Jewish Candidates on the May 22 Ballot
While the AJT has highlighted several races, others are also of interest in the Georgia primary.
Early voting for the the Georgia primaries Tuesday, May 22, continues Thursday and Friday, May 17 and 18.
The AJT this week published a voters’ guide collecting our in-depth looks at the two Democrats and five of the Republicans in the marquee race of 2018, the election of a new governor after Nathan Deal’s two terms, as well as three primary elections featuring Jewish candidates: the Democratic primary for the 6th Congressional District (Kevin Abel); the Democratic primary for the Public Service Commission (Lindy Miller); and the Republican primary for the 52nd Georgia House District (Gavi Shapiro).
While Miller is trying to make history as the first Jewish woman to win a partisan election for statewide office, she is not the only one this year. Fellow Democrat Cindy Zeldin, recognized as one of Georgia Trend magazine’s 40 Under 40 in 2010, is in a similar position while running for insurance commissioner.
Zeldin, the former executive director of nonprofit advocacy organization Georgians for a Healthy Future, has urged Georgia to opt into the expansion of the Medicaid program included in the federal Affordable Care Act.
She has one opponent in the primary, Janice Laws. The winner will face one of three Republicans — Jay Florence, Jim Beck or Tracy Jordan — in the race to replace Ralph Hudgens, who is retiring.
Among the races that are not statewide, several other Jewish candidates could appear on your ballot.
In a nonpartisan election for an open seat on the Fulton County Superior Court, Bobby Wolf, a member of The Temple, is running against two fellow prosecutors, Fani Willis and Kevin Farmer.
Two-time congressional candidate Allan Levene is in a heads-up battle for an open seat in state House District 15. The resident of Cartersville and native of England is running against lifelong Cartersville resident Matthew Gambill, a nephew of former Gov. Joe Frank Harris’. No Democrat is running, so the winner of the Republican primary will be elected.
The two Jewish members of the legislature, Sen. Renee Unterman of Buford and Rep. Michele Henson of Stone Mountain, are both seeking re-election.
Democrat Henson faces a primary challenge from Joscelyn O’Neil in a rematch of the 2016 primary, in which Henson received three-fourths of the votes, and no Republican is on the ballot. Republican Unterman has no primary opponent but must defeat Democrat Jana Rodgers in November.
At least three other Jewish candidates are running for the General Assembly:
- Newcomer Jen Slipakoff has no competition in West Cobb for the Democratic nomination for a House seat being vacated by Earl Ehrhart. She’ll face Ehrhart’s wife, Ginny, Rob Harrell or Thomas Gray in November.
- Republican Alex Kaufman is on the ballot against Democrat Josh McLaurin for an open House seat in Sandy Springs.
- Democrat Michael Wilensky is against Republican Kenneth Wright in November for an open House seat in Dunwoody.
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