Georgia candidates making final campaign stops Monday
Candidates make final push before Tuesday primary
Georgia primary election candidates crisscrossed the state Monday, using planes and diner stops to make their final pitches to voters before polling places open Tuesday morning.
MARIETTA, Ga. - Georgia candidates spent Monday making final campaign pushes across the state ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections, with several closely watched races expected to shape the political landscape heading into November.
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What we know:
Democrats and Republicans will select their nominees Tuesday for several key positions, including governor, U.S. Senate, and secretary of state. Early voting numbers revealed lackluster GOP turnout during the advance voting window. Conservative political analyst Phil Kent stated that Republicans are going to have to step it up because they were lagging in the early vote process.
One of the biggest battlegrounds remains the Republican race for U.S. Senate, where candidates are competing for the chance to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the general election.
Gov. Brian Kemp appeared Monday at the West Cobb Diner in Marietta to publicly support Republican Senate candidate Derek Dooley. Kemp said Republicans are focused on reclaiming the Senate seat Democrats narrowly won six years ago.
Dooley is facing competition from Republican Congressman Mike Collins and Congressman Buddy Carter, both of whom have worked to appeal to conservative voters. Former President Donald Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the Senate race.
Meanwhile, the Republican race for governor has also intensified. Trump has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, while businessman Rick Jackson has poured millions of dollars into campaign advertising and statewide outreach efforts. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr are also competing in the crowded field.
On the Democratic side, several candidates are vying for the party’s nomination for governor, including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and state Sen. Jason Esteves.
New polling from InsiderAdvantage suggests the Republican races for governor and U.S. Senate remain tight and could both head to runoff elections later in June.
RELATED: Poll shows Georgia GOP races likely headed to runoffs
What they're saying:
Kent stated that one coveted endorsement comes directly from the White House. While President Donald Trump has not endorsed a Senate candidate, he has thrown his support behind Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for governor.
"President Donald Trump is very important in Georgia and every other state. And so Bert Jones is the Trump endorsed candidate for governor, and that is going to help him with the hard core base," Kent said.
The gubernatorial primary has become a bitter race among Republicans, with billionaire Rick Jackson pouring $50 million into campaign ads. Jackson spent Monday morning in Cherokee County, also campaigning by plane. Concurrently, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr face an uphill battle.
"Both sides of the aisle, you have incumbents who are facing opposition both within and without and from the other party that they have not seen in years," Democratic political strategist Melita Easters said.
On the Democratic side, all eyes are on the gubernatorial primary, where former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is facing off against Geoff Duncan, Michael Thurmond, and Jason Esteves.