Since the election of the current American president, people have been speculating about the potential for a resurgence of Democratic victories throughout the country. So far that theory has proven largely true, with Democrats outperforming in the majority of states that have held special elections since the president’s inauguration. The predictive power of special elections is highly questionable, of course, but it does provide a sense of the mood of the electorate.
That mood has not been lost on Democratic hopefuls in Georgia either. With qualifying week now behind us we have a definitive picture of what candidates will be on the ballot for the primaries in May and general election in November. Fortunately, that picture has a lot of blue.
Every statewide position is being contested by at least Democrat, and most are contested by more than that. 13 of the 14 Congressional Districts in the state also feature a minimum of one Democrat, with both the 6th and 7th District looking to be particularly competitive this year. Lastly, many of Georgia’s Republican-held legislative seats, long considered to be among the least competitive in the country, are finally seeing some Democratic opposition. Democrats are fired up and ready to fight.
Both on and off the ballot, Democratic and independent women will be on the front lines of these fights. Not only are there a record number of women running for office, but women have been driving the charge lately in getting Democrats in office, particularly women of color. Black women have made the difference in some of the most competitive races, such as for US Senator Doug Jones and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Even with #blackgirlmagic, those fights will not be easy. Despite a number of Republican resignations, much of the legislative map remains deep red. Some seats have gone without Democratic competition in over a decade. The excitement for progressive policies is difficult to pin down in rural Georgia as well, which includes areas that will need to provide at least a few Democratic wins if there is to be any hope of retaking control of the legislature in the next four or six years. The Democratic message that wins urban seats is not necessarily the same one that could win rural seats.
2018 is the best chance Democrats have had in years to begin erasing the overwhelming Republican majorities in Georgia. We got a good start last year with hard-fought victories in SD 6, HD 117, and HD 119. And now, for the first time in a long time, the Democratic Party commands a more favorable impression in the state than the Republican Party. Voters are beginning to realize that draconian Republican policies are not the way forward for our state – progressive policies are. Democratic victories are the way to make those policies a reality.
Tharon Johnson is a consultant with Paramount Consulting Group and a Democrat strategist.
