For years, pundits have speculated that Georgia has been moving toward being a battleground state, thanks to changing demographics and a boost in non-native Georgians. Has Georgia turned purple?
The Case for Georgia Becoming More Moderate
Nunn isn’t the only Democratic candidate in Georgia doing well in hypothetical matchups with Republicans. During an effort to nudge former Sen. Max Cleland into the open seat race for Saxby Chambliss’ Senate spot, Cleland led each of the Republican front-runners in a PPP poll in February.
Demographics suggest a shift to the Democrats. During the 2000 Census, 5.3 percent of the state’s population reported being of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. That number went up to 8.8 percent by the 2010 Census. The black and African American population has also seen a small boost from 28.7 percent to 31.2 percent. The youth population remains strong.
But demographics won’t be enough to seal the deal for Democrats. “Eventually, yes, demographics will play a role,” said Georgia Democratic Party Administrative Director Michael Smith in an interview. “But it will take hard work to get there. You can’t just assume that because people belong to a group that they’re with you.”
The Case for Georgia Staying Conservative
Critics of the polls have claimed that despite being out of office for a while (Cleland) or never having held office (Nunn), both have high name recognition, the latter due to her famous father, former Sen. Sam Nunn.
The crowded GOP field could explain the weakness of the candidates against Nunn, who appears to be unopposed. “According to Peach Pundit, Karen Handel is ahead of Michelle Nunn. If the other polls show otherwise, I am not surprised. We need to narrow down the field and get serious quickly, not a long, drawn-out horse race like we had for governor. We cannot afford to lose that seat,” said Harris County Republican Party Vice Chair Claudette Boelter.
via Is Georgia Moving to the Political Center? – Yahoo! News.
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