Keisha Lance Bottoms Debates Alone in Unusual Georgia Governor Showdown
The Democratic nominee answered questions alone after her opponent skipped the debate on the eve of Georgia’s early voting.
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms appeared alone at a debate on Monday, without her Republican opponent. She addressed the media on the eve of early voting in the state, criticizing her opponent Rick Jackson for not standing beside her. Bottoms accused Jackson of hiding behind his wealth rather than explaining his record of profiting from Georgia taxpayers.
The debate, held in Atlanta, lasted less than 30 minutes and featured only Bottoms as she faced two journalists. Jackson's campaign claimed he had a scheduling conflict and was campaigning in Savannah during the event. When asked about his absence, Jackson said that no one had mentioned debates because they were unimportant to voters.
This was the first time Bottoms faced Jackson, who had previously debated her on October 6 during a town hall hosted by Atlanta News First. Both candidates are vying to succeed Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who is term-limited. Recent polls show the race to be close, with Jackson leading at 49 percent support and Bottoms at 47 percent.
A YouGov poll found the contest to be even tighter, with 45 percent support for Jackson and 44 percent for Bottoms, and 9 percent of respondents undecided. If Bottoms wins, she would become the first Black woman to serve as governor in the United States. Republican President Donald Trump is set to campaign for Jackson in Dalton, Georgia, on Friday. Early voting in Georgia begins on Tuesday, ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
