A challenge to Georgia’s law is now pending before a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Atlanta. In September, the panel put the case on hold, deciding to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Mississippi — the case involved in the leaked draft.
When asked directly, all four Republican candidates said they support a ban on all abortions, regardless of how far along the pregnancy is, how the pregnancy occurred or if the pregnancy risks the life of the mother.
On the Democratic side, state Rep. Renitta Shannon said the right to abortion should be enshrined in the Georgia Constitution.
“I’ve always known what’s at stake, and it’s why I put my body on the line in 2019 when Georgia tried to outlaw (most) abortion. I was the only legislator that went that far,” she said, referring to her being physically removed from the House floor during debate of the bill. “Access to abortion is health care, and access to health care is lifesaving.”
Seven of the nine Democratic candidates appeared at Tuesday’s debate, and all but one of them said that they support passing a law that guarantees a right to an abortion. Former U.S. Rep. Kwanza Hall and Rashid Malik did not participate in the debate.
Candidates on both sides of the aisle debated a wide range of issues including election security, the environment and the possibility of working with a divided government — either a Republican lieutenant governor working with a Democratic governor or a Democratic lieutenant governor leading a Republican-majority state Senate.
The Republican candidates are state Sen. Burt Jones, McGregor, state Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller and Jeanne Seaver. The Democratic candidates are state Rep. Erick Allen, Charlie Bailey, Tyrone Brooks Jr., Tony Brown, Hall, Jason Hayes, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, Malik and Shannon. The winners in each primary will take on Libertarian candidate Ryan Graham in November.
Learn more about the candidates
REPUBLICANS
Burt Jones https://burtjonesforga.com/
Mack McGregor https://mcgregorforgeorgia.com/
Butch Miller https://butchmillerforgeorgia.com/
Jeanne Seaver https://seaverforltgov.com/
DEMOCRATS
Erick Allen https://allenforgeorgia.com/
Charlie Bailey https://www.charlieforgeorgia.com/
Tyrone Brooks Jr. https://brooksforgeorgia.com/
Tony Brown https://browngovernor.com/
Kwanza Hall https://kwanzahall.com/
Jason Hayes https://jasonhayesforga.com/
Derrick Jackson https://derrickjackson.org/
Rashid Malik https://malik4ltgov.com/
Renitta Shannon https://renittashannon.com/
LIBERTARIAN
Ryan Graham https://graham4ga.com/
