Primary Races Foreshadow Blockbuster November in Georgia

The primary battles that have been playing out across Georgia have been some of the most watched in the country, and they are likely only a preview of what is to come in the Peach State’s general elections.The Republican primaries, specifically, have garnered national attention largely because former President Donald Trump is pursuing what many have described as a “vendetta” against Gov. Brian Kemp and Kemp’s allies over 2020.Trump has weighed in on not just the top races but also multiple down-ballot races that people typically tend to overlook.He initially endorsed seven candidates — most of whom aligned with his anti-Kemp mission — and has since added a slate of incumbents to that number, making it 13 candidates total who now have the former president’s blessing heading into Tuesday.While Trump is well-liked by Republicans in Georgia, some of the candidates he backed early on have been caught up in heated races and are facing mixed prospects in their primaries.Georgia requires candidates to obtain more than 50 percent of the vote to win their races outright, and in part because of how contested these races have become, some are also likely to necessitate runoffs.Meanwhile on the other side of the aisle, Democrats have seen a relatively low-action primary season.The most prominent Democrats on the ballot, Sen. Raphael Warnock and Stacey Abrams, will cruise through their primaries with little or no opposition and boatloads of campaign cash saved up for the general.Democrats’ sleepiness is also apparent in the numbers as more than 480,000 have voted in the Republican primary, while about 370,000 have voted in the Democrat primary, according to Georgia Votes.The overall early voting number, driven by Republican turnout, has been record-breaking in Georgia, as more than 859,000 have already voted, mostly in person but some by absentee ballot.Republicans appear fired up ahead of what is expected to be a red wave year amid Democrats’ one-party rule in Washington and President Joe Biden’s rock-bottom approval numbers. A spokesperson for Kemp told Breitbart News the campaign is “encouraged about where they are but intends to run a full-court press until polls close on election day.”Whoever wins will face Abrams, a daunting opponent who amassed $11.7 million in the last reporting period and has worked to capitalize on the GOP infighting as she coasts through her primary unopposed.GOP SENATE RACEEvery public poll in this race has shown Walker, a former football star, miles ahead of his closest challenger, Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, leaving little chance that Walker won’t breeze past 50 percent and win Tuesday night.Walker is somewhat of a household name in Georgia, having won the Heisman Trophy playing as a University of Georgia running back and then going on to play in both the NFL and the Olympics. (Brett Davis/Getty Images)The approach comes as Walker is gearing up for a general election matchup against Warnock, who is one of the most well-funded Democrats in the country and is currently sitting atop a $23 million mountain of cash on hand.Democrats will seek to protect Warnock at all costs in the general election, while Republicans will aggressively pursue his seat as a key pickup opportunities in their quest to take the U.S. Senate majority.TENTH DISTRICT GOP RACEThe already-packed primary in the Tenth Congressional District was jolted in February when former gubernatorial candidate Vernon Jones, a former state representative, jumped into the race.Trump had urged Jones, an avid Trump supporter who has referred to himself as a “black Donald Trump,” to drop out of the gubernatorial primary with the incentive of an endorsement promise for his congressional bid. The attacks, summarized in an anonymous website realjeremyhunt.com, frame Hunt as an establishment candidate and “carpetbagger.”Other candidates hoping to unseat Bishop include Chris West, an Air Force officer and real estate attorney, as well as businessman Wayne Johnson.SECRETARY OF STATE RACESecretary of State Brad Raffensperger would seemingly be in hot water after Trump directed much of his wrath about the 2020 election at Georgia and repeatedly identified Raffensperger as just as blameworthy as Kemp in his eyes for Republicans’ stunning losses that year.Rep. Jody Hice, a fervent supporter of Trump, has forgone his congressional seat in an attempt to unseat Raffensperger, and earned the enthusiastic support of Trump early on.Georgia Secretary of State candidate Rep. Jody Hice speaks during a rally as former President Donald Trump watches on September 25, 2021, in Perry, Georgia.