By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
NOV. 23, 2021 | The Georgia Legislature’s Congressional redistricting map seems to give Democrat Carolyn Boudreaux a virtual “Bye” for the 2022 election cycle. Just look at how the new Congressional district map is drawn.
But the Republican-dominated new map sure tore into another Democrat, Lucy McBath of the Sixth District. She lost large parts of her old district in East Cobb, North Fulton and North Dekalb County. The legislator-map makers instead added on portions in more Republican areas of Forsyth, Dawson, Cherokee, Fulton and Cobb counties, plus a small part of northwest Gwinnett, to the new Sixth District.
Meanwhile, because of Gwinnett’s large population, the 7th District is contained entirely within Gwinnett’s borders. About one-third of Gwinnett is either in the new Ninth District (Northeast Georgia), and about 10 percent of the county in the Sixth District.
Click on the new congressional map to see a larger version.
The new Congressional map even drew Carolyn Boudreaux out of her district…she lives one precinct away in Suwanee. However, Georgia law allows her to run in any district in the state. Her Seventh District also voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump by 62-37 percent. She ought to be smiling!
Meanwhile, we have been surprised at how this early in the season the governor’s race seems to be warming up, and in ways we never expected.
It seems that now that former Sen. David Perdue lost his last election, he liked the taste for politics, and now wants more of it. Or it could be that he’s ready to do ex-President Trump’s bidding and challenge Gov. Brian Kemp. It has been no secret that the former president is no admirer of Mr. Kemp.
Yet recognize that Mr. Perdue will be 72 when it’s time to qualify for government. We recognize that older people can often survive in government. Mr. Trump is now 75, and President Joe Biden is 79.
But does Senator Perdue really want to take on Kemp, who himself is now 58? And even if one of these were to get the Republican nomination for governor, is it not possible to think that the next governor of Georgia might be a Democrat? While some seem to think it’s a sure possibility that Stacey Abrams will run for governor, she is taking her time in sending that signal. Besides raising money for her non-profit foundation, and writing books, some wonder if her eyes are not on higher office, and she might not run for governor.
Standing in the wings, should that happen, is another long-time Georgia public servant, DeKalb’s Mike Thurmond. He’s been a legislator, commissioner of labor, DeKalb County school superintendent, and now DeKalb CEO. And he’s done each job well. We remember asking him how he balanced the DeKalb School’s budget, when it lost $11 million in the year before he took over. Turned out it was simple. He told us: “I read the budget.” He found enough wasted money there to turn that school system around.
One more subject: recognize that in 2022 instead of having 25 state legislators, Gwinnett will have five more — 30 — seats next year. There will be two new Senate districts, and three more House seats.
So watch out: lots of people, perhaps even your neighbor, might be a candidate for office next year.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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