Political signs are here. Just over a month before the general election and they’re sprouting up everywhere. Any supporter who hints at the possibility of putting one up has got (at least) one, and every patch of unclaimed grass is seeing itself turned against its will into a physical representation of support. In my neighborhood this means a lot of David Perdue’s, noticeably less Nathan Deal’s, a healthy dose of Hunter Hill’s, (running for re-election to the State Senate) and a smattering of Michelle Nunn’s and Jason Carter’s, (every one encircled by Perdue signs as if to reassure the neighborhood that liberalism won’t go unchecked ’round these parts).
And then there are the Connie Stokes signs.
Not in people’s yards, but just off to the side in those strange patches of land that nobody’s quite sure who owns. In medians and at gas stations, even on the side of I-75 and its exit ramps. Somebody has put some real time into making sure that at the very least, I see Connie Stokes’ name. Stokes is, of course, (as I found out by a closer examination of one of the signs) the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
The race for Lt. Governor is not usually a high profile one. Even in a year such as this where Democrats are making a serious effort in their bids for U.S. Senate and Governor, you’re not going to see a whole lot of attention turned toward a race further down the ballot. It makes sense, considering that current Lt. Governor Casey Cagle is relatively popular and has done a fine job over the past eight years, and that a state Democratic party faced with much discord over the past couple of election cycles is likely already stretched to its limit, (both in terms of money and manpower) in trying to help with the ‘big two’ races.
A recent poll, though, from Survey USA, shows Cagle leading Stokes by only an 11 point margin, 51% to 40%. That’s not necessarily in the danger zone for Cagle, but it certainly might give him pause considering his incumbency and popularity. The Lt. Governor will surely tap into that war chest over the next month to expand that lead, buying up advertising on TV, radio, and the internet, while Stokes is left putting up signs wherever she can find a patch of dirt that will hold one.
Cagle’s first ad, which came out late last week
Lest this race be forgotten in what will inevitably be a whirlwind of a month, let’s take a look at the race, if only for a moment.
Casey Cagle was elected Lt. Governor in 2006, where he became the first Republican to hold that office in the state’s history. He survived a much publicized power struggle in the State Senate in 2012, but emerged on top and in a strong position. After bowing out of the 2010 Governor’s race, Cagle has long been considered a top candidate for Governor in 2018, and with a decade’s worth of connections and experience at the capitol he will surely be in strong position to enter that contest should he choose to do so. Of course, first there’s the little matter of winning re-election in November.
Connie Stokes is a former State Senator and Dekalb County Commissioner, (a title that carries less weight than it used to following the indictment of Elaine Boyer) who is no stranger to running for higher office. Upon leaving the Senate in 2004, (a decision made after a newly Republican majority stripped her of her leadership positions there) Stokes ran for Congress twice, (losing to Cynthia McKinney and Hank Johnson) as recently as 2010. She was the first name on the ballot for the Democratic nomination for Governor, but slid down the ticket once Jason Carter got into the race.
With merely $40,000 on hand at the end of June, (compared to over $1.2 million for Cagle) Stokes will need to put up a lot of signs to make up the difference in spending coming from her opponent. In her defense, she seems to be doing a pretty good job of that.
