Van Ausdal drops out against Greene
Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal announced Friday he is withdrawing from the 14th Congressional District race against Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The district covers Polk and 11 other counties in Northwest Georgia.
“I am deeply saddened by the personal and family reasons that prevent me from continuing on as a candidate ... Although all the details will remain my family’s alone, please understand this was not an easy decision. We are real people managing hard choices,” he said.
Van Ausdal — who was campaigning vigorously as late as last Wednesday night — said he will be moving out of Georgia. He thanked his supporters in a statement released by his campaign, and urged them to shift their support to a new nominee.
It was unclear Friday if there will be a replacement or if Greene will be the sole candidate for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, who did not run for reelection.
“Because we’re so close to the election, it changes the dynamics. You have to be deceased or disqualified to be replaced at this point,” said Wendy Davis on Friday.
Davis, a Rome city commissioner, is a member of the Democratic National Committee and serves on the executive committee of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Davis said since Van Ausdal is leaving the state he could be declared disqualified. The final decision was set to be made by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger,
a Republican, after the formal paperwork is filed.
“When the secretary of state makes that determination, the party would name a candidate the next day,” Davis said.
The Associated Press reported that Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs said Friday the window has passed for Democrats to replace Van Ausdal.
Key dates
♦ Tuesday, Sept. 15, is the first day absentee ballots may be mailed out, under Georgia law.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has set up an online portal where all registered Georgia voters may request absentee ballots.
No reason is required, but the information must match exactly with what’s already on file. Visit the Georgia My Voter website for a link.
♦ Oct. 5 is the last day to register to be able to vote in the Nov. 3 general election.
Registration can be done online through the My Voter Page or coun
ty elections office websites and in-person at the elections office and at any Georgia Department of Driver Services office. The one in Floyd County is at 3390 Martha Berry Highway.
Mail-in applications also are available at many public facilities, including libraries, schools and state offices such as DFCS and the Department of Labor.
Voters must be legal residents of
the United States, Georgia and the county where they are registering, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. Georgia does not allow anyone serving a felony sentence to vote.
♦ Oct. 12 is the start of the early in-person voting period, which runs through Oct. 30.
Runoffs, if needed, will be on Dec. 1 for local and state offices and Jan. 5, 2021, for federal offices.