Brambleman

Fran Millar didn’t lose just his seat. He lost Karen Handel’s, too

Lucy McBath and Friends at Tracy Prescott’s House Nearly a year and a half after Jon Ossoff’s failed $30 million campaign, Karen Handel conceded Georgia’s Sixth District Congressional race to Lucy McBath. It is a great victory for Lucy. It is exciting to have her as my representative in Congress. I wrote a few weeks back: “Having transcended a tragedy, she exudes hope and graciousness—in sharp contrast to her opponent, a career politician, uninspiring at best, who believes crying children should be gaveled into order.” But now I concede that Handel is capable of graciousness. “Congratulations to Representative-Elect Lucy McBath and send her only good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her,” she said in a statement this…

Congratulations, Sally Harrell: Big night for Dems in and around Georgia Senate District 40

Above: Sally addresses supporters Tuesday night Congratulations to SD40 Sen.-elect Sally Harrell and to everyone in her grassroots campaign for their big win over 20-year incumbent Fran Millar. At last glance, Sally was winning DeKalb by double digits—and Gwinnett as well. Well-done, Sally! Well done, crew! This is her fourth win in four legislative races for Sally and her campaign manager-husband, Jay. Impressive. Update: Lucy Wins! Meanwhile, Georgia’s Sixth Congressional (which includes most of GASD40), hangs in the balance. Deep into the wee hours, Lucy McBath took the slightest of leads over incumbent Karen Hanel, who is trying to win her first full term. Since then, the lead has expanded a little, but it’s still in recount range. If you believe all…

Brian Kemp’s stupid stunt: last-minute investigation of Democrats.

Update: Investigators find no evidence for Georgia Gov. Kemp’s hacking claim From the AJC: Sixteen months later, the attorney general’s office released a report Tuesday finding no evidence of a hack and closing the investigation Kemp had launched. No election information was damaged, stolen or lost, according to the report, and there was no evidence of computer crimes. Democratic Party of Georgia Chairwoman Nikema Williams said Kemp created “outright lies” to attack his political opponents and help his election. Original story: Last-minute investigations are fun! Spoiler alert: This is some serious BS coming from the Georgia GOP. It reminds of the Josh McLaurin case, when the State GOP folded like a cheap tent after its false and malicious mailers drew a libel suit. It is…

I don’t give a damn who Michael Thurmond supports

I just finished reading DeKalb activist and writer George Chidi’s GeorgiaPol post about the Senate District 40 race between Republican Fran Millar and Democrat Sally Harrell. Chidi focused on the tightness of the race and the role of endorsements, especially the non-endorsement endorsement by DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. It’s an interesting piece, well worth reading. Millar is facing the first serious challenge since he first took office twenty years ago, and it looks like the lack of competition has made him rusty—or arrogant. He opened up the general campaign lying about Sally’s record and has refused to change his tune even after he was called out on it. On a more humorous note, in his most recent campaign disclosure, he reports spending…

It’s time to rally for Sally! And Lucy! And Stacey!

Let’s hit the streets and GOTV! Weekend Rallies: Sign up! Election Day Rallies: Sign up! The Resistance in Georgia was born in the Sixth District, following the election of Donald Trump and the resignation of Rep. Tom Price. We came closer to flipping that Congressional seat than many people thought we could. It wasn’t good enough, though. (And if you’re ready to rally in the Heart of the Resistance now, just sign up!) This year is our chance, with so many races across the board. A New York Times poll being conducted right now shows that Lucy McBath has a clear chance to do what Jon Ossoff couldn’t. Similarly, polls show that Georgia has a chance to step forward and make…

Libel suit forces Georgia GOP to back off smears against Fulton House candidate Josh McLaurin

By Jonathan Grant @Brambleman UPDATE: State Elections Board unanimously dismisses complaint against McLaurin UPDATE: GOP Caves, settles lawsuit and agrees to quit making false claims against Georgia House District 51 candidate Josh McLaurin Today, the Georgia Republican Party settled my libel case against it by promising never again to say I’m “under criminal investigation.” I am grateful to @EvansforGeorgia for helping me hold the GOP accountable for its lies. The truth still matters. https://t.co/IT1NnUaKR1 — Josh McLaurin for GA HD 51 (@JoshforGeorgia) November 1, 2018 Anatomy of a smear (Original post published Oct 17, 2018 @ 21:32): The Georgia Republican Party, fearing the loss of House District 51 on Nov. 6, has decided that their guy needs all the help he can…

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