Turnout was terrible in during Tuesday’s party primaries. Around 18 percent of the state’s registered voters cast ballots, compared to 44 percent in the March 1 presidential primary. This occurred even though there were many more offices on the ballot than on March 1. Turnout was also a factor that resulted in several surprises around metro Atlanta.
In the Sandy Springs-based state House District 52, an open Republican primary due to the retirement of incumbent Joe Wilkinson, attorney and community activist Deborah Silcox beat former City Councilman Graham McDonald by a 150-vote margin. Just 4,273 total votes were cast, compared to 9,616 in the district’s March 1 GOP presidential primary. McDonald’s defeat is a stinging embarrassment to Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, who endorsed McDonald, helped him pressure Wilkinson out of the race and basically ran his campaign. Silcox is now the representative-elect, since no Democrat is running for the post.
The turnout drop-off was even greater in neighboring state House District 80 currently occupied by freshman Rep. Taylor Bennett, D-Brookhaven. Just 2,337 GOP primary votes cast a ballot on Tuesday in the three-way race, compared to a whopping 8,197 in the Republican presidential primary. Candidate Catherine Bernard suffered a big loss of voters since she unsuccessfully ran in the 2015 special election won by Bennett. Bernard got 1,203 votes in that special election last fall but only garnered 707 votes on Tuesday– a drop of about 500 votes. That helped GOP rising star Meagan Hanson to secure a July runoff spot with Alan Cole.
Tuesday was a good day for incumbents overall— only two lost in the state House, both Democrats (Rahn Mayo of DeKalb’s 84th District and Ernie Smith in Augusta’s 125th District). And it looks like July runoffs for 94-year-old Rep. John Yates and Rep. Tom Dickson.
A metro Atlanta lawmaker breathing easier this week is state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, who defeated a well-funded challenger in the GOP primary. “This election was a referendum, if you will, on the willingness to come out with some big, bold, visionary ideas,” the incumbent says. Beach supported last year’s measure to raise about $1 billion in taxes for infrastructure repair, and has proposed expansion of the MARTA transit system in north Fulton County. Opponent Aaron Barlow made this a big issue, especially opposing MARTA expansion. But as Sandy Springs community activist John Stoj notes, the “electorate has evolved” when it comes to a willingness to back tax increases to support transportation/congestion fixes.
A final metro Atlanta surprise is that retired Marine colonel Mike Boyce came within just 673 votes of ousting Cobb County Commission Chairman Tim Lee in a three-way Republican primary. A Lee mailer touted his “unquestioned conservative leadership.” Yet it certainly was questioned on Tuesday by voters. Boyce and third candidate Larry Savage underscored the county’s lack of transparency regarding the deal that landed a new Atlanta braves stadium in the county. They particularly hammered Lee that there was no public referendum on the $400 million taxpayer investment in the project. Lee is in serious trouble in the July 26 runoff against Boyce, although low turnout could still save the chairman.
