Home · Health · Oct 7 archive
Georgia Governor Candidates Debate Trump's Impact
Developing
In Short: The debate in Georgia also featured live and taped questions from voters, with topics ranging from health care and affordability to the candidates' approach to the Trump administration's influence on state politics.
Georgia's gubernatorial candidates debated the influence of President Trump on Tuesday, with Democrats accusing Republicans of aligning too closely with the unpopular president. In a town-hall style debate, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson clashed over economic issues and Trump's impact on state politics.
Bottoms criticized Jackson, saying, 'My opponent has said he wants to be Trump’s favorite governor. He wants to be Trump with a Southern tone. He said there’s not a single policy that he disagrees with Trump on,' in response to a question about federal funding cuts.
Jackson responded by invoking Georgia's popular, term-limited governor Brian Kemp, saying, 'I don’t owe anybody anything,' and asserting that 'Nobody’s ever told me what to do.' He emphasized his 42 years of leadership experience, arguing that it makes him uniquely qualified to lead the state.
In Michigan, Republican John James sought to distance himself from Trump during a debate with Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson. James said, 'I struggle with that vote,' referring to his votes on war powers resolutions, indicating a desire to differentiate himself from the president.
Benson repeatedly tried to tie James to Trump, saying he had failed to stand up to the president and wouldn't do so as governor. She emphasized that James had not stood up to Trump, suggesting that he would not do so as governor.
The debate in Georgia also featured live and taped questions from voters, with topics ranging from health care and affordability to the candidates' approach to the Trump administration's influence on state politics. Bottoms and Jackson took aim at each other on economic issues, data centers, and Trump's impact.
In Iowa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand visited the Coralville Community Food Pantry, criticizing the Trump administration and Iowa Republicans for shifting the burden of funding food assistance programs to the states without a plan to fill funding gaps. SNAP, the U.S.’s largest food security program, provides assistance to roughly 42 million people as of 2024, with about 8% of Iowa’s population, or 267,000 people, depending on it.
The debate in Savannah featured seven Democratic candidates for Georgia governor, with each candidate emphasizing their priorities and qualifications. Former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond said the candidates 'all did well,' praising organizers for giving coastal voters a chance to be heard.
What's still developing
- Washington Examiner executive editor Bob Cusack said Republican candidates face a conundrum in the midterm elections : They need President Donald Trump’s base to turn out, but his “abysmal” numbers make him a liability.
- During the debate, Collins said she doesn’t anticipate Trump visiting Maine, and she attempted to distance herself from the president.
- “He’s talking about going to a lot of different states,” Collins said.
- Cusack said Trump’s low approval rating poses a problem for Republican candidates who need his voter base to win elections, but don’t necessarily want to align themselves with Trump or MAGA.
- “I think it’s going to be a real problem for candidates because they need the Trump base to get out, but they don’t want Trump, they don’t want to stand by Trump,” Cusack said.
- “Bad mayors don’t make good governors.” While the candidates were asked about housing and education, the event focused predominantly on economic issues and affordability, with both candidates repeatedly pressed about how they’d bring down costs.
- Jackson said he wouldn’t approve new construction as governor without first getting local community approval, establishing environmental standards and getting a commitment that local communities’ power bills would be reduced.
- The event, held at the Jonesville Baptist Church and moderated by WJCL 22 News' Greg Coy, offered Savannah-area voters the opportunity to see the Democratic field side by side and hear how each candidate said they would address issues affecting coastal Georgia and the state.
- Candidate Olu Brown said the night was "great" and about sharing his message, emphasizing his campaign priorities and what he described as "fighting for change." A forum featuring the Republican candidates for Georgia governor is planned for this spring, followed by a debate ahead of the general election.
- "only candidate in this race that has the lived experiences of the average hardworking Georgian."
- WJCL 22 News spoke individually with each of the seven candidates afterward, asking the same question: Did they think they performed the best, and why?
- Ruwa Romman said she thought voters saw a clear choice in the race, describing herself as the candidate who has “gotten it right on the first try," emphasizing her early positions on key issues.