2022 Elections - Page 7

Ryan Graham announced Monday that he is running for Lt. Governor in Georgia on the Libertarian ticket.

The 36-year-old IT Project Manager is running the statewide race on a wide range of issues, prioritizing criminal justice, education, health care, and election reforms. He’s also Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Georgia.

In a press release, Graham’s campaign said:

The two old parties have not lived up to the expectations of the voters, and continue to ignore policy issues important to Georgians.

State government wants to create ‘solutions’ but instead create unintended consequences that are often worse than the original problem. That’s why his campaign slogan is “Strike the Root” – he intends to go after root causes of social issues, rather than try to treat symptoms, which solves nothing and invites both abuses of power and bureaucratic waste.

EDUCATION

Two-thirds of Georgia public school students don’t read ‘proficiently’ for their grade level, and have fallen even farther behind during the pandemic.

“The priorities of bureaucracies are very different from those of children and families,” Graham said. “We’re spending more money than ever, administering more tests, assigning more homework, requiring more hours, and none of it has improved outcomes. It’s time to do something fundamentally different, not just more of what we know doesn’t work.”

Graham is especially critical of standardized testing, which he says does not truly measure student aptitude or learning.

Research shows high-stakes testing actually damages long-term learning by encouraging ‘teaching to the test,’ and neglecting harder-to-measure but more meaningful outcomes. The state has large, costly contracts with companies who create and score those tests, and Graham believes that money could be better spent on things that serve students, like innovating curricula to support students’ strengths and aspirations. A father of a school-age daughter himself, Graham wants more choices for all Georgia’s students.

COVID-19

Graham’s candidacy calls for major reform into what he calls government overreach into the private lives and choices of citizens, especially as a response to COVID-19.

“Number one, no vaccine mandates,” Graham is quotes saying. “The decision to receive a vaccine is between an individual and their healthcare provider; no government has the authority to make that decision for you.”

WAR ON DRUGS

The Libertarian candidate’s views on personal autonomy carry over to the War on Drugs, where government’s insistence that it can control people’s choices has led to far greater social consequences than drug use itself. He believes Georgia should decriminalize drug possession and legalize cannabis, as other states have done. Ending drug-war-era abuses of power (including militarized police, no-knock raids, and the seizing of property by police without any criminal charges or convictions), he says, will restore basic civil liberties Georgians have lost.

BALLOT ACCESS & THIRD PARTIES

As a third-party candidate, Graham pays special attention to methods incumbents use to keep alternatives off the ballot and away from voters’ attention. He promotes a slate of reforms, including fair ballot access laws, ranked choice voting, and hand-marked paper ballots to replace Georgia’s easily hacked and manipulated voting machines.

“I want there to be more choices that represent more Georgians,” Graham said. “If independents and minor parties are not actively blocked from ballots, and the voting rules are fairer, more people could actually vote FOR someone who represents them and not just against the other guy.”

Learn more about Ryan Graham at Graham4GA.com and follow him on Facebook.

Longtime lawyer and *State Bar of Georgia President Elizabeth Fite announced her campaign for the Georgia Court of Appeals this week. Fite will challenge Judge Andrew Pinson, who was recently appointed by Governor Brian Kemp.

Fite is currently serving as the President of the State Bar of Georgia. She is also the co-founder of Rogers & Fite, a law firm dedicated to representing those who have suffered catastrophic injuries or lost loved ones in tractor trailer collisions or other commercial vehicle wrecks. 

Over a career spanning 17 years, Fite has worked complex liability and wrongful death lawsuits, resolving business disputes, and representing DeKalb County in public safety matters. 

From the news release:

“After nearly two decades of working in courtrooms across our great state, I've learned that the best, most qualified judges have the most experience,” said Fite. 

“The Georgia Court of Appeals conducts serious work that deals with profound issues of justice, fairness, and equality in our state.  That important work demands highly qualified judges who can be trusted to provide true justice for all. 

“My opponent, Andrew Pinson, was recently appointed to this position by Governor Brian Kemp.  He seems like a nice person, but I am challenging him in this election because political appointees with little experience undermine confidence in the courtroom. Simply put, Georgia families deserve better. 

“Over the last 17 years of practicing law, I have a proven track record of accomplishments.  I believe in our Constitution and the God-given rights it protects.  I passionately believe that a Judge stands as a protector and defender of justice for all.  

“I will bring that experience, dedication and passion to the Georgia Court of Appeals to ensure every Georgian, no matter their station in life, is treated fairly and equally in our judicial system.  Georgians can count on me to apply the law as it is written to help keep every person safe from crime.  

“My years of service will be put to use for the betterment of our community, region, and state.”

Fite grew up in south Arkansas, the daughter of a public-school teacher and a warehouse foreman, who taught her the value of hard work and a quality education. After graduating from Hendrix College, she moved to Atlanta to attend Emory Law School, earning her Juris Doctorate. 

Fite has earned multiple awards reflecting her commitment to the profession and the State Bar of Georgia, but among her proudest achievements is serving on the Judicial COVID-19 Task Force and working side-by-side with judges and legal leaders to shepherd Georgia’s justice system through this once- in-a-lifetime public health crisis.

*Disclaimer: The State Bar of Georgia does not endorse candidates.*

Control of both chambers of Congress is at stake in the 2022 midterm elections. The Democratic and Republican caucuses currently split the Senate 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris (D) casting tie-breaking votes. Thirty-four Senate seats are up for election next year. Republicans currently hold 20 of those and Democrats, 14.

Senate races in eight states are rated Battlegrounds by Inside Elections and as Toss-ups, Lean, or Likely Democratic or Republican races by Cook Political Report and/or Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

The table below shows information about each of these states that suggests competitive elections.

Created with Datawrapper

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are the only two states where the Senate seat up for election is held by an incumbent of a different party than the state’s 2020 presidential winner. Joe Biden (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) 50.0%-48.8% in Pennsylvania and 49.5%-48.8% in Wisconsin. Democrats aren’t defending any seats in states Trump won last year.

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are also the only two battleground states with one senator from each major party. Seats up for election from states with split delegations that are not currently considered battlegrounds are Ohio and Vermont (Sen. Bernie Sanders is an independent and caucuses with the Democratic Party, as does Vermont’s other senator, Democrat Patrick Leahy).

North Carolina and Pennsylvania are the two battleground states with retiring incumbents. Other states with open seats next year include Ohio, Alabama, and Missouri. Senators in South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin have not announced whether they will seek re-election.

Arizona’s and Georgia’s Senate seats changed party hands in special elections in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Democrats Mark Kelly in Arizona and Raphael Warnock in Georgia defeated Republican incumbents. In New Hampshire’s 2016 election, Democrat Maggie Hassan defeated incumbent Kelly Ayotte (R).

Part of what suggests competitive races in Florida and Nevada are close 2018 Senate election results and close recent presidential election results in those states.

By Amee LaTour | Ballotpedia via The Center Square