There’s just one more week of early voting left for the May 19 primary election. Photo credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA
There is one more week of early voting left before the May 19 primary election, and for those voters who remain on the fence about which candidate to support, there are plenty of elected officials and groups eager to help sway you.
We’ve got a list of the latest endorsements, including an effort by President Donald Trump to reinforce his support for his pick in the race for governor and a fresh endorsement from former President Barack Obama in the Georgia Supreme Court contests.
The campaigning is also ramping up as candidates scramble to eke out enough support to win outright or at least make it into the top two spots, with runoffs likely in the race to be Georgia’s next governor and the GOP primary to decide who will face U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Trump clarifies support for Jones in tele-town hall
In a tele-townhall Wednesday evening, Trump reaffirmed his endorsement of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is virtually tied with wealthy healthcare executive Rick Jackson for the Republican nomination for governor.
A poll commissioned by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and conducted by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs showed a close race for first place in the GOP primary. It also indicated that 30% of likely Republican voters are still undecided.
In Wednesday’s call with supporters, Trump said “there’s a lot of confusion” about who he endorsed. Jackson has been running a MAGA-style campaign since entering the race in February.
Trump said Jones has his “complete and total endorsement” and pointed to Jones’ early Trump endorsement and his fight “for election integrity in the state Senate when few others, frankly, would and should have.” Jones was one of the “alternate” Republican electors in Georgia who signed documents falsely proclaiming Trump won the 2020 election.
“I don’t do these often, but I do it in the case of Burt because hopefully he’s going to win,” Trump said. “He’s a great man. He was a great lieutenant governor, and everybody knows him, and he’s just great. And that’s all I can say, and that’s why I’m doing it. I can’t do it for many people. I really don’t want to do it for many people, but I thought they had an obligation to do it for Burt.”
Obama wades into Georgia Supreme Court races
Trump isn’t the only presidential figure dipping back into Georgia politics. Former President Barack Obama endorsed a pair of challengers who are attempting to oust two incumbent justices on the Georgia Supreme Court.
Obama boosted former state Sen. Jen Jordan and attorney Miracle Rankin in their bids for the state’s highest court. Jordan is challenging Presiding Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren, and Rankin will take on Justice Charlie Bethel.
“State supreme court justices play a critical role in defending your rights and freedoms, which is why the election happening in Georgia right now is so important,” Obama said. “Make sure you have a plan to vote for Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin, the only two candidates in the race with strong records of standing up for all Georgians.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently endorsed Rankin and Jordan, as did Obama-era attorney general Eric Holder.
The Supreme Court races are nonpartisan, meaning they will be settled by the May 19 election.
Both Warren and Bethel, who is a former Republican state senator, were appointed by former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal. They have the support of conservative groups and elected officials, including Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
Special election set for race to finish Congressman David Scott’s term
Voters in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District are choosing their next representative in Washington, but they will also need to decide who finishes the late Democratic Congressman David Scott’s term. His daughter, Marcye Scott, has announced she plans to run in the July 28 special election. Qualifying for the special election starts this Monday and runs through Wednesday.
“His heart was for the constituents, and that is why I’m definitely wanting to continue that with him, because he would have it no other way,” Marcye Scott said at a memorial service held for her father.
More endorsements in statewide contests:
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1996, which represents over 17,000 members in Georgia, has backed former state Sen. Jason Esteves in the Democratic primary for governor. “We feel that Jason’s platform of ‘Health, Wealth and Opportunity’ addresses rising concerns in the state over affordability and the inability to obtain quality healthcare access,” said Seth Spann, the union’s healthcare services director. Esteves also picked up an endorsement this week from The PAC for Georgia’s Youth.
Another union group is going with a different candidate in the Democratic primary for governor. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents federal workers, announced its choice for governor: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
“She’s been a longtime advocate for working people and families — as a councilwoman, as mayor of Atlanta, and while serving in the White House. She recognizes the importance of federal workers and how attacks on us impact working families not just in Georgia but across the country,” said Tatishka Thomas, AFGE District 5 national vice president.
Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson endorsed state Sen. Josh McLaurin in the Democratic primary race for lieutenant governor.
Vote Mama PAC, which is focused on getting more Democratic moms elected, has thrown its support behind Nabilah Parkes, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor. Parkes is a mother of three who gave birth in 2024 while serving as a state senator.
314 Action Fund, a self-described pro-science group focused on electing scientists, endorsed state Rep. Jasmine Clark last month in her bid to be the 13th Congressional District’s next representative. This week, the group announced a $300,000 ad campaign to boost Clark’s campaign.
“As a Ph.D. microbiologist, state legislator, and a proven fighter who has spent her career standing up for science — she’s exactly the kind of leader Georgia’s 13th District needs right now,” said Erik Polyak, the group’s executive director.
The Georgia Chapter of the National Organization for Women, a progressive group, has endorsed the following candidates in the Democratic primary for statewide races: Bob Trammell for attorney general, Otha Thornton for state school superintendent and Michelle Sanchez for labor commissioner. The group also endorsed Rankin and Jordan for the Georgia Supreme Court.
The NFIB Georgia PAC, which represents small businesses and has endorsed Republicans in recent election cycles, endorsed Warren and Bethel in their reelection bids for the state Supreme Court.
“Judicial elections are about the rule of law and the fair and impartial application of that law,” said Hunter Loggins, the group’s state director. “Our members believe Justices Warren and Bethel have demonstrated a commitment to those principles.”
State and federal-level candidates and groups can send their campaign-related news to info@georgiarecorder.com.
