Early voting for Georgia’s May 21 primary and judicial elections has already started
Georgia voters are preparing to participate in party primary races and nonpartisan judicial elections. Early in-person voting will begin on Monday and last for three weeks leading up to the May 21 election. This election will determine the nominees for congressional and state legislative seats, as well as for local races such as sheriffs, district attorneys, and county commissioners. In addition, May 21 serves as the general election for judicial candidates who do not run with party labels. Last week, mail-in ballots were sent to those who had requested them, and individuals can still request a mail ballot until May 10.
One of the most significant races is the state supreme court race between incumbent Justice Andrew Pinson and challenger John Barrow. Additionally, there will be primaries in the 3rd Congressional District as the incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson steps down. If candidates do not win a majority in May, the runoffs will be held on June 18.
Let’s dive deeper into the election and some of the top races:
CONGRESSIONAL SHOWDOWN
In the district that stretches along the Alabama border from Carrollton to Columbus and swings east into the Atlanta suburbs around Peachtree City and Fayetteville, there are six Republicans competing for the party’s nomination to succeed Ferguson. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed his former aide Brian Jack for this seat. The other candidates seeking the nomination are former state Sens. Mike Crane and Mike Dugan, former state Rep. Philip Singleton, Jim Bennett, and Ray Blair. On the Democratic side, Val Almonord and Maura Keller are competing for their party’s nomination in this heavily GOP district.
STATE SUPREME COURT
The May 21 vote is the general election for judicial candidates, who run without party labels. Incumbent Justice Andrew Pinson, who was appointed to the court by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022, is running for a six-year term. He is being opposed by John Barrow, a former Democratic congressman. Barrow believes that Georgians have the right to abortion under the state constitution, while Pinson believes it is inappropriate to discuss specific issues and crucial to keep the race nonpartisan. Justices Michael Boggs, John Ellington, and Nels Peterson are running unopposed. Additionally, six judges on the Georgia Court of Appeals are also running unopposed, while Jeff Davis and Tabitha Ponder are competing for an open seat on that intermediate court of appeal.
OTHER CONGRESSIONAL RACESIncumbent U.S. Representatives Lucy McBath and David Scott, both Democrats, are facing challenges from fellow Democrats within their own party due to newly redrawn districts. Scott is up against six challengers in the 13th District, which encompasses Atlanta’s southern and eastern suburbs. These challengers include former East Point City Council member Karen René, former South Fulton City Council member Mark Baker, and attorney Brian Johnson. In the Republican party, Jonathan Chavez is running against Johsie Fletcher.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath has switched districts, moving from the 7th District to run in the 6th District, located on the western side of metro Atlanta. In this new district, she faces challenges from fellow Democrats Mandisha Thomas, a state representative, and Jerica Richardson, a Cobb County commissioner.
Moving on to the local races, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who gained national attention for her prosecution of former President Trump and others, is up against attorney Christian Wise Smith in the Democratic primary. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the same case, is being challenged by lawyer and talk show host Robert Patillo. Unfortunately, lawyer Tiffani Johnson was disqualified from running against McAfee.
When discussing voter turnout, it is important to note that while 5 million or more Georgians may vote in November’s presidential election, historically, far fewer people participate in the primary elections. In 2016, when the state primaries did not coincide with the presidential primary, only one-fifth of the total number of people voted in May compared to the general election in November. Given the lack of highly contested congressional primaries, the races for county offices may be the primary driving force behind voter turnout in certain parts of Georgia.
News Source:Apnews