Governor’s Race Going Down To The Wire
Early voting began this week and reports indicate the overall turnout for the 2018 general election in Georgia may be higher than usual.
The race driving the interest is clearly the governor’s contest where a surprisingly close contest has emerged. Republican Brian Kemp still has to be considered the favorite simply because of the current political makeup of Georgia.
Kemp, similar to anyone who happens to be the Republican nominee, should be able to win given the fact every statewide office holder in Georgia is a member of the GOP. However, it’s not always that simple.
Stacey Abrams has run a better-than-expected race and is actually within striking distance of Kemp. The safe bet is that Kemp will still win but that it might be within three or four points which would still be considered an accomplishment for a Democrat statewide.
Both candidates have their solid supporters and nothing either does will change the minds of those voters. It’s the small percentage of undecided and true independent voters (a much smaller group in 2018) that will make the difference.
Kemp has been effective at playing to his base with commercials about guns and trucks and such. Abrams has focused on other issues obviously but both have been effective in gaining support of those who may not normally care about the election.
None of the other statewide contests appear to be in doubt. The Republicans should win each of those offices from Lt. Governor and on down the ballot. None of the Democrats in those races has the name support or financial backing to really pose a serious threat.
If nothing else, it has been nice to see more people actually take an interest in statewide politics this year. There are still those who are asleep and couldn’t tell you there is an election in a couple of weeks. However, politics has become so divisive today that people actually care who wins. That can be taken as a positive if nothing else.
It is easier to vote in 2018 than it ever has been. Weeks of early voting are offered and people can still make their choices by absentee ballot or by going to their actual precinct on voting day. There is no excuse for voter turnout not to be high but we all know that typically does not happen.
Here’s hoping that whoever is elected to office in 2018 statewide (for any office) will help cut taxes as the working people of Georgia still have way too much of their hard-earned money taken from them. Similar to across the country, our state always has a high veteran population and they deserve better care and respect than they have received.
It seems hard to believe but this year’s general election will actually be a springboard into the 2020 presidential campaign which has the makings one of the craziest in history. Many people are still shocked that Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 and this includes some Republicans as well.
Outside of Georgia one race to watch on election night will be the U.S. Senate contest in Texas. Republican and former presidential candidate Ted Cruz, similar to Kemp here in Georgia, is in a closer-than-expected race with Democrat Beto O’Rourke, a businessman and one-time El Paso council member. O’Rourke has run an effective race and while it is always difficult to unseat an incumbent senator the fact that the race is even competitive says something.
It should be an interesting election night watching returns. Similar to the football field, there are potentials for upsets in Georgia and elsewhere. It’s part of the reason politics is such a fun and fascinating thing to watch.
Regardless of which candidate you support or whatever political leanings you have, it is vital to exercise your right to vote. It’s part of the fabric that makes this country so great. Being able to cast a vote for the candidate of our choice without fear of reprisal is something others around the world still long for. We forget that at times.
Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.