ATLANTA (AP) - A proposed change to Georgia election law to require party primaries before certain special elections has been amended so it wouldn't take effect until 2021, assuring a special U.S. Senate election this year won't be affected if it passes.
That's good news for recently appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who is running to defend her seat in a free-for-all special election on Nov. 3.
House Bill 757 was approved by the state House Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday. It could soon go to the full House for a vote.
FILE- In this Jan. 6, 2020 file photo, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., smiles before a re-enactment of her swearing-in, by Vice President Mike Pence on Capitol Hill in Washington. Both Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Rep. Doug Collins were in the audience as Trump spoke for more than an hour at the White House, where the 2020 election rivals were among a number of GOP lawmakers the president thanked by name for supporting him throughout his impeachment that ended with his acquittal Wednesday by the Senate. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
Under current law, Loeffler's race won't be filtered by party primaries and all candidates will share the ballot in November. A previous version of the bill would have applied to the race, requiring party primaries in May. That setup could have helped Republican Rep. Doug Collins, who is challenging Loeffler for the seat, by shortening the time Loeffler has to build a record to run on.
The effective date was added after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who appointed Loeffler to the Senate, threatened to veto the proposal.
Rep. Shaw Blackmon, a Republican from Bonaire that chairs that committee, said the effective date of Jan. 1, 2021 was added at the request of House members and that the Senate race was a consideration.
The bill was also amended so that the party primary requirements would apply to special elections for state House and Senate seats in certain circumstances.
Ryan Germany, general counsel for the Georgia Secretary of State, said applying those provisions to General Assembly races would require more elections to be held and that counties would be responsible for the costs. Germany also said it would add "a significant amount of time from qualifying to filling a seat."