Marjorie Taylor Green (left) and John Cowan (right) held no punches during debate in the race for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District on July 19, 2020. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
Acrimony and insults flew in a debate Sunday between two Republican candidates vying for Northwest Georgia’s congressional seat who showed little daylight separating them on policy issues but much disagreement over which of their backgrounds should appeal more to conservative voters.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a construction business owner, leveled accusations of falsely impersonating a police officer and weak support for gun rights against opponent John Cowan, a neurosurgeon who owns a toy shop.
Cowan punched back, slamming Greene for accepting federal COVID-19 assistance for her company while accepting campaign donations and questioning why she did not vote for President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential primary.
Both candidates met in a debate held by the Atlanta Press Club ahead of a runoff election for the Republican nomination for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District set for Aug. 11. The winner is poised to face the race’s only Democratic candidate, implementation specialist Kevin Van Ausdal.
The contenders are aiming to replace U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, a Republican, who announced late last year he will not seek re-election to a sixth term. The reliably Republican district stretches from Paulding and Haralson counties north through Rome, Calhoun and Dalton to the Tennessee line.
Since then, Greene has faced backlash over past online videos reported in the Washington Post and Politico in which she appeared to promote the anti-government conspiracy theory QAnon and dismiss the racial-justice underpinnings of the Black Lives Matter protest movement.
In Sunday’s debate, Greene did not answer a yes-or-no question on whether she believes in the QAnon theory, opting instead to condemn former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
She also voiced belief in the “deep state” theory concerning alleged conspiratorial acts by U.S. intelligence officials that have been discussed by many conservative media commentators.
“I like many Americans am disgusted with the deep state who’ve launched an effort to get rid of President Trump,” Greene said.
Greene was also pressed by Cowan on whether she would return federal money given to her construction company for COVID-19 relief while also soliciting donations for her campaign. She called Cowan out-of-touch with Georgians’ struggles due to COVID-19, which she labeled “Chinese virus.”
Greene took aim at China again by criticizing Cowan for purchasing items for his toy shop from the country, saying he purchases “cheap trinket toys [from China] instead of creating jobs here in Northwest Georgia.”
Cowan responded that he buys “goods overseas just like her construction company does” and that he works with local distributors and small-business owners.
Greene then accused Cowan of falsely posing as a reserve deputy in Floyd County despite not receiving that status, calling it “shameful” to do so. Cowan pointed to Floyd County Sheriff Tim Burkhalter’s statement that he was sworn as a “special reserve deputy for attachment to the SWAT Team.”
“There’s lots of squirrels and bats in that attic,” Cowan said, dismissing Greene’s accusations.
Cowan also fielded attacks from Greene over certain campaign contributions and a lack of endorsements from gun-rights groups that she framed as weak support for the Second Amendment. She described him as “compensating” in pro-gun campaign ads.
Cowan rejected the assertion, touting his pro-gun platform and claiming Greene donated to a political action committee that has contributed to Democratic candidates.
“She’s making a ridiculous campaign because she’s a ridiculous candidate,” Cowan said.
Beyond the sniping, both candidates expressed desire to reform immigration laws and work with county and city governments to address issues stemming from opioid addiction.
Each candidate also questioned the other’s support for Trump, with both angling to emphasize that they would strongly back the president if elected.
“I have passionately supported President Trump from day one,” Greene said.
“I consider my campaign for Congress to be entirely about supporting the president and his agenda,” Cowan said.
U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (left) and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (right, with Gov. Brian Kemp) are battling on the Republican side in a heated Senate race. (Photos by Beau Evans)
U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., released a campaign ad Friday attacking Republican opponent U.S. Rep. Doug Collins’ record as a former criminal defense attorney, highlighting a growing focus on law enforcement issues in the race for her seat.
Campaign staffers for Collins, a four-term congressman and preacher who is vying to unseat Loeffler, slammed the ad as an example of elitism by the billionaire Loeffler and questioned her grasp of the criminal justice process.
The ad points out Collins’ stint as a defense attorney in Gainesville before joining Congress, noting that his firm Collins and Csider took on several clients facing gang, drug trafficking and assault charges.
Those were all court-appointed to Collins’ firm because they were indigent, his campaign explained. The campaign also said Collins did not represent any of the clients himself.
Even so, Loeffler’s campaign called the criminal clientele at odds with Collins’ conservative image as she seeks to cast herself as a law-and-order candidate opposed to defunding police agencies and the Black Lives Matter protest movement.
“Now, Doug Collins is a career politician who pretends to be a rock-solid law and order conservative,” said Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea. “He talks a good game on TV, but his dangerous record tells another story.”
Collins’s campaign punched back quickly with scoffs at Loeffler’s penchant for using a private jet to travel and insider-trading accusations that have dogged her for months. Campaign spokesman Dan McLagan said Loeffler’s wealth has left her out of touch with the workings of criminal courts.
“Poor people in Kelly’s world of mansions and private jets do not deserve representation in court,” McLagan said. “Accusation equals conviction if your bank balance does not have enough zeroes in it.”
Loeffler, a Buckhead businesswoman whose husband’s company owns the New York Stock Exchange, has pumped $15 million of her own money into her campaign – by far the heftiest bank account in the race.
But Collins’ campaign has trumpeted his recent outraising of Loeffler by about $400,000 in donations since April, which supporters say shows his clout with grassroots conservatives.
Meanwhile, the campaign for Rev. Raphael Warnock, the Democratic front-runner in the race who is senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, has touted reeling in more donations – nearly $3 million – than both Loeffler and Collins combined in recent months.
Lately, Collins has run several social-media videos attempting to tie Loeffler to the nonprofit Planned Parenthood, due to backing the birth-control group receives from the Women’s National Basketball Association. Loeffler co-owns a WNBA team in Atlanta.
But Loeffler has sought to flip her WNBA ties to her advantage by recently castigating the league’s decision to broadcast Black Lives Matter-related slogans on players’ uniforms. Loeffler called the outcry over stance against the uniform design as evidence of “cancel culture” trying to silence her views.
The race for Loeffler’s seat has drawn a field of 21 candidates in a special election to fill the remainder of former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. Isakson retired at the end of last year, prompting Gov. Brian Kemp to tap Loeffler to hold the seat until the election.
The Nov. 3 election is an open election, meaning candidates from all parties will be on the same ballot. A runoff between the top two finishers will be held in January if no candidate gains a simple majority.
U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (left), U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (center) and Rev. Raphael Warnock (right) are competing in the Nov. 3 special election.
U.S. Rep. Doug Collins has outraised U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., in recent months in the hotly contested race for her Senate seat, while Democratic challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock topped them both, according to campaign finance figures.
Loeffler, a Buckhead businesswoman, still by far enjoys the largest campaign war chest with $7 million in the bank, propped up by millions of dollars in personal loans.
Fundraising figures filed this week show Collins topping Loeffler by roughly $400,000 in donations between April and June. Collins raised about $1.3 million compared to Loeffler’s nearly $910,000.
The firebrand congressman from Gainesville also has more than $2.6 million on hand to spend.
Warnock, meanwhile, nabbed nearly $3 million in donations as the Democratic front-runner in the race. It was the second quarter in a row that Warnock, chief pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, raised more than his Republican counterparts as they compete for votes within their own party.
Warnock’s campaign said he now has more than $2.9 million in cash on hand.
Loeffler, a first-time candidate, has pumped $15 million of her own money into her campaign so far. She has deep pockets as a former head of an Atlanta-based bitcoin company and the wife of billionaire executive Jeff Sprecher, whose Atlanta-based company owns the New York Stock Exchange.
Collins has leaned on his grassroots support among Georgia conservatives and his close ties to President Donald Trump. His campaign highlighted his recent topping of Loeffler in fundraising as evidence of sway with local voters.
Trump had glowing words to say about both Republican candidates during a visit to Atlanta on Wednesday.
Warnock has reeled in contributions from Democratic donors in recent months amid a spate of high-profile endorsements from local and national Democratic leaders who have elevated him to the top of the party’s ticket in the Senate contest.
The race for Loeffler’s seat has drawn a field of 21 candidates in a special election to fill the remainder of former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. Isakson retired at the end of last year, prompting Gov. Brian Kemp to tap Loeffler to hold the seat until the election.
The Nov. 3 election is an open election, meaning candidates from all parties will be on the same ballot. A runoff between the top two finishers will be held in January if no candidate gains a simple majority.
Campaigning has seen a shift in focus in recent weeks toward more cultural and social issues amid nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Economic and health issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic also continue to dominate debate between the Senate candidates.
The hotly contested race to replace U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District appeared likely headed for a runoff between Democratic candidates following Tuesday’s primary election, though many votes were still left to be counted long after midnight.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rich McCormick looked to have collected enough votes to avoid a runoff in the Republican primary.
The 7th District, covering most of Gwinnett County and part of Forsyth County, drew a crowded field of candidates in the primary following the decision by current seat holder Woodall, a Republican, not to seek re-election.
Whoever emerges for the Nov. 3 general election, the race is expected to be close. In 2018, Woodall won his fourth term by less than 500 votes over Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux, who is making a second run at the seat this year.
Bourdeaux, who amassed nearly $2 million in campaign contributions ahead of Tuesday’s primary, looked unlikely to claim more than 50% of the vote tally needed to avoid a runoff. As voting stood early Wednesday morning, she is poised to face one of several close-competing Democratic candidates in a runoff scheduled for Aug. 11.
On the Republican side, Dr. Rich McCormick, an emergency room doctor and former Marine pilot, held slightly more than 50% of the vote early Wednesday morning over state Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford. McCormick and Unterman sparred ahead of the election in a bid to emphasize their conservative views.
Seven Republican and six Democratic candidates put their hats in the ring for the primary election held Tuesday. Views from opposing-party candidates have divided sharply over hallmark issues including immigration enforcement, universal health care, the Green New Deal environmental pledge and President Donald Trump’s helming of the federal government.
Trailing Bourdeaux on the Democratic slate were state Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero, the first Latina elected to the General Assembly; Nabilah Islam, a campaign organizer and activist; and Rashid Malik, a former IBM executive and author.
Republican candidates have dismissed the idea that the 7th District is up for grabs, noting the region’s conservative base is energized to re-elect Trump and down-ballot Republicans in the Nov. 3 general election.
But Democratic hopefuls see an opening in the district after Bourdeaux’s close race and amid demographic changes in Gwinnett County that have been spurred in part by a growing minority population.
Tuesday’s primary was marked by long lines and wait times at some polling places in the state, particularly in Atlanta and Savannah. Elections officials attributed slow in-person voting to subpar training in the state’s new voting machines and safety measures put in place amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Statewide, more than three-fourths of the roughly 1.2 million early votes ahead of the primary were cast by mail, marking a historic absentee effort as election officials pressed for increased participation in vote-by-mail to help curb the spread of the virus.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stressed the voting challenges Tuesday that more time will be needed to tally up votes before final election results can be declared.
U.S. Congressman David Scott was on the edge of heading to a runoff after voting wrapped up late Tuesday in Georgia’s primary election, capping a day marked by long lines and technical hiccups amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Scott, a Democrat, was close to dipping below the 50% vote threshold needed to avoid a runoff in his bid to win a 10th consecutive term representing Georgia’s 13th Congressional District as votes continued trickling in early Wednesday morning.
The primary race to unseat Scott drew three Democratic hopefuls, each of whom attacked the longtime congressman for not holding public meetings with constituents and for residing outside the district.
Should the final count show he did not gain more than 50% of the vote share, Scott would likely face a runoff on Aug. 11 with second-place finisher Keisha Waites, a consultant and former state House lawmaker.
Scott has held the reliably Democratic 13th District seat since his first election in 2002. The district covers parts of several suburban counties south and west of Atlanta including Clayton, Henry, Douglas and Cobb counties.
The longtime congressman’s absence at last month’s Atlanta Press Club primary debate drew sharp criticism from his Democratic challengers who called Scott out of touch with residents in his district and beholden to special interests.
His office did not respond when asked last month why he declined to participate in the primary debate.
Of the nearly $740,000 in contributions Scott raised ahead of the primary, records show roughly $640,000 of it came from political action committees.
Barring the need for a runoff, Scott would head to the Nov. 3 general election with about $240,000 in campaign cash and the advantage of voter history over a Republican challenger, Becky Hites, who won the district’s Republican primary outright on Tuesday.
Hites, a steel industry consultant, has touted her track record as a longtime business owner who has worked with corporate clients and describes herself as a “Trumplican.” She appeared set to win more than 50% of the vote in the Republican primary over Caesar Gonzales, a mechanic and motorcycle racer.
The Democratic primary also drew Michael Owens, a cybersecurity consultant who formerly chaired the Cobb County Democratic Party, and Jannquell Peters, an attorney and former mayor of East Point.
Tuesday’s primary was marked by long lines and wait times at some polling places in the state, particularly in Atlanta and Savannah. Elections officials attributed slow in-person voting to subpar training in the state’s new voting machines and safety measures put in place amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Statewide, more than three-fourths of the roughly 1.2 million early votes ahead of the primary were cast by mail, marking a historic absentee effort as election officials pressed for increased participation in vote-by-mail to help curb the spread of the virus.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stressed the voting challenges Tuesday that more time will be needed to tally up votes before final election results can be declared.
“Due to the nature of this election, we have said multiple times that election results will take time to receive, validate and post,” Raffensperger said. “Voting in a pandemic has posed a variety issues for the elections officials as well as the voters. We look forward to sharing full results.”
U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson appeared set to claim victory in the primary election for Georgia’s 4th Congressional District late Tuesday night, as voting results trickled in on a day marked by long lines and technical hiccups amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Johnson, a Democrat, is poised to win his eighth consecutive term in the metro-Atlanta district, which covers most of DeKalb County as well as parts of Gwinnett and Newton counties and all of Rockdale County. He was first elected in 2006 after a stint on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners.
As it stood early Wednesday morning, Johnson had enough votes to avoid a runoff after facing two Democratic challengers in Tuesday’s primary, both of whom were seeking elected office for the first time in Georgia. They included William Haston, a U.S. Air Force veteran and operations contractor, and Elaine Nietmann, an attorney.
Without a runoff, the longtime congressman would head to the Nov. 3 general election against Republican candidate Johsie Cruz, who works in health-care insurance.
Along with incumbency, Johnson has a financial advantage with roughly $87,000 in campaign cash. He raised about $360,000 total ahead of the primary, of which roughly $307,000 came from political action committees.
With vote counts coming in late Tuesday, Johnson took a sizable lead over second-place finisher Nietmann to likely avoid a runoff. Runoffs must be held between the top two vote-getters if no candidate gains more than 50% of the vote share for primary and general elections in Georgia.
Tuesday’s primary was marked by long lines and wait times at some polling places in the state, particularly in Atlanta and Savannah. Elections officials attributed slow in-person voting to subpar training in the state’s new voting machines and safety measures put in place amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Statewide, more than three-fourths of the roughly 1.2 million early votes turned in ahead of the primary were cast by mail, marking a historic absentee effort as elections officials pressed for increased participation in vote-by-mail to help curb the spread of the virus.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stressed the voting challenges Tuesday that more time will be needed to tally up votes before final election results can be declared.
“Due to the nature of this election, we have said multiple times that election results will take time to receive, validate and post,” Raffensperger said. “Voting in a pandemic has posed a variety issues for the elections officials as well as the voters. We look forward to sharing full results.”
