Oconee Democrats Told To Shave From 2018 Margin To Win In 2020

Former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson told Oconee County Democrats on Thursday night that they didn’t have to flip Oconee County for the party to be able to beat incumbent Republican David Perdue in the U.S. Senate race in November.

All they need to do is shave three or four percent off the county margin from Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s victory over Democrat Stacey Abrams in 2018, Tomlinson said.

If the party continues to make the kind of gains it made in 2018, when Kemp beat Abrams by only 54,723 votes statewide, Tomlinson said, small changes in counties like Oconee will be sufficient for victory.

An enthusiastic crowd of 70 turned out at the new Bogart Library Auditorium to hear Tomlinson speak.

Tomlinson made no mention of the other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Perdue. Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry is an announced candidate, but others have expressed interest, including Cobb County businesswoman Sarah Riggs Amico.

At the end of the meeting on Thursday, Marisue Hilliard, who ran unsuccessfully last year in the 46th Senate District that includes Oconee County, announced that she will not be running in 2020 and transferred her remaining campaign funds to Tomlinson.

Mokah-Jasmine Johnson, an Athens teacher, has announced she is considering running for the House District 117 seat currently held by Republican Houston Gaines. Three of Oconee County’s precincts are in the 117th.

For more on this story, with a video of Tomlinson’s presentation, please go to Oconee County Observations.