By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 4, 2018 | Today let’s take a look at the Georgia political scene for 2018.
Some of you have asked why GwinnettForum did not question these gubernatorial candidates in recent weeks as we spoke with many candidates. We figure the voters know more about the governor’s race than any other race in Georgia right now. So, we sought input only from candidates from lieutenant governor on down.
Usually voters know very little about other statewide races, except for the governor’s race. So providing information on campaigns for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, labor and insurance commissioner and the superintendent of schools can be more important to readers. These races just do not make it to most voter’s radar.
This year Georgia also has two seats in contention for Public Service Commissioner.
- Read comments in GwinnettForum about these lower ballot races, and contested races in Gwinnett, and be a better-informed voter.
WHILE THE MAY 22 primary voting is most important to our state, there does not seem to be a lot of overall interest in the races this year, though in the last few days a few more tidbits of information has dribbled out which might indicate otherwise.
But in general, the election season to most people seems…..just ho-hum.
But you can bet it’s important to the candidates.
Some say Casey Cagle seems the overall favorite for governor. But even Cagle is saying that with six candidates in the race, he probably won’t win the Republican nomination on the May 22 ballot. And if one of the other five candidates on the GOP ticket runs strong, who knows? We might have a political horse race on the July 24 runoff date.
The other candidates in the race are Secretary of State Brian Kemp, State Senator Michael Williams, former Senator Hunter Hill, businessman Clay Tippins, and one other with not much publicity, Eddie Hayes.
The biggest flap so far has been a “misfiring” on the part of Brian Kemp. We had thought him to be the second strongest candidate in the race. But then he got a little “cutesy” in a television advertisement. It’s getting him some ink, but you wonder if it is hurting him, so that one of the other contenders might edge him for second place and get to the runoff.
As for the Democratic candidates, of the “Two Staceys,” we had thought that Stacey Abrams would be the stronger candidate. But she seems to have lots of picky problems nipping at her heels, while it appears that Stacey Evans is coming on a little stronger. The outcome may rest on which segment among the Democrats comes out strongest to support one of the two Staceys.
We don’t know why, but somehow we think that Casey Cagle is vulnerable, and might not win the election. He’ll probably get into a runoff, but is he strong enough to win the nomination? Or strong enough to defeat the Democratic nominee?
Lots can happen. November is a long time off.
ACCORDING TO our Georgia election rules, on the May 22 primary, you will be picking people as judges at the time when the least people vote. That’s right, we don’t elect judges in the General Election, but do so during the primary.
We’ve long suggested it would be better to elect judges in the General Election. It’s one of GwinnettForum’s “Continuing Objectives.” But sadly, we still vote on judges during the primary vote. We look for a champion legislator to propose changing our rules to that we elect judges when most people vote!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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