According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll, Georgia’s incumbent Republican governor has a slight edge over second-time Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams.
AJC says that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) leads Abrams by five points in the duo’s rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial race in the Peach State.
The poll, conducted among 902 likely voters between July 14 and July 22, shows Kemp receiving 48 percent of the vote, while Abrams receives 43 percent of the vote. Kemp is dominating among males, 57 percent of whom say they will vote for him. Only 33 percent of male respondents say they will vote for Abrams, but she is expected to haul in more than half of the state’s female voters.
Even with the positive numbers, Republicans cannot rest on their laurels.
The poll has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points, which means Abrams could be within striking distance for the November election.
Further, 28 percent of independent voters say they have not yet decided for whom they will vote.
AJC says part of the support for Kemp and other Republican voters comes from kitchen-table issues.
“A majority of voters show that prices that have climbed 9.1% from a year earlier have had a ‘significant, negative’ impact on the lives of Georgians,” the publication said. “An additional 35% said it was a noticeable factor in their daily lives.”
Further fueling the surge for Republicans in Georgia is a rise in black voters.
According to the Republican National Committee (RNC), black voters – who have historically voted for Democrats – turned out for Republicans in the state’s primary elections.
“Analysis of the 2022 Georgia Primary election showed that Georgia Republicans made historic gains with Black voters,” the RNC said in a release obtained by The Georgia Star News. “17,397 Black voters in Georgia cast ballots in the GOP Primary, more than double the 8,411 ballots cast by Black Georgians in the 2018 GOP primary race.”
That’s good news, says RNC spokesperson Garrison Douglas.
“Georgia Democrats like Stacey Abrams, Raphael Warnock, and Sanford Bishop have not only taken the votes of black Georgians for granted, but they’ve also actively implemented policies that have negatively impacted the black community more than anyone else,” he said. “Georgia Republicans are committed to reaching out to black voters with a message of opportunity and growth and fostering lasting relationships within the community.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
