Republican Party primaries in Georgia, 2018

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Republican Party primaries, 2018
Georgia Republican Party.jpg
Primary Date
May 22, 2018
Federal elections
Republican primaries for U.S. House
State elections
Republican primaries for Georgia legislature
Republican primary for governor
Republican primary for lieutenant governor
Republican primary for attorney general
Republican primary for secretary of state
State party
Republican Party of Georgia
State political party revenue


Lieutenant Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp were the top vote-getters in the May 22 Republican gubernatorial primary. Because neither received more than 50 percent of the vote, they faced off in a July 24 runoff. The runoff winner faced former state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D) in the general election. State legislators Geoff Duncan and David Shafer also competed in a primary runoff for lieutenant governor on July 24.

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[2][3]

Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey.[4] Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common.[5][6][7] A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.[8]

This page focuses on the Republican primaries that took place in Georgia on May 22, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.

Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

Federal elections

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Georgia (May 22, 2018 Republican primaries)
The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Georgia took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected 14 candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's 14 congressional districts. To see a full list of candidates in the Republican primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 2

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 3

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 4

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 5

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 6

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 7

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 8

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 9

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 10

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 11

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 12

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 13

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 14

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

State elections

Georgia Party Control: 1992-2024
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Gubernatorial election

See also: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary) and Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (July 24 Republican primary runoff)
See also: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)
Note: Hayes and Urbach withdrew from the race, but still appeared on the primary ballot.

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

Lieutenant gubernatorial election

See also: Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary) and Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (July 24 Republican primary runoff)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Attorney general election

See also: Georgia Attorney General election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Secretary of state election

See also: Georgia Secretary of State election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

State legislative elections

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Georgia state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.

To determine the Georgia state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

  1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
  2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
  3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.


House battlegrounds

House District 6

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

State Rep. Matt Gurtler, who was elected to represent a district in rural north Georgia in 2016, was challenged by Mickey Cummings, a local farmers market manager. House Republican leaders, including Speaker David Ralston, supported Cummings. They were angry with Gurtler for voting against the party’s agenda, including the 2017 budget. Gurtler said he was an independent voice who stood up for smaller government.[9]

House District 48

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

State Rep. Betty Price, married to former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price (R), faced former Roswell Mayor Jere Wood in a battle for her suburban Atlanta district. Personality more than policy separated the two as Wood said Price was difficult to work with and had not built relationships at the state capitol. Price said her sponsorship of successful property tax caps in metro Atlanta counties showed her effectiveness. Wood also said some additional revenue could be needed to pay for transit in the district. Price said keeping tax low was her main priority. [10]

State party overview

See also: Republican Party of Georgia
Georgia Republican Party.jpg


State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Republican Party of Georgia's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Republican Party of Georgia revenue, 2011 to 2016[11][12]
Year Federal account State account(s) Total
2011 $553,013.08 $2,439,489.55 $2,992,502.63
2012 $1,024,543.91 $3,383,502.36 $4,408,046.27
2013 $292,609.76 $1,927,110.55 $2,219,720.31
2014 $2,931,139.36 $6,658,217.66 $9,589,357.02
2015 $461,290.74 $1,211,449.79 $1,672,740.53
2016 $2,286,308.00 $4,732,728.62 $7,019,036.62

Georgia compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Georgia was one of three states to hold a primary election on May 22, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Georgia utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[13][14][15][16]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Georgia, polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[17]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Georgia, one must be a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of his or her county. The voter must be at least 17.5 years of age at the time of registration and 18 at the time of the election.[18]

Registration must be completed at least 28 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed online, in person, or by mail.[18]

Automatic registration

In Georgia, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they conduct transactions at the Department of Driver Services. This automatic registration program began in 2016.[19][20]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Georgia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Georgia does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Georgia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

A Georgia state law, passed in 2009, required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, as of March 2019, the law had not been implemented.[21][22][23]

In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states would need to create a separate registration system for state elections in order to require proof of citizenship.[23]

Verifying your registration

The site My Voter Page, run by the Georgia Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Georgia requires voters to present photo identification while voting in person or by mail/absentee.[24]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Georgia Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“
  • Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
  • A Georgia driver's license, even if expired
  • Student ID from a Georgia public College or University[25]
  • Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state
  • Valid U.S. passport ID
  • Valid U.S. military photo ID containing a photograph of the voter
  • Valid tribal photo ID containing a photograph of the voter

[24][26]

”

Voters can obtain a free voter ID card from any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office. Click here for more information on obtaining a free voter ID card in Georgia.

Early voting

Georgia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.


Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Georgia. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. The ballot application deadline is 11 days before Election Day. A completed ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[27][28]


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 159 Georgia counties—3.14 percent—are pivot counties. These are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 pivot counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Baker County, Georgia 8.68% 0.57% 1.07%
Dooly County, Georgia 2.05% 6.98% 3.53%
Peach County, Georgia 2.91% 7.48% 6.75%
Quitman County, Georgia 10.92% 9.04% 7.90%
Twiggs County, Georgia 1.58% 8.64% 6.97%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Georgia with 50.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 45.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Georgia voted Democratic 63.33 percent of the time and Republican 36.67 percent of the time. Georgia voted Republican in every presidential election from 2000 to 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Georgia. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[29][30]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 64 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 45.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 74 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 42.3 points. Clinton won 14 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 116 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.6 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 106 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


See also

Federal primaries in Georgia State primaries in Georgia Georgia state party apparatus Georgia voter information
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Flag of Georgia.png
Seal of Georgia.png
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Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The registration deadline was extended to October 16, 2018, in Clay, Grady, Randolph, and Turner counties by executive order of Gov. Nathan Deal in response to Hurricane Michael.
  2. ↑ ‘’National Review’’, “Trump Is Not Blameless in the Spending-Bill Disaster,” March 28, 2018
  3. ↑ The New York Times, "A New Guide to the Republican Herd," August 26, 2012
  4. ↑ Gallup, "Trump Job Approval Slips Back to 41%," June 25, 2018
  5. ↑ Daily Commercial, "Trump hurdle looms large in Florida GOP governor primary," July 30, 2018
  6. ↑ Daily Commercial, "These 2018 Primaries Are Worth Watching," July 25, 2018
  7. ↑ Washington Post, "Republican primary candidates have one goal: Securing Trump’s endorsement or denying it to an opponent," July 25, 2018
  8. ↑ USA Today, "Donald Trump once divided Republicans; ads for midterms signal that's no longer true," May 17, 2018
  9. ↑ Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Georgia Republicans try to oust one of their own from House," May 4, 2018
  10. ↑ Atlanta Journal Constitution, "State Rep. Betty Price fighting GOP challenge for Roswell House seat," April 25, 2018
  11. ↑ Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, "Campaign Reports—Name Search," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Georgia Republican Party, Inc. and Democratic Party of Georgia)
  12. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Georgia Republican Party and Georgia Federal Elections Committee)
  13. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
  14. ↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
  15. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
  16. ↑ Paulding County Georgia, "Early Voting (Election Office ONLY) for the Presidential Preference Primary/Special Election," accessed October 25, 2019
  17. ↑ State of Georgia, "Vote in Person on Election Day," accessed April 12, 2023
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "How-to-Guide: Registering to Vote," accessed April 12, 2023
  19. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Automatic Voter Registration Surges After Web Fix," May 24, 2022
  20. ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Automatic registration leads to surge of new Georgia voters," April 29, 2019
  21. ↑ Justia U.S. Law, "Georgia Code, Section 21-2-216," accessed October 6, 2019
  22. ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," accessed October 6, 2019
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Pew Trusts, "'Proof of Citizenship' Voting Laws May Surge Under Trump," November 16, 2017
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Identification Requirements," accessed April 23, 2023
  25. ↑ This includes colleges, universities, and technical colleges.
  26. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  27. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Voting Information," accessed December 18, 2013
  28. ↑ Georgia General Assembly, "SB 202," accessed March 26, 2021
  29. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  30. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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Party primaries by state, 2018
Republican primaries, 2018
Democratic primaries, 2018
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