Georgia: Run-off Results

​Peach State voters went to the polls yesterday and Republicans chose Secretary of State Brian Kemp to oppose former state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams in the state’s open general election for Governor.  Mr. Kemp’s victory over Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle was a landslide 69-31% result.  Mr. Cagle’s self-inflicted political wounds, then allowing Mr. Kemp get to his ideological right, and President Trump and Vice President Pence endorsing within the last two weeks all culminated in a huge victory for the retiring Secretary of State.
 
In the Democratic US House run-off campaigns, gun control activist Lucy McBath defeated businessman Kevin Abel, 54-46%, to become the party nominee for the right to face freshman Rep. Karen Handel (R-Roswell).  The Congresswoman begins the official general election campaign with more than $1 million in her bank account and is the clear favorite for the general election.
 
In the northeastern Atlanta metro district, Democrats nominated former state Senate Budget director Carolyn Bourdeaux to oppose four-term Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Lawrenceville).  She won a close 52-48% contest over businessman David Kim in a very low turnout election of just over 15,000 voters.  Here, too, the Republican incumbent is considered the favorite for November.