ATLANTA – Georgia’s elections on Tuesday include a race for the state Supreme Court that has become unusually close by the sleepy standards of the state’s nonpartisan judicial elections, as well as a five-candidate Republican primary for a seat in the heavily Republican 3rd Congressional District to the south. and west of Atlanta.
Two Democratic representatives in Congress — U.S. Reps. David Scott and Lucy McBath — face primary challengers in metro Atlanta districts that were redrawn by Republicans following redistricting lawsuits.
The parties are also choosing their nominees for other congressional and state legislative seats and for local offices, including sheriffs, district attorneys and county commissioners.
The second round will be held on June 18 in disputes in which candidates do not obtain a majority.
Here’s a look at the top races:
The May 21 vote is the general election for judicial candidates, who run without party labels.
Incumbent Judge Andrew Pinson, who was appointed to the nine-member court by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022, is seeking to win a six-year term. He is opposed by John Barrow, a former Democratic congressman.
Barrow says he believes Georgians have a right to an abortion under the state constitution, while Pinson says it’s inappropriate for him to speak on issues and it’s important not to make race partisan.
Kemp and other conservatives stepped in to help Pinson. Barrow unsuccessfully sued in federal court, saying a state judicial agency was violating his free speech rights when the agency warned Barrow that his discussion of abortion might be violating judicial ethics.
Justices Michael Boggs, John Ellington and Nels Peterson are unopposed. Six judges on the Georgia Court of Appeals are also unopposed, while Jeff Davis and Tabitha Ponder are vying for a seat on the court.
Five Republicans are seeking their party’s nomination to succeed Republican U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, who is stepping down after four terms.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed his former adviser Brian Jack for the seat. Jack, who later worked for then-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, leveraged support from Trump and his Washington contacts to take a fundraising lead in his first run for office.
Also seeking the nomination are former state senators Mike Crane and Mike Dugan, former state representative Philip Singleton and party activist Jim Bennett. Dugan emphasized his successes as state Senate majority leader, while Crane highlighted his religious beliefs and opposition to abortion. Singleton promised not to compromise conservative principles.
The Republican candidate will be the favorite in a heavily Republican district that runs along the Alabama border from Carrollton to Columbus and east to the Atlanta suburbs around Peachtree City and Fayetteville.
On the Democratic side, Val Almonord and Maura Keller are seeking their party’s nomination.
Scott faces six Democratic challengers in the 13th District in Atlanta’s southern and eastern suburbs as he seeks a 12th term. Challengers include former East Point City Council member Karen Rene’, former South Fulton City Council member Mark Baker and attorney Brian Johnson. On the Republican side, Jonathan Chavez is running against Johsie Cruz Fletcher.
The 13th District was significantly reconfigured on a new map, moving north and east into Rockdale County and parts of Newton and Gwinnett counties. Challengers are saying Scott, 78, is too old and out of touch. Scott said in March that he is seeking another mandate to increase funding for historically black colleges, such as Fort Valley State University, and to provide more assistance to struggling homeowners.
McBath is running in his second new district in two years. In 2022, she jumped into a district that included parts of Gwinnett and Fulton counties, defeating fellow Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux in the primary. Republicans again drastically reconfigured McBath’s district in a redistricting runoff last year after a court ordered new maps to remedy discrimination against black voters. She then moved to the new, Democratic-leaning 6th District on Atlanta’s west side, which has no incumbent.
McBath, whose son was shot to death, has made gun control and reducing gun violence his main focus. She also says she wants to work on reducing health care disparities in another term. She faces primary opposition from Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson and state Rep. Mandisha Thomas, Democrats who say they could better represent the new 6th District. The Democratic winner faces Republican Jeff Criswell in November.
Two years ago, Republicans hoped they had a chance to defeat 16-term Democrat Sanford Bishop Jr. in southwest Georgia’s 2nd District. But Bishop won the election easily. Now, four more Republicans are lining up to take a shot at a bishop, who is unopposed in the Democratic election.
Wayne Johnson of Macon, who was a U.S. Department of Education official under Trump, finished third in the Republican primary two years ago and is again seeking the nomination. Other candidates include Chuck Hand, a Taylor County Republican Party official and construction superintendent who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for unlawfully demonstrating at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He was sentenced to 20 days in federal prison and six months probation. Also running are Michael Nixon of Thomasville, hospital purchasing director and Air Force veteran, and Regina “Reggie” Liparoto of Columbus, a longtime conservative activist.
Four Democrats in northwest Georgia’s 14th District are vying for the right to challenge Republican incumbent Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is unopposed by Republicans.
The Democrats are Hiram consultant Clarence Blalock; retired Army Gen. Shawn Harris of Cedartown; sales manager Deric Houston of Dallas; and business manager Joseph Leigh of Rossville. Harris raised the most money by far of the four.
For most candidates, the main problem is their dislike of Greene, a key Trump ally who recently failed in an attempt to unseat House Speaker Mike Johnson. The winner will have a tough fight in a heavily Republican district. Two years ago, Democrat Marcus Flowers raised more than $16 million in his challenge to Greene, but still lost badly.
Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk is the only other incumbent facing a primary challenge. Retired banker and longtime Republican activist Lori Marie Pesta and retired airline pilot Mike Pons are running against Loudermilk in the 11th Congressional District, northwest of Atlanta. Antonio Daza and Kate Stamper seek the Democratic nomination.
Democrats are also picking nominees to challenge Republican incumbents in south and central Georgia’s 8th District, northeast Georgia’s 10th District and the 12th District around Augusta.
