GEORGIA, USA — South Georgia is the state’s late August political hotspot – with Democrat Kamala Harris planning to swing through territory that Republican JD Vance visited last week.
Although more votes are in metro Atlanta, both campaigns are wagering that swing voters can be found below Georgia's "gnat line," the fall line that runs from Columbus to Augusta between north Georgia's Piedmont region and south Georgia's Coastal Plain.
JD Vance was in Valdosta last week in a county where Republican Donald Trump easily carried the vote in 2020. Yet more than 20,000 voters here in Lowndes County voted for Joe Biden in 2020. And the GOP chairman here is predicting a nail biter in 2024.
"Yeah, every vote counts. It was very tight that year, and I think it'll be close this year, but I think Trump will carry Georgia," Lowndes County GOP chairman Larry McMillan said Sunday.
Yet Democrats emerged from their national convention with a bit of momentum and a bold schedule to campaign in Georgia turf that is traditionally Republican. For example, after the DNC ended, it was reported that Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be launching their bus tour in south Georgia.
The 2020 election showed more than 80% of Georgia’s 159 counties are red. There’s a cluster of populous blue counties in metro Atlanta that Joe Biden won in 2020.
Outstate, there are also blue counties toward Augusta and Savannah – plus a cluster of counties Biden won southwest of Macon.
"I have not seen this much excitement among Democrats since the first Obama run," said state Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway), who was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
He and McMillan agree that this year’s race for Georgia’s electoral votes will be close and that it makes sense to look for swing voters far outside of metro Atlanta.
"There are thousands of votes that are in South Georgia and we've gotten used to being ignored by candidates," Williams said. "But it's to their peril because the metro Atlanta area cannot win this election. It's going to take Democratic votes throughout the state."
Meantime, Republicans have long counted on south Georgia voters to help them win elections -- as they try to rebound in a state Republican Donald Trump lost four years ago.