By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 8, 2020 | There are 21 Georgians competing independently for the Senate seat vacated by former Senator Johnny Isakson to fill the two years left on his term. The seat is presently held by Kelly Loeffler, appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp. The 21 candidates will all run in a Special Election, which people are calling a “jungle election,” since anyone can run who qualified without being nominated by a party.
With so many candidates, it’s nearly impossible for a candidate to win on the first ballot. The result will likely be a runoff on January 5, 2021.
Who’s running. Candidates are not identified by party. However, Wikipedia identifies the 21 candidates by party.
Republicans, listed alphabetically:
- Doug Collins of Gainesville, an attorney and incumbent U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 9th congressional district;
- Derrick Grayson of Lithonia, minister, network engineer, software developer, perennial candidate and U.S. Navy veteran;
- Annette Davis Jackson of Lilburn, a businesswoman, and 2016 Republican candidate for Georgia State Senate;
- Wayne Johnson of Macon, a former chief operating officer of the Office of Federal Student Aid, and business executive;
- Kelly Loeffler of Atlanta, incumbent U.S. Senator; and
- Kandiss Taylor of Baxley, the student services coordinator for the Appling County Board of Education.
Democrats:
- Deborah Jackson of Lithonia, a former mayor of Lithonia and attorney;
- Jamesia James, businesswoman and U.S. Air Force veteran;
- Tamara Johnson-Shealey of Tucker, businesswoman and frequent candidate;
- Matt Lieberman, of Atlanta, businessman, activist, and son of former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman;
- Joy Felicia Slade, physician;
- Ed Tarver of Augusta, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia and former state senator;
- Raphael Warnock of Decatur, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church; and
- Richard Dien Winfield of Athens, philosophy professor and candidate for Georgia’s 10th congressional district in 2018.
(Note: the Georgia Secretary of State’s website lists no information on Jamesia James and Joy Felicia Slade.)
Libertarian Party
- Brian Slowinski of White Plains, a candidate in 2014 for the Republican nomination in Georgia’s 10th congressional district, who is retired.
Green Party
- John “Green” Fortuin of Athens, a property manager.
Independents
- Al Bartell of Atlanta, a business consultant;
- Allen Buckley of Smyrna, an attorney and CPA, who was the Libertarian nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004, 2008, 2016 and nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 2006;
- Michael Todd Greene of Mableton, a former educator;
- Rod Mack (as a write-in candidate), member of the City of Hapeville Board of Appeals and candidate in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election; and
- Valencia Stovall of Ellenwood, a business owner and state representative.
Now, your job, voters, is simply pick the best person you think would serve Georgia as the next U.S. Senator, and if the winner, who will most likely qualify to stand a full six year term for the Senate beginning on January 1, 2023.
Right now from what we have observed, many Republicans will support either Collins or Loeffler, and one of them may have enough votes to get into a runoff.
Among the Democrats, the strongest among the eight candidates are Warnock, Lieberman and Tarver. If one of them gets the majority of the vote of Democrats, he could be in the runoff.
And among the rest, Allen Buckley is best known and has run for key offices before, while Libertarian Brian Slowinski’s affiliation with his party may run stronger than the others. However, the probability of either of these two candidates gaining enough for a runoff is far-fetched now.
Take this list and keep studying it, to figure out your pick in what is a wide open Senate race.
GwinnettForum brings you this list exclusively. You haven’t seen it anywhere else.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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