Obama to Georgia Democrats: ‘Resist the Temptation to Give Up’ on Senate Vote (Updated)
By
September 10, 2016
GAFFNEY, Ga. — It was another in a series of low moments for the state’s U.S. Senate primary, where U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson was running neck-and-neck in a crowded field that also featured two Republicans and one Democrat.
On Friday, the race ended with Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s victory in the U.S. Senate race, despite the strong showing by the Republican primary winner, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, to defeat Isakson.
This race would seem to portend a GOP sweep in the general election in November, were it not for one glaring fact: the race for secretary of state is not a contest between a Republican and a Democrat, as in the U.S. Senate race, but between three Democrats — Kemp, Cagle and Secretary of State Cathy Cox — and one Republican, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
After the runoff election Sept. 15, the only remaining undecided contest is the secretary of state primary, where Democrat Mark White will face Republican Matt Longdon.
On Saturday, Democratic leaders in the state legislature, including Gov. Nathan Deal and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, said they will not back away from a fight to regain control of the state’s legislative and executive branches.
“This is a fight for our democracy,” Deal wrote in an op-ed piece. “That’s why we are not giving up on this fight.”
And on Saturday, Cox said: “I’m still going to fight for the people of this state. I’m going to continue to move beyond myself and not get discouraged.”
In the meantime, Republican leaders will be fighting to keep the majority they control in the House of Representatives and Senate, as they have through all three of the last four special elections held on Friday.
Two Republicans, Rep. John Bedingfield and Rep. Paul Broun, have said