Gay political group endorsements for state legislative races
Georgia Equality
Incumbents:
Sen. Ed Harbison (D-Columbus)
Sen. Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale)
Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta)
Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Atlanta)
Sen. Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain)
Rep. Sheila Jones (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Virgil Fludd (D-Tyrone)
Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain)
Rep. Ernest “Coach” Williams (D-Avondale)
Rep. Howard Mosby (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Pam Stephenson (D-Lithonia)
Rep. Pedro “Pete” Marin (D-Duluth)
Rep. Dee Dawkins Haigler (D-Lithonia)
Challengers:
Senate District 2
Kevin Clark (D-Savannah)
House District 55
Rashad Taylor (D-Atlanta)
House District 61
Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta)
House District 65
Sandra Hardy (D-Fairburn)
House District 91
Rita Robinzine (D-Ellenwood)
House District 95
George Wilson (D-Stone Mountain)
Atlanta Stonewall Democrats
Incumbents:
Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler (D-Lithonia)
Rep. Pedro “Pete” Marin (D-Duluth)
Challengers:
Senate District 47
Tim Riley (D-Athens)
House District 2
Sadie Morgan (D-Rossville)
House District 35
Earl Giddens (D-Mableton)
House District
Jason Adams (D-Kennesaw)
House District 55
Joel Alvarado (D-Atlanta)
House District 61
Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta)
House District 65
Lewanna Heard (D-East Point)
House District
Allan Burns (D-Lilburn)
Georgia Log Cabin Republicans
Incumbents:
Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta)
Rep. Jill Chambers (R-Atlanta)
The
largest
percentage
of
competitive
elections
for
seats
in
the
state
legislature
will
likely
be
decided
by
a
small
fraction
of
Georgia
voters
on
July
15.
As
the
second
primary
approaches,
candidates,
incumbents
and
organizations
expect
low
turnout
in
the
party
primary.
“We’re
actually
very
concerned
about
voter
turnout,”
said
Jeff
Graham,
executive
director
of
Georgia
Equality,
the
state’s
largest
gay
political
group.
“Normally
the
turnout
for
the
primaries
in
July
is
very
low
anyway,
it’s
been
an
average
of
22
percent,
and
with
the
presidential
primaries
earlier
this
year
many
people
think
they
already
voted.”
Because
the
Georgia
General
Assembly
follows
an
unofficial
policy
of
creating
“safe”
districts
for
incumbents
that
are
either
predominately
Democratic
or
Republican,
most
of
the
contested
races
happen
during
the
summer
primaries.
“In
fact
I
believe
that
82
percent
of
the
races
for
both
the
House
and
the
Senate
will
be
determined
in
the
primaries
this
week,
and
that’s
because
there
is
no
opposition
candidate
in
that
race
in
the
fall,”
Graham
said.
As
a
result,
most
of
Georgia
Equality’s
endorsements
went
to
Democrats
who
do
not
face
a
Republican
in
the
fall.
The
gay
Atlanta
Stonewall
Democrats
endorsed
a
number
of
gay-friendly
Democrats
facing
other
Democrats.
“We’re
not
so
concerned
about
an
election
in
the
fall
against
a
Republican,
but
who
is
the
best
Democrat
on
our
issues,”
said
Jason
Cecil,
Stonewall
treasurer.
RACES
TO
WATCH
State
Senate:
•
District
17:
Former
state
Sen.
Mike
Crotts
(R-Covington)
seeks
to
defeat
Sen.
John
Douglas
(R-Social
Circle)
and
retake
his
old
post
in
the
Senate.
Crotts
was
the
primary
sponsor
of
the
2004
constitutional
amendment
to
ban
gay
marriage
in
Georgia.
•
District
36:
Sen.
Nan
Orrock
(D-Atlanta)
has
held
the
majority
African-American
district
since
2006
and
now
faces
challenges
from
two
African-American
men.
Orrock,
who
helped
lead
the
fight
to
defeat
the
marriage
amendment
in
2004,
is
facing
one
man
who
would
have
voted
for
it.
“If
a
marriage
amendment
would
come
up
here
in
Georgia
I
would
vote
to
protect
it,”
Eric
Underwood
said.
“We
do
have
something
in
place
that
would
protect
marriage
as
between
a
man
and
a
woman,
but
we
should
also
have
something
for
gays
and
lesbians.
I
believe
in
equality.”
Challenger
Andre
James
did
not
respond
to
interview
requests.
Georgia
Equality
and
Atlanta
Stonewall
endorsed
Orrock.
State
House:
•
District
59:
Both
Rep.
Margaret
Kaiser
(D-Atlanta)
and
challenger
Chris
Vaughn
made
appearances
at
Atlanta
Pride
as
they
contest
the
district
that
stretches
from
south
of
Piedmont
Park
to
Lakewood.
Georgia
Equality
and
the
Stonewall
Democrats
endorsed
Kaiser.
Vaughn
said
he
has
supported
a
number
of
gay
events,
and
said
he
would
be
a
more
active
supporter
of
gay
issues
than
Kaiser.
•
District
65:
Rep.
Sharon
Beasley-Teague
(D-Red
Oak),
who
crossed
caucus
lines
to
vote
for
the
2004
state
constitutional
amendment
banning
gay
marriage,
faces
four
challengers.
Georgia
Equality
endorsed
Sandra
Hardy
of
Fairburn,
while
Atlanta
Stonewall
Democrats
supports
Lewanna
Heard
of
East
Point.
The
Democratic
primary
also
includes
conservative
pastor
Wood
Holmes
of
Fairburn.
There
is
no
Republican
in
the
race.
•
District
93:
Rep.
Dee
Dawkins-Haigler
(D-Lithonia)
was
the
first
candidate
endorsed
by
Georgia
Equality
when
she
won
a
special
election
to
replace
disgraced
Rep.
Ron
Sailor.
Georgia
Equality
believes
Dawkins-Haigler
will
be
a
strong
ally
for
gay
rights
if
she
can
beat
five
challengers
in
the
Democratic
Primary.
On
the
July
15
ballot,
she
faces
Malik
Douglas,
Colet
Odenigbo,
KaTesha
Sagers,
Dr.
Jim
Sendelbach
and
Traci
Waites.
Atlanta
Stonewall
has
also
endorsed
Dawkins-Haigler.
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