Georgia state House of Representatives District 55 in Atlanta has been represented until recently by Democrat civil right activist Tyrone Brooks. He resigned due to legal troubles and a special non-partisan election is scheduled for June 16. The big question: In this low-turnout election, can independent candidate John Guest capture the seat from a divided field of seven Democrats?
While pondering that question, consider how the district voted in the 2014 statewide elections—Democrats won over 80% in every statewide contest. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn got 86% there last November and Barack Obama received 84% of the vote to a mere 15% for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In October 2014, according to the Secretary of State’s office, this district had 35,645 active registered voters— 62% Black, 22% White, 1% each either Asian or Hispanic and 14% “others” (multiracial, no race listed, etc.)
The district is diagonal, running from southwest to northeast. In the southwest, it takes in the Greenbrier Mall area around Hwy 166 and I-285, Cascade Road area at and near 285, neighborhoods a few miles west of Georgia Dome, across the rail yards near Marietta Street and all the way to the southern part of Buckhead (Lindbergh Drive), taking in at the upper corner of district Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, Piedmont Hospital, Bobby Jones Golf Course, the Masonic Temple, Amtrak rail station and television station channels 2 and 11 near the Sherwood Forest neighborhood.
Guest is a known Republican running as an independent (running with the “R” label would be radioactive!) He seeks to unite the small GOP base in the district against a crowded and divided Democratic field, hoping he can score an upset. Then he would have to figure how to get re-elected in a presidential year (2016) in which the Democratic presidential candidate is sure to easily win. (If Guest pulls off the ultimate upset, he would double the size of the House Independent Caucus— which now consists solely of Rep. Rusty Kidd of Milledgeville.)
In 2012, about 4,000 votes were cast for Romney in this district, compared to nearly 23,000 for Obama— so obviously Guest must hope for a low turnout overall and a disproportionately high turnout among the small GOP voter base. By the way, among the candidates seeking the seat is–guess who?– Tyrone Brooks Jr.
