The Trump era has changed local politics in Georgia, a pivotal 2024 battleground

Devon Dabney, a candidate for city council in Johns Creek, Ga., stands outside her home and discusses her candidacy on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. The contest is nonpartisan and Dabney calls herself an independent, but she faces criticism from some voters in this historically Republican-leaning enclave because she says she has voted for Democrats in the past. The political dynamics in some of Atlanta's suburbs reflect how partisan and cultural divisions have trickled down to local campaigns. (Bill Barrow/AP Photo)

As she accepted an endorsement from a group called Veterans for Trump, Stacy Skinner spoke about how she got into politics because Democrats “were starting to infiltrate on the local level.”

Former President Donald Trump and other national Republicans often warn of takeovers by China or people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Skinner is running for reelection to the City Council of Johns Creek, an Atlanta suburb of about 85,000.

Yet the 44-year-old does not openly promote her Trump association, telling inquisitive voters in this Republican-leaning enclave only that she is “conservative.” Skinner’s opponent, Devon Dabney, meanwhile, faces questions about being a Democrat.