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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA Democrat just picked up a Republican seat in Georgia—by running against anti-gay discrimination
by David Nir Follow for Daily Kos Elections
Georgia's 80th State House District ought to be safely Republican. Mitt Romney carried it by a 56-43 margin, and in a special election, when Democratic turnout almost always suffers, the GOP shouldn't have had to flex a muscle to keep this seat in their hands.
But on Tuesday night, Democrat Taylor Bennett not only won, he crushed his Republican opponent, former Brookhaven Mayor Max Davis, by a 55-45 spreaddespite getting outspent 2-to-1. And not only that, Bennett rode to victory by explicitly running on his opposition to a proposed "religious freedom restoration act," citing his mother and sister, both of whom are gay.
A big part of Bennett's victory was due to the district: Though it's heavily Republican, it's located in Atlanta's wealthy northern suburbs, the kind of place where anti-gay attitudes are very much out of fashion. In fact, the lawmaker that Bennett will succeed, Mike Jacobs, actually torpedoed the last version of RFRA that went before the legislature by amending the bill to include an anti-discrimination clauseand Jacobs is a Republican. (He was later appointed to a judgeship, prompting this special election.)
RFRA wasn't the whole story: Bennett, an employment lawyer, also enjoyed some minor celebrity status as a former star quarterback at Georgia Tech. And then there was the matter of sexual harassment allegations against Davis, who was accused of "spraying a women's buttocks with an aerosol can filled with air freshener," then allegedly threatening to fire that same woman (a city employee).
Bennett's win isn't only a victory for gay rights. Georgia Democrats are still deep in the minority in the state legislature, but now they have 61 seats in the 180-member state House, which means that Republicans can no longer achieve super-majorities on their own. As a result, the GOP should have a much harder time advancing any amendments to the state constitution.
Bennett will immediately have a huge target on his back, as he just became the only Democrat to represent a Romney seat in the entire state of Georgia, but for now, he and his supporters get to celebrate a bigand importantaccomplishment.
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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/12/1411411/-A-Democrat-just-picked-up-a-Republican-seat-in-Georgia-by-running-against-anti-gay-discrimination
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)More of this, please!
Tarheel_Dem
(31,235 posts)Solly Mack
(90,776 posts)K&R
Stellar
(5,644 posts)woot!
Thanks Don, great news!
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)And I think the political revolution is just starting...the vast majority is sick and tired of Pukes, Baggers, DINOs, Third Wayers and the like.
GOTV!
progressoid
(49,992 posts)irisblue
(33,001 posts)Dawgs
(14,755 posts)C Moon
(12,218 posts)Lochloosa
(16,066 posts)Lochloosa
(16,066 posts)Taylor Bennett could end Georgias conservative supermajority
tanyev
(42,584 posts)Glitterati
(3,182 posts)The guy this man is replacing was elected as a Democrat in this district. Shortly after the election, after spending Democratic funds to get elected, he switched to the Republican party. He was then re-elected as a Republican.
His "reward" was being appointed to a judgeship by the republican governor, Nathan Deal.
It was his appointment which created this special election.
So, while this is a nice win, and I'm sure this guy is a good guy, let's not overstate the win as something it's not.
Maven
(10,533 posts)the fact that he was beaten by someone who expressly ran on opposition to anti-GLBT laws makes this a big deal.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)He wasn't running against an incumbent.
The incumbent was rewarded for betraying the Democratic party with a Judgeship.
This was a special election and the guy he was running against was a serious dirtbag who sprayed the rear end of an employee with disinfectant.
THIS was his republican opponent:
Two female Brookhaven employees accused Mayor J. Max Davis of sexual harassment, a spokeswoman for the city confirmed for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/brookhaven-mayor-accused-of-harassment/nmFph/
ProfessorPlum
(11,262 posts)It's a two seat gain, they lose a Republican and gain a Democrat. Especially if this guy stays a Democrat.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)simply trying to insert the FACTS around this win.
Some of the hyperbole was getting away from the FACTS.
That is all.
ProfessorPlum
(11,262 posts)that a Democrat winning that seat was something special, since the last person that won it did so as a Democrat?
I can see that.
Still, at least it is nice to win one in the South. Especially based partly on a strong stand against prejudice, among other things.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)The republican legislature, through gerrymandering, tried to change the district to a more republican leaning one FOR Mike Jacobs.
It is historically, very Democratic leaning. And, the district is moving back to their roots, despite the best efforts of the republican gerrymandering.
Combine that with a decent Democratic candidate, and it was practically inevitable. Add in a serious dirtbag like his opponent and it is a CONFLUENCE of all those things which made up the win.
It's important and a well deserved win for this candidate. But his run against the religious freedom BS wasn't the ONLY factor in play.
This guy won because he behaved like a Democrat unlike the "Democrat lite" runs of the Carter grandson and the Sam Nunn daughter in the last election.
appalachiablue
(41,155 posts)Want to see more of this, end the GOP Reign of Terror!
LGBT Rights and Justice for All!
Democrats Rock!