Blog Topic: Raging Election

In the Loop: Gonzalez: Kemp Should Call Special Election for District Attorney

By Blake Aued | February 7, 2020 4:49pm

Deborah Gonzalez.

Western Circuit District Attorney Ken Mauldin announced earlier this week that he's resigning. No big deal, right? He wasn't going to run for re-election anyway. So Gov. Brian Kemp appoints someone who gets beaten by the favorite in the Democratic primary, Deborah Gonzalez, in November.

Well, not so fast. An obscure law passed in 2018 means that there will be a special election in November for district attorney, not a regular one. That means no Democratic primary in May and a nonpartisan "jungle primary" where every candidate is on the November ballot together. Which means a likely runoff in January if a Republican gets in the race—and Democrats don't turn out for runoffs.

Still, to Gonzalez, it's better than the alternative: If Kemp waits until after May 3 to appoint someone, the election gets pushed to 2022.

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In the Loop: New Hampshire Students Press Candidates to Remember Poor People in Climate Change Policies

By Erick Trickey | February 6, 2020 2:55pm

Photo Credit: Derek Kouyoumjian

Deval Patrick speaks at the NH Youth Climate and Clean Energy Town Hall.

NEW HAMPSHIRE—Students at a youth climate town hall extracted promises from several presidential candidates that their climate-change policies will benefit low-income people, not hurt them.

“Equity has to be at the heart of climate policy,” said Pete Buttigieg, who appeared at the NH Youth Climate and Clean Energy Town Hall Wednesday morning, hours after partial returns showed him in first place in Iowa’s Democratic caucuses. The former mayor of South Bend, IN was responding to Dartmouth College MBA student Melina Sanchez Montanes, who asked what he would do to make sure low-income households “don’t bear the brunt of the transition” to cleaner energy.

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In the Loop: District Attorney Ken Mauldin Is Resigning

By Blake Aued | February 5, 2020 2:05pm

Ken Mauldin, the district attorney for Clarke and Oconee counties, is resigning effective Feb. 29, he announced today.

Mauldin had already said he would not run for re-election this year, but had planned to serve out the end of his term. However, he said in a news release that he's had a change of heart.

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In the Loop: Candidates for DA, Congress Speak to Oconee Dems

By Lee Becker | February 5, 2020 1:38pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Deborah Gonzalez.

Deborah Gonzalez and Andrew Ferguson used the opportunity of the meeting of the Oconee County Democratic Party last month to introduce themselves to those in attendance.

For Gonzalez, it was a matter of a re-introduction, and she said she was going to respond to the “first question most people ask me.”

She said she was running for district attorney of the Western Circuit, which includes Oconee and Clarke counties, rather than to reclaim her seat as District 117 representative to the Georgia House because she thinks she will have “the biggest impact” as district attorney.

Andrew Ferguson was new to the group, so he spent more time talking about his background, his motivation for wanting to challenge U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, the incumbent Republican in District 10, and his stands on a number of issues.

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In the Loop: Video: Panelists Discuss Voter Suppression

By Chris Dowd | January 30, 2020 4:43pm

Photo Credit: Chris Dowd

From left, Deborah Gonzalez, Christopher Bruce, Jeanne Dufort and Linda Lloyd.

Suppressed: The Fight to Vote, a documentary by Robert Greenwald about voter suppression in the 2018 election in Georgia screened Tuesday at Ciné.

Afterward, a panel discussion was moderated by Deborah Gonzalez, former District 117 state representative and current candidate for district attorney in Athens. The Panel was made up of Christopher Bruce, political director of the Georgia ACLU; Jeanne Dufort, a volunteer with the Coalition for Good Governance; Jesse Evans, chairman of Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections; and Linda Lloyd, executive director of the Athens Economic Justice Coalition.

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In the Loop: UGA Prof Richard Dien Winfield Launches Senate Campaign

By Blake Aued | January 22, 2020 1:36pm

University of Georgia philosophy professor Richard Dien Winfield is running for U.S. Senate, he announced today.

Winfield, a Democrat, is seeking to fill out the remainder of former Sen. Johnny Isakson's term, which runs through 2022. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp appointed businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to the seat in December, after Isakson resigned for health reasons. A special election will be held this November.

He supports a federal job guarantee, paid family leave and vacation time, the Green New Deal, free child and elder care, the right to unionize and "Medicare for all" single-payer health insurance. His website includes more information about his platform.

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In the Loop: Video: Mokah Johnson Kicks Off State House Campaign

By Chris Dowd | January 20, 2020 10:58am

Photo Credit: screencap via YouTube

Educator and civil rights activist Mokah Jasmine Johnson formally kicked off her campaign for state House District 117 Saturday at the downtown bar Max Canada.

Other speakers at the event included Athens-Clarke County commissioners Mariah Parker (15:00) and Tim Denson (20:22), Athens PRIDE board member Cameron Harrelson (34:47), poet Marcel Mincey (42:43) and former state Rep. Deborah Gonzalez, who is running for district attorney this year (50:58).

Unless she has primary opposition, Johnson will face Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens) in November. District 117 includes mainly western Clarke County and northern Oconee County.

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In the Loop: Wallace Announces Bid to Retake House Seat

By Blake Aued | January 15, 2020 11:46am

Watkinsville Democrat Jonathan Wallace will try to retake the seat he lost in 2018 to Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville).

Wallace won the GOP-held District 119 seat in a 2017 special election, defeating three Republicans, including Wiedower, with 57% of the vote. He was helped by a sales tax referendum that drove turnout in heavily Democratic Clarke County, but with higher turnout in heavily Republican Oconee County the following year, Wiedower beat Wallace 53–47.

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In the Loop: Mokah Johnson Officially Announces State House Run

By Blake Aued | January 3, 2020 10:35am

Local educator and civil rights activist Mokah Jasmine Johnson will formally kick off her campaign for the Georgia House of Representatives later this month.

Johnson has been exploring a run against Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens) since August. She will make it official at a City Hall rally Jan. 18.

“Over the past few months, I have listened to the people of our district and worked to understand the issues that are most important to working families,” Johnson said in a news release. “I believe it’s time we bring bold progress and fearless leadership to the State House from District 117.”

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In the Loop: John Knox Won't Run for Re-Election to BOE

By Blake Aued | December 30, 2019 4:26pm

Clarke County Board of Education member John Knox won't run for re-election this year, he recently announced.

The UGA geography professor posted a message on his Facebook page Dec. 21 stating that his growing academic duties do not allow him enough time to devote to serving on the school board.

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