Georgia Republicans suffered another setback last night when Democrats unified around our gubernatorial nominee, Keisha Lance Bottoms, while the GOP is stuck spending the next four weeks mired in a civil war. As The New York Times and CNN noted, Keisha won big by “focus[ing] her attention” on “affordability issues” and making “expanding Medicaid coverage and increasing education funding among the key pillars of her campaign.” That big win, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last night, means “Bottoms [has] a head start in the race to unify Democrats for November while Republicans remain locked in their own costly brawl.” And The New York Times noted that the runoff will “drag out” an already “bruising” and “expensive” primary.
Jones and Jackson are already living up to expectations. Less than 24 hours into this run-off, Jackson is out with a blistering new ad hammering Jones – and Jones is already challenging Jackson to a second debate after Jackson performed poorly in their first face-off.
Here’s what they are saying about the Georgia GOP’s run-off:
- The New York Times: “The runoff promises to drag out what has already been a bruising — and very expensive — primary campaign between the two Republican finalists.”
- The New York Times: Keisha is “focusing her attention on attacking Mr. Trump, as well as affordability issues and ambitious voting rights plans.”
- CNN: Keisha “made expanding Medicaid coverage and increasing education funding among the key pillars of her campaign.”
- Politico: “Bottoms, who defeated a crowded field to win the race outright Tuesday, can pivot to the general election — even as Republicans are headed toward a costly runoff of their own.”
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “The win gives Bottoms a head start in the race to unify Democrats for November while Republicans remain locked in their own costly brawl. Billionaire Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appeared headed toward a runoff after a race dominated by staggering spending, scathing personal attacks and loyalty tests over President Donald Trump.”
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Now Jackson and Jones are bracing for an even thornier head-to-head matchup on June 16 […[ pursue conservative policies and, perhaps most of all, carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda in Georgia.”
- Associated Press: “The pair ran seemingly nonstop attack ads against each other on television leading up to Tuesday. That’s now assumed to continue into the runoff in June.”
- CBS Atlanta: “The runoff sets up a rematch between the two candidates who have dominated and defined one of the most contentious GOP primary battles Georgia has seen in years, and it means voters will spend another month navigating a race that has already produced two lawsuits, a defamation claim, and a mobile billboard circling metro Atlanta.”
- NBC News: “The head-to-head contest will pit two candidates against each other who have aggressively vied for the support of President Donald Trump’s base in Georgia. Jones has Trump’s official endorsement, but Jackson, a healthcare executive who shook up the race with his unexpected entrance this year, has painted himself in the mold of Trump.”
- Georgia Recorder: “A bruising fight between two Georgia Republican frontrunners for governor will continue for a few more weeks.”
###