ATLANTA — Georgians have been inundated with stories, ads, and debates about the governor, secretary of state, and Senate races.
But this midterm has several down ballot races that are just as important; with key issues tied to each one.
Here’s a list of candidates, concerns, and stances as Election Day approaches
Lieutenant Governor
Job: Georgia is one of 21 states that elects a lieutenant governor. Georgia’s lieutenant governor is the second highest election position. Whomever serves in this role is the President of the Georgia Senate, presides over debates in the Senate chamber, and can introduce legislation. If the Governor is incapacitated, the lieutenant governor exercises executive power until the governor’s recovery or the governor’s term expires
Candidates
- Charles Bailey – Democrat, former prosecutor
- Burt Jones – Republican, member of Georgia senate since 2013
- Ryan Graham – Libertarian, IT project manager
Stances on some key issues
Abortion/Healthcare
Bailey believes Georgia’s six-week abortion ban is an “infringement” on women’s rights. In a recent debate, Bailey said he would work to codify Roe v. Wade protections into Georgia law. Bailey supports Medicaid expansion as a way to prevent hospital strain and closures, as well as an opportunity to provide Georgians with jobs.
Graham believes there should be no laws about abortion, instead believing the decision should be left up to women. He believes in expanded access to contraception and information on birth control.
Jones supports abortion bans with exceptions in the cases of rape, incest, and the well-being of a mother.
Crime
Bailey wants to increase law enforcement pay, increase access to training, and increase funding for the GBI to clear rape backlogs.
Graham wants to end civil asset forfeiture and sovereign immunity. He also supports legalizing cannabis and police reform.
Jones is a long-time supporter of increasing law enforcement. His campaign promises also include strengthening penalties for sex traffickers, gang members and repeat offenders
Education
Bailey supports teacher pay increases and wants to see free technical college return to Georgia.
Graham supports ending mandated curriculums, believing this would allow educators to innovate teaching methods. He also supports ending standardized testing.
Jones supports education funding, banning critical race theory, and supports school choice.
Candidate controversies
Bailey was briefly suspended from the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. When Jones questioned Bailey about the suspension in a recent debate, Bailey replied, “I'm proud of my time as a Senior Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County. I'm not going to be lectured by somebody that is currently under FBI investigation as we speak for multiple felonies."
Jones denied the 2020 presidential election results, and was one of four state Senate republicans to sign a petition calling for the Georgia General Assembly to overrule the outcome within the state. In 2022, a criminal investigation was launched by the Justice Department into whether Jones served as a false elector who attempted to forge electoral certificates for the state.
Attorney General
Job: The Attorney General is the state’s top prosecutor, as well as the chief legal adviser for the Governor, and all state agencies, boards, and commissions. The office has the power to file lawsuits on behalf of the state and to defend its laws. The Attorney General also prepares contracts and agreements, prosecutes public corruption cases, and oversees the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Whomever is elected legally cannot provide legal advice to private citizens. Currently, the attorney general’s race is one of the most expensive down-ballot races in Georgia.
Candidates
- Chris Carr- Incumbent, Republican
- Jen Jordan – Democrat, Senator
- Martin Cowen- Libertarian, Lawyer
Stances on some key issues
Abortion/healthcare
Carr’s office defended Georgia’s 2019 law banning abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy and redefining a “natural person” to mean “any human being including an unborn child” against a slew of legal challenges.
Jordan has said she would not defend the abortion law in court because she believes it violates the privacy clause of Georgia’s constitution. In a rebuttal, Carr said not defending the state’s law is a dereliction of duty and personal opinions about the law is not part of the job.
Besides the battle over the abortion law, Jordan hopes to strengthen access to affordable healthcare and enforce our laws to make sure that "insurance companies don’t put profits over people and can’t take advantage of ordinary Georgians."
Carr meanwhile, won against the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates on private businesses. In 2018, Carr established the Statewide Opioid Task Force which includes more than 300 public, private and nonprofit entities.
Cowen has said he supported the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade.
Election integrity
Carr’s office won 16 lawsuits filed by former President Trump and his allies over the 2020 election.
Jordan’s websites mentioned she plans to “fight voter suppression and make sure every lawful vote is counted.”
Crime/Law Enforcement
Besides the opioid task force, Carr established the Georgia Anti-Gang Network, with a focus on strengthening multi-jurisdictional investigations and prosecution. Carr said he’s most passionate about policies revolving around human trafficking, gangs, cyber crimes, organized retail crime, elder abuse and the opioid crisis.
Jordan supports criminal justice reform “at every level,” and hopes to provide oversight to such reform. Jordan, if elected, hopes to partner with law enforcement to strengthen accountability and build on community public safety strategies.
Cowen stated “no knock warrants are intolerable and qualified immunity should be abolished.” He also supports establishing stations in the Atlanta airport with counselors and officers to combat human trafficking. Cowen opposes gun laws and police patrolling with military style weapons.
Controversies
Carr is affiliated with St. Louis-based Centene Corp, with company executives donating more than $70,000 to Carr’s campaign. The company is accused of inflating drug costs in the state’s Medicaid program. If reelected, Carr could be involved with a lawsuit settlement with the company.
When asked if this is a potential conflict of interest, Carr said he believes in the free enterprise system and his main goal as attorney general is to “vigorously defend our client (Georgia), the agencies that are the state agencies.”
Jordan has been questioned on absences in the state Senate during votes, including a vote to prevent decreasing funding for police departments in the state. When asked about the absence in a recent debate, Jordan replied to Carr, “Ask the people of Brunswick how you didn’t show up to do anything about the failure to prosecute the murderers of that young man, Ahmaud Arbery, until the video was released to the public,”
State Superintendent
Job: The State Superintendent is elected for four years in Georgia. The superintendent serves as the administrative head of the Georgia of Department of Education, overseeing the state's K-12 public education system. The superintendent is charged with instituting the policies of the state Board of Education and managing operations for the school system. The superintendent reports directly to the governor. The decision to ban books, arm teachers, or limit discussion on race in the classroom are issues the superintendent has little control over, as these decisions are made by the General Assembly and governor.
Candidates
- Richard Woods- Incumbent, Republican
- Alisha Thomas Searcy- Democrat, former Georgia House rep/former superintendent
Stances on some key issues
Teacher Pay
Both candidates support increasing teacher pay.
School security/safety
Woods supports proposing legislation that would add school resources officers in every school. Woods believes arming school employees is only one option local school boards can consider. The incumbent also supports expanding mental health resources in schools.
Searcy opposes arming teachers and other school employees on school campuses unless they’re members of law enforcement. She also believes in establishing and investing in mental health and safety plans, as well as addressing facility issues such as single-entry school campuses
Education
Woods believes a new federal testing minimum should be established to “to further reduce high-stakes testing and provide truly diagnostic tools in the 'off years' to remediate and accelerate learning.” He also supports creating customized diploma pathways that support the postsecondary goals, whether it be university, military, or workforce.
Searcy supports apprentice and pre-apprenticeship programs, and believes Georgia's curriculum should better embrace the diversity of the public schools system. She has also called for smaller schools and different types of schools to meet the needs of children. Among some of her campaign promises, Searcy hopes to address challenges in Special Education and expand broadband access in rural districts.