On Tuesday, May 21, as voters took part in ordinary primaries and judicial elections, the election battleground state of Georgia became lively, with former President Donald Trump, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and divisive national topics like abortion taking center stage.
At the same time, two key figures in Trump’s intervention in the Georgia election case are facing challenges in their reelection campaigns. The judge presiding over this case, Scott McAfee of Fulton County Superior Court, is being challenged by Robert Patillo, while Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing off against Christian Wise Smith in the primaries.
Smith ran for district attorney in 2020 and is the founder of the nonprofit organization National Social Justice Alliance. According to his own website, the mission of the alliance is to “unite prosecutors from across the country to end police brutality.”
In March of this year, Judge McAfee ruled that Trump and his co-defendants “failed in their responsibilities,” finding that the relationship between Ms. Willis and special election prosecutor Nathan Wade constituted a “conflict of interest” and did not adequately prove that Ms. Willis benefited economically from it. However, he also ruled that either Ms. Willis or Mr. Wade must withdraw from the case. Trump’s lawyers appealed this decision on May 17.
Regardless of whether Willis or Smith wins the Democratic nomination, they will face off against Republican nominee Courtney Kramer.
Georgia’s Superior Court elections are nominally nonpartisan. However, Judge McAfee was appointed by Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp in 2022.
Robert Patillo, a civil rights lawyer rooted in the Democratic Party, is currently suing the state over the “Stand Your Ground” law. He has also worked with human rights activist Jesse Jackson for over twenty years, providing counsel and now hosting a radio show called “People, Passion, Politics.”
Patillo has also served as a board member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He has stated on his website that “judges should have a more diverse background throughout their careers, not just as prosecutors.”
In contrast, Judge McAfee has prioritized holding “violent criminals accountable,” clearing the backlog of cases delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing pathways for non-violent offenders in his campaign.
He said on his website, “True justice is not locking people up and throwing away the key, I will work to provide a path for those who have made mistakes but wish to be productive members of society.”
Party divisions are also evident in the ostensibly nonpartisan State Supreme Court elections.
Justice of the State Supreme Court Andrew Pinson will face challenger John Barrow. In what was supposed to be a nonpartisan election, party lines have become increasingly clear in recent weeks. Barrow has made abortion a major focus of his campaign, winning support from pro-abortion groups and Democrat Stacey Abrams. In contrast, Justice Pinson has the support of Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp and other conservative groups.
Justice Pinson has consistently emphasized his commitment to maintaining the nonpartisanship of his campaign and his seat on the State Supreme Court.
In a statement, he said, “As judges, we swear to fairly and impartially serve each matter before us, and I will take that oath seriously because every Georgian deserves fair and equal treatment under the law, but unfortunately, my opponent is running an extremely partisan campaign, based on a vow to disregard our judicial oaths.”
The retirement of Republican Drew Ferguson has brought the only vacant seat in the House of Representatives for the state. Five Republicans are vying for the nomination, including Trump’s former advisor Brian Jack, whom Trump has officially endorsed.
Trump posted on Truth Social, encouraging Jack to run for the vacant seat in the House of Representatives, describing him as “a loyal, honest, and upright person.”
“He represents a new generation of leadership and will be a great congressman, working with me and other Republicans to repair the damage Joe Biden has done to our country,” Trump said.
The other four Republican candidates include former Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan, former Senator Mike Crane, former officer Jim Bennett, and former House member Phillip Singleton.
Val Almonord and Maura Keller will compete for the Democratic nomination.
Georgia has 14 congressional districts. In the remaining 13 districts, 10 incumbent representatives have no challengers, while the other three representatives include Democrats Lucy McBath and David Scott, and Republican Barry Loudermilk.
In this year’s elections, Governor Kemp will continue in his role, and both Senators from Georgia are not up for reelection this year.
Georgia’s presidential primaries were held on March 12.
Early voting for the primaries that lasted for weeks ended on May 17. According to the Georgia Secretary of State, over 555,000 ballots have been counted, with over 510,000 being in-person votes.
These primaries are open, allowing voters to choose any party’s ballot. However, as of May 15, 54% of the received ballots belonged to the Republican primary, while 44% were for the Democratic primary.
As of May 16, registered voters have exceeded 8 million.
On May 21, polling stations throughout Georgia will remain open until 7 p.m.