The state House of Representatives’ 80th district, comprising the city of Brookhaven and southeast Sandy Springs, will be the site of a closely-watched August 11 election runoff between former Brookhaven GOP mayor J. Max Davis and Democrat Taylor Bennett.
Davis garnered 33 percent in Tuesday’s four-way special election, with Bennett receiving 37 percent of the votes and the rest going to two other Republican candidates. It is worth noting that Bennett’s 37 percent showing was close to the “Democratic baseline” in the district— the minimum percentage any Democrat (running statewide) would get in this district. Every Democrat running statewide last year got at least 38 percent in this district (with Senate candidate Michelle Nunn topping the list at 46 percent, even running ahead of gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter’s 43 percent).
Defeated candidate Catherine Bernard, with her 30 percent showing, definitely becomes the “go to” broker in this race because of her odd coalition of progressives, Ron Paul supporters and others.
In any event, this special election is a wake-up call for Republicans. If this seat were to flip to Bennett (endorsed by liberal groups ranging from the state teachers’ union to Planned Parenthood) then Democrats regain the majority in the Fulton County state House delegation. That of course would affect all future local legislation, including planned GOP efforts to ease the tax burden and enact further county government reforms.
