The week started Sunday with the Georgia Republicans holding their annual 8th district Fish Fry, featuring candidates for a slew of offices across the state. On Monday, the Democrats took their turn, beginning a statewide tour in Macon and Columbus with the theme of “Democrats Deliver” as they hope to convince Georgians to continue the slide towards blue following the January wins of Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
The Democrats are pointing to the accomplishments of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Congress and the various relief packages that have been passed regarding COVID and other items.
“President Biden and Georgia Democrats have made historic progress building back jobs, health care, and infrastructure in our state, and we are going to make sure that communities all across Georgia know that Democrats deliver,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA 6), Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
The Democrats are in some unfamiliar territory, not having held statewide office in nearly 15 years, with two statewide elected Democrats and are seemingly trying to be careful not to let Republicans define their opponents before Democrats define themselves. Also, though there are going to be plenty of Democrat primaries but for the most part, the liberal party will be able to escape some of the bruising primaries that may be awaiting (or are currently in progress for) Republicans.
Local Macon State Representative Miriam Paris (D-142) connected the work in Washington back to Macon, noting money to fight COVID and support the economy.
“Georgians went to the ballot box in November and January because they wanted change. Well today, just 7 months later, Democrats are already delivering,” said State Representative Paris. “Thanks to President Biden and Democrats’ American Rescue Plan, Macon-Bibb County received $77 million to fight COVID and support our recovery and our economy is bouncing back. And because of the American Rescue Plan, four out of five Affordable Care Act enrollees now spend $10 or less per month for coverage. Just last month, the Biden economy created over 940,000 jobs across the country. And none of this would be possible without Georgia voters.”
Much of the talk on the first leg of the tour regarded COVID and spending, two things that may be danced around in Republican campaigns or shrugged off in favor of other issues. Democrats seem to be doing a hard press on it though, whether this will continue into the general election remains to be seen. If inflation starts to become a real drag on the economy, Democrats could feel a pinch.
“Democrats’ economic agenda is building Georgia back from the bottom up and the middle out,” said State Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-135 Columbus). “2.2 million Georgia families with children are benefiting from the middle class tax cuts in the American Rescue Plan. These tax cuts are literally life changing for working families in Georgia. Child hunger has already dropped 24 percent nationwide since the distribution of the first child tax cut in July. And in Georgia alone, our state’s overall child poverty rate will be reduced from 13.6 percent to 5.9 percent.”
Also, check back late next year for those child poverty rate numbers.
