Runoff Past, on to the Main Event
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Dave Schechter is a veteran journalist whose career includes writing and producing reports from Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Now that the primaries and runoff elections are past, the ballot is set for the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Of greatest import for Georgians is the race for governor.
Stacey Abrams has waited for an opponent since May 22, when she handily defeated Stacey Evans in the Democratic primary.
Now she has one.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp won nearly 70 percent of the vote in the July 24 runoff to defeat Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, reversing what had seemed a likely Cagle victory coming out of the May 22 primary.
Abrams and Kemp will provide Georgians with a clear choice to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, who is barred by state law from seeking a third consecutive term.
Abrams, the former House minority leader, is an African-American woman and an unabashed liberal. Kemp is a white male and an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.
A runoff also was needed to determine which Democrat would face incumbent Republican Karen Handel in the 6th congressional district.
Handel was elected to Congress in a special election in June 2017, defeating Democrat Jon Ossoff in the most expensive congressional election in history, one that drew national attention.
A year later, Handel will face gun control advocate Lucy McBath, who won nearly 54 percent of the vote to defeat Kevin Abel in the Democratic runoff.
The 6th district includes portions of eastern Cobb County, northern Fulton County and northern DeKalb County. Abel narrowly won the DeKalb County portion of the vote, while McBath won more substantially in the Cobb and Fulton county sections.
The 6th district has the highest percentage of Jewish residents among Georgia’s 14 congressional districts and is home to more than 40 percent of metro Atlanta’s Jews.
Considerably fewer votes were cast in the runoff than in the March 20 primary, in which McBath finished first and Abel second.
A runoff also determined that Carolyn Bourdeaux will be the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Rob Woodall in the 7th congressional district, which includes portions of Gwinnett and Forsyth counties. Bourdeaux received 52 percent of the vote to defeat David Kim.
Not all decisions were cut and dry in last week’s runoff. There are still questions about who will be the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.
Former State Rep. Geoff Duncan appeared to win with 50.2 percent of the vote, to 49.8 percent for State Sen. David Shafer. But at deadline, Shafer had yet to concede and a recount is possible.
The winner will face Sarah Riggs Amico, an executive of a transportation company, who won the May 22 Democratic primary.
Stay tuned for more election coverage. In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 general election, the Atlanta Jewish Times will bring you reports on candidates and issues of particular interest to the Jewish community.
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