Blog Topic: Raging Election
-
In the Loop: Dems Troll Brian Kemp With Pro-Vols Banner
Photo Credit: Democratic Party of Georgia
Is Brian Kemp really a Tennessee fan? Well, the Brian Kemp isn't, but a Brian Kemp is.
As Kemp and other Republican candidates were wrapping up a tailgate at Herty Field—where, we presume, everyone wore red—Georgia Democrats hired a plane to buzz Sanford Stadium with a banner reading "BRIANKEMP SAYS... GO VOLS."
Brian Kemp is running for governor. BrianKemp is a parody Twitter account filled with negative news stories about Kemp and Photoshopped images of the candidate wearing orange. (The actual Kemp's actual Twitter handle is @BrianKempGA.)
-
In the Loop: Donald Trump Jr. Speech Moved to Classic Center
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
So many people want to attend a speech by Donald Trump Jr. that a right-wing campus group has moved the event to the Classic Center.
Six hundred free tickets were distributed in three hours, forcing organizer Turning Point USA to move it from the Ramsey Concert Hall in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music to a larger venue, said Erin Cooke, president of TPUSA's University of Georgia chapter.
The event remains scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9. Cooke advised attendees to arrive early, since there will be heightened security. It will be first come, first served. Doors open at 6 p.m.
-
In the Loop: Gaines, Cowsert Campaigns Are Flush With Cash
It seems unlikely Republican Houston Gaines will run out of money as he seeks to unseat Democratic Rep. Deborah Gonzalez in Georgia House District 117 in November.
Gaines, in his second attempt to win a House seat, was sitting on $169,450 in unspent funds as the election entered its crucial stage this summer.
That’s $145,951 more than the $23,499 that Gonzalez had on hand at the same time period.
It’s also significantly more than the $36,310 that incumbent Democrat Jonathan Wallace had in unspent funds for his re-election campaign in the 119th House District and the $10,746 that Republican challenger Marcus Wiedower had.
-
In the Loop: Forum for Athens Candidates Scheduled for Oct. 11
The Athens Area and Oconee County chambers of commerce have scheduled the first local candidate forum of this election season, to be held Thursday, Oct. 11 from 6–8 p.m. in the auditorium on the third floor of Piedmont Athens Regional's medical services building at 242 King Ave.
Confirmed candidates include state Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), state Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville and Democratic challenger Dawn Hawkins Johnson, state Rep. Deborah Gonzalez (D-Athens) and Republican challenger Houston Gaines, and state Rep. Jonathan Wallace (D-Watkinsville) and Republican challenger Marcus Wiedower. Cowsert's Democratic opponent, Marisue Hilliard, has not committed.
The forum will be moderated by Tim Bryant, news director at WGAU 1340 AM, and broadcast live on that station.
-
In the Loop: UGA Prof: Abrams Can't Win Governor's Race, but Kemp Can Lose
The Georgia governor’s race is Republican Brian Kemp’s to lose, political scientist Charles Bullock, an expert on Georgia elections, told Oconee County Republicans on Thursday night.
“The Republicans should win this,” said Bullock, a distinguished University of Georgia professor. “This is still a Republican state.”
Bullock said, however, that he could imagine a number of scenarios that would lead to a Democratic takeover of the governor’s mansion.
Republicans have to be united, he said, and the disruption from Washington has to be minimal.
“If Republicans in any way drop the ball, mess up, then a Democrat could win,” Bullock said. “I am telling reporters that Stacey Abrams can’t win, but Brian Kemp could lose.”
-
In the Loop: Oconee Republicans Rescind Media Restrictions
The Oconee County Republican Party Executive Committee has placed severe restrictions on media coverage of its meetings, starting with the one on Thursday and running through the election in November.
Tammy Gilland, chair of the local party organization, said that media representatives are allowed to attend the next three party meetings but that they are not allowed to record the meetings in any way and not allowed to take any notes.
Gilland said the recording and note-taking prohibition “will apply to all media.”
-
In the Loop: Discrepancies in Voter Info Will Be Corrected, Election Supervisor Says
An astute reader noted the other day that her voting location listed on the secretary of state's website did not match up with the one listed on the Athens-Clarke County Board of Election's interactive precinct map.
Given Secretary of State Brian Kemp's well-documented voter suppression efforts and lack of security in the system, this was cause for concern.
Further investigation found at least two other discrepancies between the Board of Election's map and its list of polling places.
Charlotte Sosebee, director of the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections, told Flagpole that the map has taken a long time to update, and those discrepancies will be resolved by the middle of next week. In the meantime, here is the correct information:
-
In the Loop: Secretary of State's Office Doesn't Know How Many People Voted in the Primaries
Secretary of State Brian Kemp's office told a reporter it would cost over $1,000 and take 30 days to say how many people voted in the May 22 and July 24 elections.
The Georgia Secretary of State's office, which is responsible for elections in the state, does not know how many people voted in either the May 22 primary elections or the July 24 runoffs.
The 159 counties in the state filed that information with the Secretary of State's office shortly after each of the two elections as part of the certification process for elections.
Fran Davis, director of the Oconee County Office of Elections and Registration, for example, told the Secretary of State’s Elections Division that 7,815 ballots were cast in the county in the May primary and 5,973 were cast in the July runoff.
Robin Herron, an executive assistant in the Secretary of State's office, said it would take about 38 hours for staff to gather and review those records for the 159 counties and that the work would have to be spread across 30 business days.
-
In the Loop: Athens Native Kemp Wins GOP Nomination for Governor in Landslide
Photo Credit: Savannah Cole
Brian Kemp gives his victory speech at the downtown Athens Holiday Inn after winning the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp completed a stunning comeback Tuesday to win the Republican nomination for governor in a runoff against Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
Although Cagle began the race as the heavy favorite because of his three successful statewide races and a big fundraising advantage, Kemp parlayed a secret recording that damaged Cagle, an endorsement from President Donald Trump and a rally Saturday with Vice President Mike Pence into what Kemp called a "clear and convincing victory."
In a race that revolved around big trucks, shotguns, chainsaws and who could take a more over-the-top stance against illegal immigration, that may have been the only understatement. Kemp trailed Cagle 39-26 in a five-man primary May 22, but won 69 percent of the vote to Cagle's 31 percent tonight, with 92 percent of precincts reporting. Kemp won 83 percent of the vote in Clarke County.
-
In the Loop: High Turnout for Runoff in Oconee County
More Oconee County voters cast Republican ballots in early voting for the runoff elections than cast Republican ballots during early voting for the party primaries in May.
That was true even though there was one fewer days of early voting in the runoff because of the July 4 holiday and no Saturday voting.
In the 14 days of early voting that ended Friday, 2,103 voters cast Republican Party ballots, compared with the 1,967 voters who cast Republican ballots in the 16 days of early voting before the May 22 primary.
Page 9 of 32, showing 10 posts out of 319 total, starting on # 81, ending on 90
Blog Topics
- Record Reviews
- Live Reviews
- Local Music News
- Free Stuff
- Flagpole Premieres
- Q&A
- Video
- New Music
- Breaking News
- SXSW
- This Weekend
- Tonight
- ICYMI
- Upcoming in Athens
- Sports
- Beer Me
- Great Job
- Last Night
- Say What
- AthFest
- Food Roundup
- Media Matters
- Listomania
- Bummertown
- Wrath of God
- Paul Broun's Krazy Korner
- Foodie Fun
- Athens Power Rankings
- Newsish
- Editors' Picks
- Live Blog
- Drunken Mayhem
- Business, Man
- Photo Gallery
- Restaurant News
- Government
- Raging Election
- David Lowery Beefs
- On Campus
- Film
- In the Community
- .ext e n s i o n
- Behind the Scene
- Oconee Observations
- R.I.P.
- Tour Blog
- Flagpole Athens Music Awards
- Theater
- Humans of Athens
- Art Around Town
- Democracy in Crisis
- Get to Know
- Podcast
- Athens Politics Nerd
- School Daze