In Georgia race, Republicans battle as Democrat chases upset

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Bill Barrow, Associated Press Updated 2:18 pm, Saturday, April 8, 2017


ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia special congressional campaign has become an internal conservative squabble, with a national conservative group blasting a Republican establishment favorite as a big-spending "career politician," while other GOP hopefuls argue over who's most loyal to President Donald Trump.

It's enough to leave national Republicans nervous they could lose the traditionally conservative suburban Atlanta district where Trump underperformed, with any upset certain to embolden Democrats ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel was the initial GOP favorite among the 18 total candidates vying to replace Tom Price, who resigned to serve as Trump's health secretary. Now Handel finds herself targeted with a six-figure attack ad from the conservative Club for Growth, which is casting her as just another big-spending politician.

Handel dismisses the broadsides — for example, that she spent $2 million "planting trees to beautify government properties" — as a warped view of budget votes while she was commission chairman for Fulton County, which includes nearly all of Atlanta. She points out that she shepherded balanced budgets without the property tax hike her Democratic colleagues wanted, adding: "The people of the 6th District know and what I've done."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/In-Georgia-race-Republicans-battle-as-Democrat-11059812.php

[karynnj]

1. The Republican frontrunner's name rang a bell - she was the former VP at the Susan Komen Fund for

the cure who controversially decided that money raised could not go to Planned Parenthood. It completely destroyed the reputation of that NGO for at least a period of time. It is odd that the article mentioned only that she was the former secretary of State.



https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/top-susan-g-komen-official-resigned-over-planned-parenthood-cave-in/252405/

[LonePirate]

2. By all means Republicans, keep one-upping each other on which of you is most loyal to the president.

That position is DOA in any district centered on a large metropolitan and suburban district like GA-06.

[tarheelsunc]

3. I just about lost it here...

"Now Handel finds herself targeted with a six-figure attack ad from the conservative Club for Growth, which is casting her as just another big-spending politician. "

We think you spend too much money, so we're going to spend a bunch of money to tell people that.

Anyway, hope they keep detracting from each other and maybe Ossoff can actually do this!

[JOHNS CREEK DEM]

4. I voted my Ossoff

we have a decent chance of turning 6th district Blue...I'm very proud of my neighbors.

[Vinca]

9. When is election day for this race?

[madville]

5. It will be more clear after the primary

Kind of surprised the Democratic field is so thin.

[Jim Lane]

8. It's a jungle primary, so a thin Dem field is good

Ossoff might win without a runoff if enough Dems show up and their votes aren't split among many candidates.

[beachbum bob]

6. if the democratic voters show up, Ossoff wins easily and crosses 50% outright

good lord I hope they get off their asses and vote

[mdbl]

7. Georgia never fails to elect the moron

I hope it's different this time but I'm not holding my breath.