ATLANTA (AP) — Brian Jack sought to make a Sunday debate among Republican candidates for an open Georgia congressional seat over his close ties to the former president donald trumpwhile the other candidates ignored Trump’s endorsement of Jack.
Five Republicans running for their party’s nomination in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District gathered for a debate at the Atlanta Press Club. In addition to Jack, who was Trump’s political director during his administration and worked for the then-president of the US House Kevin McCarthythey included former state senators Mike Crane and Mike Duganformer state deputy. Philip Singleton and party activist Jim Bennett.
They are trying to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, who is leaving office. The district hugs the Alabama border from Carrollton to Columbus and runs east to the Atlanta suburbs of Newnan and Peachtree City.
Jack repeatedly referenced his work in the Trump administration, promising that he would continue that work in Congress.
“To sell myself, I think I’m going to look at the record of accomplishments and success that we had and that we delivered under that administration,” Jack said.
Others largely ignored the chance to attack Jack, although Crane suggested that McCarthy is the one trying to anoint Jack by asking voters who should choose their representative.
“Do you want to take responsibility for this vote or do you want to let Washington, D.C. members do what they have done in recent cycles: choose the next representative for the 3rd District?” Crane asked.
But attacks on Jack, the race’s fundraising leader, were mostly muted. Crane, Bennett and Singleton advocated more conservative positions, with each saying they would join the Freedom Caucus if elected.
Singleton was frequently at odds with Republican Party leadership during his time in the state House, attacking then-House Speaker David Ralston’s leadership, with top Republicans drawing Singleton to a Democratic-majority district. Singleton, however, said he is “not an opposition guy.”
“You go and fight for the principles that you believe in, that you stand for,” Singleton said. “I’m not someone who fights people. I fight for good policies.”
When asked whether human embryos should have the same rights as people, Jack echoed Trump’s position that restrictions on reproductive rights should be left to the states. Dugan noted that he voted in the Georgia vote current restrictions on abortion, which prohibit abortion after detection of fetal cardiac activity. This typically occurs after about six weeks, usually before the woman knows she is pregnant.
But Dugan said IVF restriction it was “a deeper issue”, without clearly saying how he would vote.
The other three, however, expressed no doubts about the implementation of a legal norm that could lead to a total ban on abortion in Georgia and a ban on in vitro fertilization as currently practiced.
“I’m against recreational abortion,” Bennett said. “I believe that life exists from the moment of conception. There is no room for maneuver for me.”
All candidates, raising their hands, said they believed Trump was the legitimate winner of Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in 2020, despite there being no reliable evidence contradicting Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. Several said they believe Republican support changes to Georgia election laws has since made them more comfortable, but Bennett attacked their continued use of Domain ballot marking devicesechoing a common belief among Republican activists that all voting machines should be distrusted.
All candidates have expressed support for more restrictions on immigration, with several, including Jack, saying they support mass deportations of people who entered the country illegally. Jack said he would have voted against the recent foreign aid package to Ukraine, Israel and others until satisfied with border security.
Dugan said he believed Republicans were right to reject a border security bill that the The Biden administration supported it.
“I don’t think anyone would trust Joe Biden to secure our southern border,” Dugan said.
