CORNELIA, Ga. — As Georgia voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide Republican runoff elections for governor and U.S. Senate, Habersham County voters offered a glimpse into the competing forces shaping two of the state’s most closely watched races.
The runoffs pit Lt. Gov. Burt Jones against former state Sen. Rick Jackson in the Republican gubernatorial contest and U.S. Rep. Mike Collins against former college football coach Derek Dooley in the Republican Senate race. Both contests advanced to a runoff after no candidate secured a majority in the May primary.
Outside polling locations at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center and the Habersham County Board of Elections Office in Cornelia, voters cited everything from endorsements and policy concerns to electability and a desire for political outsiders.
For Brian Lee, concerns over data centers helped drive his choice for governor.
“I was concerned about data centers and Burt Jones’ stance on them,” Lee said after casting his ballot for Jackson.
For the Senate race, Lee backed Dooley.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t like Collins,” he said. “Dooley is the only one who has a chance to beat Ossoff.”
Several voters said endorsements played a major role in their decisions.
Art Davis said he supported Jones and Collins because both received President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
“I voted for Burt Jones and Mike Collins,” Davis said. “We need MAGA warriors who can save this state from the Democrats.”
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Amy Oliver also pointed to Trump’s support when explaining her vote for Jones and Dooley.
“We align with him on a lot of things, so we respect his opinions,” she said.
For Dwayne Cannon of Mt. Airy, another endorsement proved influential.
“I was going to vote for Jackson, but then Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed Jones,” Cannon said. “I think Kemp is one of the best governors we’ve ever had.”
Other voters said they were looking for candidates outside the traditional political establishment.
Wendall Jackson said that was the primary reason he supported Jackson for governor and Dooley for Senate.
“I’m so sick of the system and anyone involved with it,” he said. “We need fresh ideas from people who haven’t been a part of politics.”
Adam Delight expressed a similar view in supporting Jackson.
“He’s the outsider,” Delight said. “I just had a good feeling about him.”
Some voters focused less on endorsements or ideology and more on personal impressions of the candidates.
Susan Mann said she voted for Jones for governor because she was uncomfortable with Jackson.
“I don’t know about Rick Jackson; he seemed … shady,” she said.
Mann supported Collins in the Senate race for a simpler reason.
“Name recognition.”
Joyce Robinson also voted for Jones but chose Dooley for Senate.
“I just trust him,” Robinson said.
John Dodd said he supported Jones because he believed Jackson was not conservative enough.
“Jackson tends to lean too much to the Democratic side,” Dodd said.
For some voters, the campaign itself became a factor.
Mike Able cast a ballot for Dooley but declined to choose a candidate in the governor’s race.
“Those television ads were so nasty,” Able said. “Neither one of them deserved my vote.”
Not every voter interviewed participated in the Republican runoff. One voter who requested anonymity said she chose the Democratic ballot despite living in a heavily Republican area.
“People need to vote their heart and who they feel is the best person,” she said.
The interviews reflected the diverse motivations driving voters in the final hours of the campaign. Some followed endorsements from Trump or Kemp. Others were motivated by issues such as data centers and taxes, while some simply backed the candidates they believed had the best chance of winning in November.
With control of the Republican nominations for governor and U.S. Senate hanging in the balance, Habersham voters appeared as divided over their reasoning as the statewide electorate is expected to be when the final votes are counted.
Now Georgia will continue to provide election results as they are reported throughout the night.
Joshua M. Peck, Patrick Fargason, Hazel Cording contributed to this story.
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