Highlights of Georgia elections
Want to know what’s going on in Georgia politics for Tuesday’s elections? The Associated Press came up with this handy guide for those who are keeping track at home.
TOP OF THE TICKET
After months of high-stakes campaigning and a seemingly endless barrage of negative TV ads, voters will finally choose whether Republican David Perdue or Democrat Michelle Nunn — or neither, see below — goes to Washington as Georgia’s next senator.
Likewise, Republican Gov. Nathan Deal hopes voters give him a second term after a bruising race with Democrat Jason Carter, whose key supporters included his grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter.
Spoiler alert: Libertarian candidates are on the ballot in both the Senate and gubernatorial races. If they can grab enough votes to keep the leader in either race from cracking 50 percent, get ready to vote again in a runoff election.
BARROW’S CHALLENGE
U.S. Rep. John Barrow, an Augusta Democrat, says he’s the most bipartisan member of Congress. His Republican opponent, Rick Allen, says Barrow’s really just two-faced.
Their contest in eastern Georgia’s 12th District will determine if Barrow gets a sixth term. The seat was drawn to favor Republicans, and Barrow has doubled down on the formula that enabled him to beat grim odds two years ago by winning over conservative and independent voters. He’s openly criticized fellow Democrats and President Barack Obama on the campaign trail and in TV ads while playing up his endorsements by groups that typically favor Republicans, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Rifle Association.
Allen, an Augusta construction company owner, has invested more than $1 million of his own money to challenge Barrow, including an unsuccessful Republican primary bid in 2012. Allen got to share a stage last week with Mitt Romney, who carried Barrow’s district by 55 percent in the last presidential election.
Romney’s endorsement certainly can’t hurt. Election results from 2012 suggest thousands of Romney voters crossed party lines to re-elect Barrow.
CONGRESSIONAL NEWCOMERS
U.S. Reps. Jack Kingston, Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey are leaving Washington after losing the Republican nomination for Georgia’s open Senate seat. Now voters must elect new congressmen to take their place.
Don’t expect much drama. All three seats heavily favor Republican candidates, and Democrats didn’t even bother to make a play for one of them.
—In southeast Georgia’s 1st District, Republican state Sen. Buddy Carter of Pooler faces Democrat Brian Reese, a UPS supervisor from Savannah. Kingston held the seat for 22 years.
—In eastern Georgia’s 10th District that was vacated by Broun, Republican Jody Hice, a Baptist minister from Monroe, faces Democrat Ken Dious, an Athens attorney.
—Republican Barry Loudermilk, a former state lawmaker from Cassville, gets a free pass to replace Gingrey in Washington in metro Atlanta’s 11th District. No Democrat ran for the seat.
Georgia’s remaining 10 congressional incumbents are also on the ballot Tuesday. Six are unopposed. The others represent districts considered safe for each incumbent’s party.
SCHOOL SUPER
An open seat for state school superintendent has given Georgia Democrats a shot at winning back a statewide office the party hasn’t controlled in 20 years.
Democrat Valarie Wilson, former school board chair for Decatur city schools, faces Republican Richard Woods of Tifton, a former social studies teacher and Irwin County school administrator. Georgia’s current state schools chief, Republican John Barge, passed on seeking re-election to challenge Gov. Nathan Deal in the May GOP primary. Barge lost.
Wilson not only raised more than three times as much money as Woods, but she also picked up a late endorsement across party lines from Barge.
Republicans have held the state school superintendent’s office since Linda Schrenko was elected to the job in 1994, when Democrats still dominated state government.
HISTORIC FIELD
Win or lose, a group of Democratic candidates are making history in 2014.
There are a record five black women running for statewide office in Georgia. Only one of them, school superintendent contender Valarie Wilson, is running for an open seat.
The others are opposing Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens and Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. Each incumbent, except for Butler, raised $1 million or more to defend his seat.
TAXING QUESTIONS
Should Georgia freeze its top income tax rate at 6 percent? Voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to do that.
State lawmakers earlier this year approved the proposed amendment, which would prohibit the Legislature from raising Georgia’s top marginal income tax rate above its current level. The income tax cap will become part of the Georgia Constitution if more than 50 percent of voters approve it.
Voters will find two other taxing issues on the ballot. One seeks approval to raise fines for reckless driving to help fund treatment for people with brain and spinal injuries. The other would allow Georgia’s public universities to extend their exemption from property taxes to private companies hired to operate college dorms.