Pardon Our Dust
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Even as the nation watched Georgia’s hotly contested 2018 gubernatorial race, many may have missed a more significant change — the biggest geographic realignment among Georgia voters in decades. McGuireWoods Consulting senior advisor Brad Alexander explored this historic development in his Dec. 6 article for The Hill.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Atlanta suburbs were strongly Republican, while the majority of rural counties leaned Democratic. “The election map reveals the decades-old status quo has been reversed, with Democrats making strong gains in the inner suburbs, and Republicans running up huge margins in the exurbs and rural counties,” Brad said.
He noted that the midterm election results for the state legislature show that, although Republicans maintain control, Democrats are gaining seats in both houses. “In every case, the changes occurred in the metro Atlanta suburbs, except for the two Republican seats gained near Athens,” he said. “Attempts by Democrats to contest rural seats were unsuccessful, and Republican attempts to flip seats in metro areas also failed.”
Pundits speculated that Democrats eventually will control a majority in Georgia, but Brad said this may not happen: “Republicans are certain to launch a project to revamp their electoral strategy, focusing on issues and candidates that can appeal to suburban voters. Additionally, the metro Atlanta area is by no means a sea of blue.”