Many Georgia counties will be certifying elections early in the week. You can follow that statewide process by logging on to https://sos.ga.gov/page/georgia-election-results. With regard to the partisan General Assembly primaries, not much to report except that three state House of Representatives members lost their seats— one Republican and two Democrats– including one Democrat to an anti-police, self-described socialist. More about that later.
Two Atlanta Democrats – state Reps. Saira Draper and Becky Evans— were drawn into the same district under election boundary reapportionment. The result: first-termer Draper defeated Evans. Since no Republican is running in November, Draper is scheduled to be seated. In a new Henry County district, state Rep. Lauren Daniel lost a primary rematch against accounting/marketing consultant Noelle Kahaian (endorsed by former Georgia Congressmen Paul Broun and Jody Hice). Kahaian will face a Democrat in November.
The shocker for Democrats – and for Georgia— is that state Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna, lost her primary to a 27-year-old waiter named Gabriel Sanchez. He’s an open socialist who attacks “heavy-handed policing” and is a leader in the campaign against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center which is under construction.
Fewer than 4,000 people cast votes out of more than 42,000 registered voters, with Sanchez winning 57 percent of the vote. Political observers interviewed by James Magazine Online said the liberal incumbent didn’t take the race seriously while the hardline leftist had an active cadre of student door-knockers and a vicious social media campaign that smeared Anulewicz’s husband/lawyer who represents a co-defendant in the Fulton County election case against former President Donald Trump.
Even though the district which covers parts of Smyrna and Marietta voted 70 percent for Joe Biden for president in 2020, maybe Republicans could flip the seat with their general election candidate Diane Jackson. “Georgians top concerns are rising prices and crime and my opponent is a democratic socialist whose agenda would make those issues worse,” Jackson says. “My opponent’s win shows how extreme and out of touch with Georgians the Democrats have become. Voters who want low taxes, safe communities and parents empowered on education decisions have a clear choice in this race.”
