Early polling may have been unusually accurate in forecasting at least two of Georgia’s high‑profile races in the May 19 primary.
As results from the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries came in, the numbers revealed sharply different paths toward the November general election. On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms avoided a runoff by a decisive margin. Meanwhile, billionaire Rick Jackson and current Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who’s also endorsed by President Donald Trump, are headed to a runoff.
Several other races will also advance to June 16 runoffs, a point highlighted during a roundtable conversation with “Closer Look” host Rose Scott. The panel examined how Bottoms managed to avoid a runoff and by a striking margin. Atlanta‑based campaign strategist and demographer Fred Hicks focused on what stood out to him, noting that her performance exceeded expectations from early polling. He pointed to an Inside Advantage poll that placed her at 52%.
“When you go outside the five‑mile radius of the city of Atlanta, what people know about her is that she was the second woman mayor of Atlanta, she’s an HBCU alum, she worked for the president — and this is a Democratic primary, and the president gave her a very enthusiastic endorsement. Combine that with the late‑developing campaigns of the other candidates, and it created a perfect storm,” Hicks said.
Alongside Hicks, WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali, progressive community organizer and Black Futurists Group managing director Devin Barrington‑Ward, and Atlanta Civic Circle Executive Director Saba Long offered assessments of how Jackson and Jones might campaign ahead of the runoff. They also discussed potential obstacles and opportunities each party may face in the general election.
