(Georgia Recorder) — The race to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp has officially taken shape now that a crowded field of candidates from both major parties has qualified to run for Georgia’s highest state office.
The formality of filing paperwork and writing a check to qualify as a candidate set the stage for a race that has so far been shaped by concerns over the cost of living.
A recent Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey pointed to a competitive primary, showing former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms leading the Democratic primary field while Republicans Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and health care business executive Rick Jackson are locked in a near tie. Many voters on both sides of the aisle also remain undecided, according to the poll.
The Republican primary has quickly evolved into a high-spending battle between Jones and Jackson, who are both competing for supporters of President Donald Trump. Jones, who holds Trump’s endorsement, pointed to his record in state government, saying that he’s “always been a strong advocate of cutting taxes, cutting regulations, being strong on public safety and educational opportunities.”
“I’ve got the business background. I’ve got the legislative background. I’ve got the full support of the president, and look, like I said, I’ve got a proven track record that I’ll put against anybody running in this race,” Jones said after qualifying.
Jackson, who has pledged to spend at least $50 million of his own money in the initial weeks and who has compared himself to Trump, said he was qualifying to run because of the “politicians down here that are in it for themselves,” saying that he’s “here for people that don’t have a voice.”
“I’m going to make decisions based on what’s right because that’s the way I rolled,” Jackson said to reporters after qualifying. “That is with an others-first focus, and that’s the way I’m going to govern.”
Jackson upended the GOP primary when he unexpectedly announced his candidacy last month, scrambling a field of candidates that had been as set for months. The other major Republican candidates are Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr, who are both pitching themselves as the safer bet long term.
Raffensperger is trying to position himself as a candidate who can win a general election. He has campaigned on making living in Georgia more affordable and safer, and he said that he’s not intimidated by the outsized spending power of some of his GOP rivals.
“I always have been outspent in every single race I’ve run, and I always seem to somehow pull it off, because people know they can trust me, and trust goes a long way,” Raffensperger said.
Carr leaned into the “Kemp model” of governance when he spoke with reporters at the Capitol, saying that he can appeal to “persuadable voters” by focusing on economic and public safety issues.
“What is government supposed to do to keep people safe? I don’t care about your race, your gender, your religion, your sexual orientation, where you live, or where you’re from. You deserve to be safe,” Carr said to reporters after qualifying. “If you like what this state has done, and if this state has provided you an opportunity like it did my family, then you’re going to want to vote for me.”
Georgia’s “leadership committee” law, which allows elected officials holding some of the highest offices to bypass traditional campaign contribution limits, has become a central issue in the Republican primary. The provision allows the governor, lieutenant governor and caucus leaders to raise unlimited funds through a separate committee to advocate for their own election or the defeat of an opponent.
Jackson, for now, has successfully challenged the law in federal court, arguing it created an unconstitutional “de facto second, super-duper campaign committee” for Jones, lawyers for Jackson wrote in the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash issued a temporary restraining order in late February, preventing the Jones’ leadership committee from raising or spending further funds for his gubernatorial bid during the primary election.
Jackson filed a separate defamation lawsuit Monday, claiming that statements that Jones and his campaign published were “specifically and deliberately calibrated to destroy Jackson’s standing with Georgia Republican primary voters.”
Kayla Lott, a spokesperson for the Jones campaign, doubled down on the statements and said in a social media post that “(Jackson’s) thin skin is showing.”
The Democratic field
On the Democratic side, candidates are focusing on issues like Medicaid expansion and housing costs, though they disagree on who may be the best candidate to break 20 years of Republican rule in Georgia.
Bottoms, the current frontrunner according to the Emerson Polling, said that “affordability is not a hoax” and that it is the “number one issue” for voters. She said she would focus on Democratic issues like expanding Medicaid, as well as pushing to eliminate income taxes for teachers and providing free access to a technical or community college education.
“People are concerned about where we are in this state, and where we are in this country and what the future holds for them. That’s what we’re talking about every day on the campaign trail,” Bottoms said.
Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who recently switched parties and is running as a Democrat, acknowledged his “public journey” from serving as a Republican. He argued that he is “the only one in this race that’s building a coalition big enough to not just win a primary, but to win a general election.”
“Democrats, independents and even disgusted Republicans are showing up and supporting us with their dollars, with their votes, with their support. This momentum is continuing, and I think it’s primarily focused on the fact that I’m focused on solving problems, not picking fights,” Duncan said.
Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said he’s the “only Democrat running in the primary who’s ever won a statewide race,” pointing to his tenure as labor commissioner. He said he would “invest in our public education system” and ensure there is “a job for every Georgian, and a Georgian for every job.”
“I’m here representing those Georgians who never set foot in this Capitol to let them know that they now have a voice and they will have a seat at the table in our government, we must have a government focused on the citizens of this state,” Thurmond said.
Former state Sen. Jason Esteves positioned himself as the candidate with the most relevant lived experiences, saying that because he personally understands the challenges Georgians face, he can provide real solutions.
“No other candidate in this race has that kind of experience, but not only that, my vision for the future of the state is one that is positive, restores hope and gives people something to vote for. My opponents are talking about what you should be voting against. I’m going to stay focused on what you should be voting for,” Esteves said.
Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver also qualified for a spot in the governor’s race, though his path to the November ballot remains uncertain. Oliver has to gather at least 78,000 signatures by mid-July to regain ballot access, Oliver said, and they are sitting at under 5,000 signatures. He said he’s targeting voters disaffected by both major parties and specifically sees an opening with Republicans wanting a truly fiscally conservative candidate.
“I think there are people who are disaffected by both major parties, but certainly in the last year, as the approval ratings of the President have dropped, there is great potential for many Republican voters to find a home in the Libertarian Party, because we’re actually fiscally conservative,” Oliver said.
Candidate qualifying was held last week at the state Capitol. The primary election will take place May 19 with a runoff, if needed, set for June 16. The winners will advance to the November general election.
Georgia Recorder Deputy Editor Ross Williams contributed to this report.
