins and Vernon Jones will square off Tuesday in a final effort to gain the nomination to replace Congressman Jody Hice, who ran for Secretary of State in the May primary election, but lost to incumbent Brad Raffensperger.

Kemp’s endorsement of Collins is not surprising as Jones was once a critical gubernatorial contender in Georgia until former President Donald Trump encouraged him to bail following David Perdue’s gubernatorial announcement.

Collins, however, is a familiar candidate to the district, having run in 2014 against Jody Hice. As was the case in the May 24, 2022 primary, Collins was the frontrunner heading into the runoff eight years ago, too. His father, Mac Collins, also represented Georgia in Congress from 1993 to 2005.

Kemp issued the following statement:

“Today, I’m proud to endorse Mike Collins to be the next congressman for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District. As a conservative small businessman, Mike knows firsthand how the disastrous policies of the Biden administration are hurting hardworking Georgians and communities all across our state. Mike is strongly pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, and will fight hard to put Georgians first in Congress. I will be casting my ballot for Mike Collins in the June 21st GOP runoff, and I ask fellow Republicans across the district to join me in sending a trusted conservative to Washington!”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified the results of the May 24, 2022 statewide general primary and nonpartisan general election. Official results of the local, state, and federal races are available on the Secretary of State’s election night reporting website.

Candidates seeking a recount must request one within two business days after certification. Under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-495, a recount can be requested by the second-place candidate if the difference in votes between the winning candidate and second-place candidate is not more than 0.5% of the total votes cast in the race.

(The Center Square) — Herschel Walker, a former University of Georgia football standout, cruised to victory on Tuesday, knocking off a crowded field to win the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

Media outlets quickly called the race on Tuesday evening, shortly after polls closed.

Walker, a political novice, faces incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock in November. Warnock handily won his primary, defeating challenger Tamara Johnson-Shealey.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me today,” Warnock said on Twitter. “It is the honor of my life to represent Georgians in the U.S. Senate.”

At about 8:15 p.m., Walker secured about two-thirds of the votes cast to defeat five other candidates, including former agriculture commissioner Gary Black. Tuesday’s outcome was a mere formality, as most political pundits predicted Walker would win the Republican primary.

November’s contest, a race with national implications that could tip the balance of the U.S. Senate toward Republicans, could be among the most expensive in political history.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Walker, who played professional football for the New Jersey Generals, a United States Football League (USFL) team that Trump owned.

By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor