Early voting has concluded as Georgia voters make their way to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the midterm primary election runoff. Republicans in the 2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th House Congressional Districts, including two Trump endorsees, are all facing off.
“These runoffs are very interesting races. Very low turnout. So far, there have been only 14,000 people that voted in all of Georgia’s Sixth District,” the Trump-endorsed Jake Evans said on the John Fredericks Radio show on Monday. “This is 100% a turnout game. We feel very strong about the position we’re in.”
A source familiar with the Georgia Republicans’ early voting primary runoff numbers told The Georgia Star News that overall, 30,000 people have voted in the GOP runoff statewide, and voting in districts is approximately 20 percent of what it was on May 24th. However, the source noted the decreased turnout is due to the fact that many Republican primary races did not require a runoff to determine their nominee.
Evans is on the ballot against Rich McCormick in Georgia’s 6th District, and he recently criticized the source of McCormick’s campaign funds.
“President Trump endorsed my campaign because he knows I will stand up for STRONG borders and fight to finish the wall,” Evans said. “While my opponent RINO Rich is backed by open border and Soros-funded groups, I am backed by the America First Movement.”
Evans is one of the few endorsees of Donald Trump who is facing a primary runoff.
Trump Jr. added to his father’s endorsement of Evans in the GA-06 race.
“Jake Evans is the only candidate running Georgia’s 6th District who my father and I trust to put America First in Congress,” Donald Trump Jr. said.
In the 10th District, Vernon Jones, who Trump has also endorsed, is on the ballot against Mike Collins. The race between the two was one of the closest, as Collins and Jones garnered 26 percent and 22 percent of the vote, respectively.
The source also told The Star News that early voting in the 10th Congressional District runoff reached 5,582 votes, 1,206 of which were cast by absentee ballot.
Collins recently came under fire for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan after Atlanta Tea Party President, Debbie Dooley, filed a complaint with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). A PPP loan is an SBA-backed loan that helped small businesses to “keep their workforce employed during the COVID-19 crisis.”
“I filed a complaint today with the SBA regarding Collins Trucking Co. and their $920,000 PPP loan. I allege that Mike Collins is using his PPP loan proceeds were [were] forgiven to fund his Congressional Campaign,” said Dooley on Monday. “Tax dollars should not be used to fund political campaigns.”
Besides the 6th and 10th Congressional Districts, the other U.S. House Districts that require a runoff election are the 2nd and 7th districts for the Republicans and the 1st district for the Democrats.
Jeremy Hunt and Chris West are on the runoff ballot in the 2nd Congressional District (GA-02).
Michael Corbin and Mark Gonsalves are the candidates in the 7th Congressional District (GA-07) runoff.
Joyce Marie Griggs and Wade Herring are the Democrats on the ballot for the 1st District (GA-01), and the winner of the runoff will get the opportunity to de-seat longtime 1st District Representative, Buddy Carter.
The Georgia DNC also requires a primary runoff for their Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State candidates. The choice for Georgia voters is now between the Abrams-endorsed Charlie Bailey or Kwanza Hall, who was recently a no-show at an Atlanta Press Club debate.
The DNC runoff for secretary of state is a toss-up between Dee Dawkins-Haigler and Bee Nguyen.
Georgia voters can find their polling location through the secretary of state.
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Addison Basurto is a reporter at The Georgia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Addy on Twitter and GETTR. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jake Evans” by Jake Evans. Photo “Rich McCormick” by Dr. Rich McCormick for Congress. Background Photo “Election Day 2020” by Phil Roeder. CC BY 2.0.
