ATLANTA — The three candidates in Georgia's gubernatorial election are set to debate Monday night ahead of the November election.
This is the first time all three candidates have faced off on stage this election cycle. Democrat Stacey Abrams previously ran against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp back in 2018.
The debate, put on by the Atlanta Press Club, will air Monday at 7 p.m. and be available to watch here or on the 11Alive YouTube page, the 11Alive+ app on Rou or FireTV.
Kemp in the lead, slightly
A recent poll by 11Alive shows Gov. Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams continue to be locked in a tight race in their rematch of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.
The poll places the incumbent Republican ahead in the race 47%-45%, a result largely consistent with 11Alive's previous poll on this race in July, which showed him ahead 45%-44%.
The 11Alive survey tracks somewhat off from other recent polling, which shows Kemp with a more comfortable lead. The RealClear Politics average since early September has had the governor ahead by seven points.
Of note, 11Alive's poll shows a larger gap for the governor in favorability - Kemp tracks plus-4, 41%-37% favorable to unfavorable, while Abrams tracks minus-3 at 40%-43% favorable to unfavorable.
Kemp is hoping voters keep in in the governor's office for another term, touting his track record. On his campaign website, he boasts some of his accomplishments while in office including his pride in being the first governor in the country to reopen their state during the COVID-19 pandemic and expanding access to rural broadband.
After a narrow loss in 2018 in Georgia's gubernatorial race to Gov. Brian Kemp, Abrams is once again ironing out her vision for One Georgia with investments that are focused on social, educational and economic mobility.
Outlined within her platform are her goals for rural revitalization which include improving infrastructure when it comes to broadband challenges, increasing accessible transportation options, expanding the budget of the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation and promoting agribusiness, and growing Georgia's number one industry while protecting farmers' rights.
Georgia's Libertarian gubernatorial candidate shares several priorities such as bringing more nuclear power and pardoning non-violent offenders in prison.
Hazel has an extensive platform focused on criminal justice reform, which includes ending qualified immunity, ending cash bail, eliminating "no-knock" raids and implementing community review boards.
About a week ago, 11Alive released our poll from SurveyUSA. We asked 1,600 Georgia adults online from Sept. 3 to Oct. 4 for their feelings on the November midterms, including who they'd vote for and their top issues.
Of the 11 possible issues offered to those surveyed, only three reached percentages above single-digit numbers.
Which one of these issues will be most important to you when voting this fall?
- Affordable housing: 4%
- Access to health care: 5%
- Immigration: 6%
- Economy: 19%
- High cost of living/inflation: 28%
- Threats to democracy: 8%
- Crime: 5%
- Abortion: 13%
- Guns: 6%
- The Supreme Court: 1%
- Education: 3%
- Other: 1%
- Not sure: 1%
Of those options, high cost of living/ inflation received the most votes, making up 28% of those surveyed with abortion coming in third.
Link | See more about this poll
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You can read our full mission statement online. In addition, get more election resources here at 11alive.com/vote.