ATLANTA – The gulf between the top Democrats and Republicans in Georgia is as wide as it has been in decades.
Georgia Democrats are scuffling over how loudly they’ll fight for gun control, expand health care coverage and boost the HOPE scholarship. Republicans scrap over how aggressively they’ll push for looser gun restrictions, deeper tax cuts and new abortion restrictions.
No matter who emerges in the May 22 race, Democrats will nominate someone who pledges to adopt broad new firearm restrictions, oppose socially conservative legislation, pump tens of millions of dollars into a Medicaid expansion and take steps to decriminalize marijuana.
And a Republican victor is poised to push for looser gun laws, “religious liberty” legislation and tougher restrictions on immigrants who came to the country illegally.
Candidates always race to their base in primaries, but the maneuvering toward the flanks in this contest is far more pronounced than in other recent state elections. And it will make it more difficult for whoever emerges from the fray to dart back toward the center in November.