The mother of a movement. Lucy McBath is hoping to defeat Republican in suburban Atlanta. |
The 6th Congressional District was once held by Tom Price, the former Health and Human Service Secretary who resigned in disgrace.
Over the weekend, Cook Political Report and FiveThirtyEight move the 6th Congressional District into toss-up.
Democrats went all in last year for Jon Ossoff, who raised $23 million and energized progressives around the country in an effort to send a message to newly installed President Trump by taking a seat that had been held by the GOP since 1979. Trump won the 6th District by only 1 percentage point two years ago.
But when the 30-year-old documentary filmmaker and former congressional aide came up just short of an outright win in the April special election and lost to Handel by 4 percentage points in a runoff, political observers concluded the suburban Atlanta district was out of reach for Democrats.
Then McBath, a national anti-gun violence advocate, jumped into the race at the last minute, citing February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. that left 17 dead, most of them students.
She surprised pundits by coming in first in a four-way field in May and by winning a runoff in July. Now she's hoping to beat the odds Tuesday in a showdown with Handel. McBath is encouraged by the ratings upgrades by the political websites.
"My race is a toss-up because every single person in this district, regardless of political belief or party — wants our kids to be safe at school," she said. "People in GA06 [Georgia’s 6th District] want their family members with preexisting conditions to have quality and affordable health care. I am the only candidate in this race who will fight for those values."
Handel, according to her campaign spokesman, feels confident she will be reelected.
Lucy McBath got an endorsement from former Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff. |
McBath has emphasized gun control and vowed to protect the Affordable Care Act, noting that she has twice been diagnosed with breast cancer and understands how important it is to have access to health insurance. She has criticized Handel as being too cozy with the National Rifle Association and too loyal to Trump's agenda, including the GOP tax cuts, which she says don't benefit the middle-class families in the district.
"People are concerned about the gun culture, concerned about their children sitting in classrooms and the same thing that happened in Parkland happening to their children here," said McBath, who tells audiences that Handel is beholden to "the NRA lobby."
Handel argues that the tax cuts have put an average $4,400 a year back into the hands of the district’s taxpayers. Harper also said Handel understands the importance of protecting people with preexisting conditions because she has a sister who was born without an esophagus. He said Handel was not in Congress during the battle of repealing the ACA, but she supports a bill that would protect those with preexisting conditions from being denied coverage or having to pay higher premiums.
Rep. Karen Handel (R-GA) is hoping to keep the district red. |
Jordan Davis was killed in 2012 by a Florida man after he played music loud outside his friend's car.
The suspect, Michael Dunn was an angry white man who believed the young man was a no good hood. Dunn shot his firearm at Jordan's passenger side. He instantly killed him.
Dunn would leave the scene of the crime. He and his girlfriend would end up getting a pizza. It took almost three days to find him.
Dunn said the music was "ghetto trash" and Jordan deserved to die.
Dunn was sentenced to the iron college.
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