Politics

Metro Atlanta Voters Choosing Open Legislative Seats

November 7th, 2017

Crowded ballots mean it’s likely some Georgia races Tuesday won’t have an outright winner who gets more than 50 percent of the vote. Runoff elections are scheduled for Dec. 5.

Chris Ferguson / WABE

Voters in Georgia had no shortage of choices on Tuesday’s ballot as they considered who should be Atlanta’s next mayor and how to fill vacancies in the Georgia Legislature.

Nearly a dozen candidates are competing to succeed term-limited Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Also on ballots are 34 candidates for nine seats in the state House and Senate that came open after incumbent lawmakers around the state decided not to finish the final year of their terms.

With so many contenders running, it’s a safe bet that some of these elections won’t be settled Tuesday. For any race in which no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will return for a runoff election Dec. 5.

Here’s a look at the legislative races:

GEORGIA SENATE

Two metro Atlanta seats in the state Senate are up for grabs after their incumbents stepped down to seek higher office.

These special elections are held without party primaries to narrow the fields, so multiple Republicans and Democrats are allowed to compete in each race.

Five Republicans and three Democrats are running for the 6th District seat of GOP Sen. Hunter Hill, who’s running for governor. GOP contenders Charlie Fiveash, Kathy Eichenblatt, Leah Aldridge, Leo Smith and Matt Bentley are on the ballot in the district, which includes parts of Fulton and Cobb counties. So are Democrats Jaha Howard, Jen Jordan and Taos Wynn.

In the nearby 39th District, four Democrats and one Republican hope to succeed Democratic Sen. Vincent Fort, who is running for mayor of Atlanta. The Senate race in Fulton County features Democrats Elijah Tutt, Linda Pritchett, Marckeith DeJesus, and Nikema Williams. Nick Carlson is the GOP candidate.

GEORGIA HOUSE

Seven members of the Georgia House resigned with one year remaining in their terms, and their vacant seats are on the ballot.

Whitfield County voters in northwest Georgia must replace Republican Rep. Bruce Broadrick of Dalton, who stepped down citing failing health. GOP candidates Beau Patton, Eddie Caldwell and Kasey Carpenter are vying for the 4th District seat. So is Democrat Peter Pociask.

The 26th District in Forsyth County north of Atlanta became open when GOP Rep. Geoff Duncan of Cumming resigned to run for lieutenant governor. Republicans Marc Morris and Tina Trent, and Democrat Steve Smith are running to replace him.

Only Democrats signed up for metro Atlanta races to replace two lawmakers running for governor — Democratic Reps. Stacey Abrams of Atlanta and Stacey Evans of Smyrna. In DeKalb County, Bee Nguyen, David Abbott, Monique Keane and Sachin Varghese are competing in Abrams’ 89th District. Just one candidate, Teri Anulewicz, is seeking Evans’ 42nd District seat in Cobb County.

Republicans also passed on competing in the 60th District after Democratic Rep. Keisha Waites of Atlanta stepped down to run for Fulton County chairman. Democrats De’Andre Pickett, Kim Schofield and Sparkle Adams are running in Fulton and Clayton counties.

Voters in northeast Georgia’s 117th District got a straight-up Republican vs. Democrat contest after GOP Rep. Regina Quick of Athens was appointed to a judgeship. Democratic attorney Deborah Gonzalez faces GOP consultant Houston Gaines in Clarke, Oconee, Barrow and Jackson counties.

In the 119th District in Clarke and Oconee Counties, GOP Rep. Chuck Williams of Watkinsville left office to become head of the Georgia Forestry Commission. Democrat Jonathan Wallace is running for the seat, as are Republicans Lawton Lord, Marcus Wiedower and Steven Strickland.

Associated Press Writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Russ Bynum in Savannah contributed.