Georgia Republicans face infighting while Democrats work on unity
Georgia Republicans braced for what’s sure to be a combative nine-week runoff for the state’s top office, while Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams quickly began to rally her party around her after emerging relatively unscathed from her primary.
Abrams won a spot on the national stage after notching a 53-point victory over former state Rep. Stacey Evans, taking a big step toward becoming the nation’s first black female governor. The two Democrats quickly turned their focus to November, as Evans endorsed her rival and pledged to help unite Democrats against the eventual GOP nominee.
“We have a unified party, and the endorsements we’ve received demonstrate that we built a diverse coalition,” said Abrams, who was once the state House’s top Democrat. “And we’ll talk to independent thinkers who want to join us in our push for history.”
The contrast with Republicans was striking. Secretary of State Brian Kemp branded Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, whom he’ll face in a July 24 runoff, as a “puppet” of special interests who is soft on conservative issues. Cagle talked about opponents who rely on “gimmicks, hot air and false attacks.”
The third-place finisher, former state Sen. Hunter Hill, had sharp words for both as he urged them to adopt his fiscal policy. And the top aide to Gov. Nathan Deal, arguably the state’s most popular politician, warned both GOP contenders not to attack his administration’s agenda — or “the governor will be there to defend and protect.”
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