Friday, June 12, is the last day of early voting in Georgia’s general primary runoff. The runoff is being held for those offices in which no candidate in the May 19 primary election obtained a majority of the votes. The formal vote takes place on June 16. If you voted in the May election, you must use the same party’s ballot in the runoff. If you did not vote in May, you can choose either party’s ballot in the runoff.
Click here for the AJC overview of the June 16 runoff.
The following are the Democratic candidates for key positions in the runoff.
Secretary of State
Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett is in a showdown with former Fulton County State Court judge and reality TV host Penny Brown Reynolds.
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Lieutenant Governor
State Sen. Josh McLaurin is facing former state Sen. Nabilah Parkes.
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Insurance Commissioner
Insurance agent DeAndre Mathis is vying with former state lawmaker and former Atlanta City Council member Keisha Sean Waites. The winner will challenge Republican John King, who is seeking a second full term and had no primary challenger.
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Labor Commissioner
Nonprofit leader Nikki Porcher is facing community organizer Michele Sanchez. The winner will challenge Holmes, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
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As The Iran war continues, the U.S. supply of critical weapons systems is depleted, the economy spirals downward, and the budget deficit explodes, President Trump is energetically pursuing his campaign to embed his legacy (and image) throughout American society.
- Portrait on Passports. The State Department is preparing to commemorate America's 250th anniversary by releasing a limited-edition U.S. passport that will feature Donald Trump’s portrait on the inside cover. His image will be surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence, an American flag, and the president's signature rendered in gold.
- Build Huge Ballroom. A gunman’s attempt to attack a gathering of Trump and his cabinet members attending the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents Association inside the Washington Hilton has given added impetus to Trump’s out-of-the-blue proposal to build a huge ballroom on White House grounds. A federal District Judge last month had ordered the administration to pause work on the ballroom, demanding it receive “express authorization from Congress” before proceeding, as “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”
- Build Triumphal Arch. Trump also wants to build a triumphal arch in Washington. Trump insisted that his arch be taller than the France’s famous Arc de Triomphe, which stands roughly 164 feet tall, and settled eventually on the idea that the arch should rise to 250 feet, to celebrate America’s 250 years. It would be more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial and the tallest triumphal arch in any of the world’s capital cities.
- Link Self to Kennedy Center. Trump has already, of course, taken control of the Kennedy Center, causing a dramatic loss of its prestige in the arts. Some of the first performers to cancel was a touring production of the musical Hamilton and actress and writer Issa Rae, who canceled her sold-out March production. A slew of cancellations by artists and performance companies followed after Trump-appointed members of the Kennedy Center's board voted to add Trump’s name to its title. In February, Trump announced plans to close the Center for two years in July for extensive remodeling.
All the above highlights Trump’s totalitarian impulses, and will cost the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars at a time when Trump and his Republicans have slashed spending on the health and welfare of average citizens, at home and abroad.
And what irresponsible and unaccountable Republicans remain solidly in the Trump camp while he engages in this adolescent sideshow? Let’s begin by naming seven in high places, the Chiefs of Staff to Republican U.S. Representatives from Georgia:
- Philip Singleton, COS to Rep. Mitch McCormick;
- Alex Stone, COS to Rep. Brian Jack;
- Alice Johnson, COS to Rep. Austin Scott:
- Nicholas Brown, COS to Rep. Andrew Clyde
- Brandon Phillips, COS to Rep. Mike Collins
- Lauren Hodge, COS to Rep. Rick Allen
- Rob Adkerson, COS to Rep. Barry Loudermilk