Welcome, Georgia! | Tom Camfield

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Here’s a Nov. 8 article from The Guardian, “Stacey Abrams helps raise $3.6m in two days for crucial Georgia Senate runoffs:” https://news.yahoo.com/stacey-abrams-helps-raise-3-180131064.html
A general Nov. 12 story from the Los Angeles Times: https://news.yahoo.com/georgia-decide-senate-control-shape-211813030.html

“In late July, Democratic political giants filed into the towering sanctuary of Ebenezer Baptist Church to mourn the death of an era, and to declare a new one to come. This is the church where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, and where Representative John Lewis, the civil-rights icon, was now being laid to rest. Lewis’s pastor, Raphael Warnock, stood before the congregation in a black pulpit robe with Kente-cloth panels and lamented the cynicism of this time in American politics. ‘In a moment when there are some in high office who are much better at division than vision, who cannot lead us so they seek to divide us,’ he said; ’here lies a true American patriot.’ As former President Barack Obama took the lectern, he turned to Warnock, locked eyes, and pointed . . .

“This was not just a funeral for Lewis and the civil-rights movement. It was a rally for a different America, one where health-care coverage is universal, police officers are traded for social workers, and bail has gone the way of the horse and buggy . . . “

This foregoing is from an Atlantic article by Emma Green in August. Then as now, Warnock wanted to help Democrats rename the country — and pollsters viewed his candidacy as “competitive.”

However, money talked during the general election. While Georgians gave a thumbs-down to the rotten character of Donald Trump, voters gave a slight majority to Republicans, setting up the runoff races that will determine the leadership of the U.S. Senate on Jan. 5:

Senate 1 — David Perdue (incumbent) 49.7%, (2,458,626); Jon Ossoff 49.0% (2,372,003); Shane Hazel 2.3% (114,892). Ossoff and Hazel were Democrats, Perdue Republican. These figures total 100% with an estimated 99% of the vote counted.
Senate 2 — Raphael Warnock 32.9% (1,615,366); Kelly Loeffler (incumbent) 25.9% (1,271,103); Doug Collins 19.9% (978,922); Deborah Jackson 6.6% (323,785); Matt Lieberman 2.8% (135,879). Loeffler and Collins were Republicans, totaling 45.8% of the vote. These all total only 88.1% with 98% of the vote counted, according to a computerized update of Nov. 12 apparently in error. The other three were Democrats and totaled 42.3%.

Six hundred staffers of the Republican National Committee reportedly already had been dispatched to Georgia (by Saturday) to begin the attack on The Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, 51, and former journalist Tom Ossoff, candidates for the U.S. Senate Jan. 5.
For the moment I’m giving a shout-out to Warnock, who is running a close race against heavily-monied Kelly Loeffler, red-state appointee to the position. It could be the hardest-fought and most expensive contests in the history of a state turning from red to blue — rivaled only by the Ossoff-Perdue battle for a similar position.

Warnoff is the exact opposite of the Trumpian regime that already is hurling dirty advertising his way. He grew up in public housing as the 11th of 12 children. Now pastor of the church Martin Luther King once led, Warnock would make history if he wins, as the first Black American in the Senate to represent Georgia. Desiring to follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr., Warnock earned his B.A. in psychology at Morehouse College, later earning a Master of Divinity, Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy from Union Theological Seminary, (affiliated with Columbia University).

Warnoff has spoken out strongly for health care, expansion of Medicaid, etc., as well as racial equality. A major share of his campaign financing is expected to be provided from throughout the country — and I will be among those putting a modicum of money where my mouth is. My wife and son also are sending mailings.

Don’t make too big a thing out of the $3-plus million raised by Georgia voting activist Stacey Abrams (see internet link above) a week ago for Democratic candidates Warnock and Ossoff. She’s been super active since. But the big money around Atlanta remains with Kelly Loeffler, still the wealthiest member of Congress. She personally pledged $20 million to her losing campaign against Warnock Nov. 3 (see foregoing). That was her first experience at the polls, having been appointed Senator by Republican Governor Brian Kemp at the beginning of the year (to fill a vacancy).

During the general election, Loeffler touted her “100% Trump voting. She is former CEO of Bakkt, an international service provider owned by her husband, and is co-owner of the Atlanta Dream women’s team of the WNBA.