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| State Rep. Alicia Thomas Morgan (D-Austell) spoke out in the General Assembly
against a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a stand used against
her by an opponent in the July 20 primary. (Photo by R.O. Youngblood)
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: DYANA BAGBY
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Wearing an oversized campaign T-shirt and blue jeans, Alisha Thomas Morgan couldn’t
stop smiling Tuesday night as she lounged in the living room of her Austell home
with about 15 volunteers and her parents, watching election returns on TV.
The numbers were clear early: Morgan, a 25-year-old Democrat seeking re-election
to State House District 39, was going to overwhelmingly defeat Morris Angel,
an opponent who attacked her outspoken stance against a constitutional amendment
banning gay marriage that was approved by the General Assembly earlier this
year.
Overall, Morgan and most Democratic incumbents in the state Senate and House
who opposed the measure and faced opposition in the primary easily held onto
their posts.
“These victories clearly demonstrate that anti-gay rhetoric is an ineffective
tool with which to mobilize voters,” said Sharon Semmens, Georgia Equality
board chair and acting executive director.
The statewide gay political group is leading opposition to the amendment,
which will appear on the Georgia ballot in November, and issued a blanket endorsement
in favor of state lawmakers who voted against the measure during the General
Assembly session this year.
Of the 14 state senators who voted against the marriage ban, 10 sought re-election
to their seats, with all 10 victorious on Tuesday. Of the 42 in the House who
voted against the amendment and sought re-election, 40 won their primaries.
Rep. Michele Henson (D-Stone Mountain) faces a run-off with Gloria Gaines
in House District 87, and Rep. Lawrence Roberts (D-Albany) is in a runoff with
Freddie Powell Sims in House District 151.
In the waning days of Morgan’s campaign, two Republicans in Cobb County
circulated a letter urging GOP voters to oust her by crossing over to vote
for Angel in the Democratic primary.
“Alisha is an arrogant liberal socialist who is pushing her agenda on
the good people of the 39th district,” stated the letter, which dubbed
Morgan the “Cynthia McKinney of Cobb County.”
Former Cobb County GOP Chair Marilyn Gihuly and Timothy Pilgrim, a Cobb County
Republican and officer in the Sons of the Confederate Army, signed the letter.
The Georgia GOP took no responsibility for the letter, according to a spokesperson.
Morgan’s campaign decided the best strategy was not to respond to the
letter.
“Our first reaction was to do something, but when we calmed down and
took a deep breath, we realized the facts are they [Angel’s campaign]
are not working as hard as we are,” said Heather Fatzinger, Morgan’s
campaign manager.
The negative tactics failed and Morgan coasted to victory. She received 2,993
votes, 86.3 percent of those cast, to only 335, or 9.7 percent, for Angel.
Morgan faces Republican Chris Bouchard on Nov. 2.
“Tonight proves you’ve got to stand up for what you believe in
and if you continue to serve the community, the people will send you back,” Morgan
said Tuesday. “I really operate from my heart … and I don’t
know any other way.”
In an e-mail sent in response to questions from Southern Voice, Angel said
Morgan’s supporters drove by his home honking Tuesday night and littered
his property with her campaign signs. He reiterated his opposition to gay marriage,
and chalked his defeat up to racial politics.
“Last night’s little demonstration of belligerence in my yard
was merely directed at a Whitey who dared to challenge the tribe,” Angel
wrote. “Not just in my race, but statewide, the results point to the
fact that one can not be a Christian and a Democrat.”
Veteran gay political analyst Larry Pellegrini, executive director of the
Georgia Rural Urban Summit, said Morgan’s large margin of victory was
poetic justice.
“She’s not only thoroughly committed to social justice issues, she got
to see justice herself,” he said.
The Republican primaries on Tuesday proved a mixed bag for state legislators
who led the fight for the marriage amendment:
- State Sen. Bill Stephens (R-Canton) defeated Lauren McDonald to hold
onto his District 27 seat. He faces no Democratic opposition on the November
ballot. Stephens, who first introduced the marriage amendment but backed
off when his own divorce and allegations of marital infidelity became public,
won
with 14,500 votes, or 60 percent, to McDonald’s 9,805, or 40 percent.
- State
Sen. Mike Crotts, the Conyers Republican who took over sponsorship of
the gay marriage amendment, did not seek re-election, and lost his bid for
U.S. Congress in the Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District,
which includes Rockdale County.
Crotts came in a distant third with less than 10 percent of the vote, behind
social conservatives Lynn Westmoreland and Dylan ...
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