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Seven of the gubernatorial hopefuls.

Every statewide office up for grabs in 2018 (pt. 1 of 2)

2018 will be a huge year in Georgia politics. We can use our votes to elect elected officials who will stand up to Trump, protect the rights of Georgians and fix education.

Governor

There are only about seven short months before we elect our next governor. And the primary is right around the corner next month.

We need to elect a governor who values human lives over gun sales, the Civil Rights of all over the “right to hate”, government accountability over padding the pockets of the wealthy.

On May 22, either Stacey Abrams or Stacey Evans will make a historic run for the governor’s office.

Polling we’ve seen at Better Georgia shows an overwhelming majority of likely Democratic primary voters are still undecided.

Georgia voters have identified “education” as the biggest issue in 2018 after years of Deal trying to push a new school takeover plan. Any of the conservative candidates will continue to push for handing our public schools over to for-profit corporations.

 

But the decision will be tough for most progressive voters. Even two of Georgia’s largest teacher’s organizations are split on the decision — the Georgia Association of Educators has endorsed Stacey Abrams and the Georgia Federation of Teachers has endorsed Stacey Evans.

To help voters learn more about the candidates, we have interviewed representatives of both teachers organizations.

Listen to our podcasts or read the transcript to learn more:

  • Georgia Association of Educators endorse Stacey Abrams (Transcript)
  • Georgia Federation of Teachers endorse Stacey Evans (Transcript)

For progressives, selecting the best woman to make history may be a challenge but this decision couldn’t be more important.

On the Republican side, Kemp has continued to spew hatred and bigotry as he tours Georgia on his gubernatorial tour. Casey Cagle just received the NRA’s endorsement, a reward for threatening Georgia’s largest employer on their behalf.

Seven of the gubernatorial hopefuls: (top row, from left) Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, former state House Democratic leader Stacey Abrams, Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp and former Republican state Sen. Hunter Hill, (bottom row, from left) Republican businessman Clay Tippins, former Democratic state Rep. Stacey Evans and Republican state Sen. Michael Williams.

Lieutenant Governor

Five candidates have qualified for the lieutenant governor race and so far the three Republicans have been at each others’ throats. Former State Rep Geoff Duncan, a Cumming businessman, Georgia Senate President pro tempore David Shafer and former state Sen. Rick Jeffares have argued about the Georgia-Florida “water war” over social media, but haven’t released much of their platforms.

Attorney General

Democrat Charlie Bailey is the only one running against incumbent Chris Carr in this year’s race for Attorney General. Chris Carr was appointed by Governor Deal in 2016. Based on his alliance with Deal and  connection to big business, Carr seems to have been chosen to support Deal in his legislative goals and provide additional cover for Deal’s shady business practices with Copart and his other scandals.

Secretary of State

“Voter fraud” continues to be center stage in the Republican Secretary of State debates, despite being debunked as a complete non-issue. Throughout his time as Secretary of State, Kemp failed to keep voter information secure, had lawsuits filed against him by the ACLU, and refused election help, amongst other displays of incompetence and disregard for the sanctity of voting rights.

Make sure to register to vote or update your registration by April 24 to be eligible to vote in the May primary. To register online, go to the Voter Registration of the Secretary of State website. Or go to the DMV near you to register in person.

This year, it’s more important than ever to vote and make your voice heard. With Trump unraveling the very nature of American democracy and elected officials like Kemp, Deal, and Cagle putting their cronies and the NRA above the people of Georgia, it’s more important than ever to vote for the changes we want to see.

Check here for the complete list of all Ga. official posts up for election in 2018.

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