Democratic voters in Georgia nominated a candidate on Tuesday who could make history as the first African-American female governor in the United States.
Stacey Abrams won her party’s nomination in a closely watched race showcasing divergent Democratic strategies on how to win in a Republican-dominated southern state.
Georgia Democrats were set to nominate a woman for governor either way, with Abrams and Stacey Evans battling it out in a pitched primary fight.
But the 44-year-old Abrams stood out in her bid to be the nation’s first black female governor.
Democratic voters in Georgia nominated a candidate on Tuesday who could make history as the first African-American female governor in the United States. Stacey Abrams (above) won her party’s nomination in a closely watched race
The Atlanta attorney also has been unabashed in her insistence that the way to dent Republican domination in Georgia isn’t by cautiously pursuing the older white voters who’ve abandoned Democrats over recent decades. Abrams’ supporters are seen above in Atlanta
Abrams will test her theory as the underdog against either Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle or Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who will meet in a July runoff
The Atlanta attorney and former state General Assembly leader also has been unabashed in her insistence that the way to dent Republican domination in Georgia isn’t by cautiously pursuing the older white voters who’ve abandoned Democrats over recent decades.
Rather, she believes the path is to widen the electorate by attracting young voters and nonwhites who haven’t been casting ballots.
She’ll test her theory as the underdog against either Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle or Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who will meet in a July runoff.
Cagle led a five-man Republican field, with Kemp qualifying for the second spot after a campaign that was a sprint to the right on everything from immigration to support for President Donald Trump.
Kentucky Democrats picked a female former Marine fighter pilot, Amy McGrath (above), in a snub to the party establishment for a U.S. House seat district that Democrats hope to put into play
Kemp promises to keep pulling in that direction, with Cagle trying to balance the demands of a conservative primary electorate with his support from the business establishment.
The scenario worries some Georgia Republicans who are accustomed to centrist, business-aligned governors who rarely flout Atlanta-based behemoths like Delta and Coca-Cola.
Some GOP figures worry the GOP gamesmanship on immigration and gay rights, in particular, already has ensured Georgia won’t land Amazon’s second headquarters.
Abrams was among a slate of candidates being selected by voters in four states to advance to the November midterm elections.
In Texas and Kentucky, contests were also pushing women to the forefront of the fight for the House of Representatives, where Democrats need to wrest 23 seats from Republicans to gain control.
In a San Antonio-Mexican border district, Gina Ortiz Jones, an Air Force veteran and former intelligence officer, got Democrats’ nod to face Republican Will Hurd in November.
If Jones defeats Hurd, she would become the first-ever lesbian and Iraq War veteran to represent Texas in Congress, according to The Hill.
In a San Antonio-Mexican border district, Gina Ortiz Jones (above), an Air Force veteran and former intelligence officer, got Democrats’ nod to face GOP’s Will Hurd in November. If Jones wins, she would become first-ever lesbian and Iraq War veteran to represent Texas in Congress
Jones would the first openly lesbian congresswoman from her state.
Several races were also a referendum on long-simmering divisions within the Democratic Party.
Early returns in a metro-Houston matchup showed attorney Lizzie Fletcher leading activist Laura Moser in what became a proxy for Democrats’ fight between liberals and moderates.
National Democrats’ campaign committee never endorsed Fletcher, but released opposition research against Moser amid fears that she’s too liberal to knock off vulnerable Republican Rep. John Culberson in the fall.
Republicans were watching a tight primary runoff testing the endorsement power of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who backed his former chief of staff, Chip Roy, for a San Antonio-area congressional seat opened by the retirement of Rep. Lamar Smith.
In the governor’s race, Democrats tapped former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez to take on Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in November. Valdez is Texas’ first openly gay and first Latina nominee for governor.
In the Texas governor’s race, Democrats tapped former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez to take on Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in November. Valdez is Texas’ first openly gay and first Latina nominee for governor
Kentucky Democrats picked a female former Marine fighter pilot, Amy McGrath, in a snub to the party establishment for a U.S. House seat district that Democrats hope to put into play.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) had promoted the candidacy of Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, who conceded the race and urged his supporters to support McGrath.
McGrath will face U.S. Representative Andy Barr, the Republican incumbent, in November.
Record numbers of women are running across the nation, especially on the Democratic ticket, in the first election since Republican President Donald Trump won the White House in 2016.
Arkansas also held elections, with Republican governor Asa Hutchinson winning his primary.