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Georgia is our 8th largest state. With nearly 11 million people, it has two Senators and 14 Members of Congress.
US Senate – a pivotal race for the country
Political Note #379 Incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock vs Businessman and Former University of Georgia football player Herschel Walker
Governor – another pivotal race for the country
Political Note #432 Former State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams vs Republican incumbent Brian Kemp or, conceivably, former Senator David Perdue.
Down Ballot – More pivotal races for the country. (You could get dizzy pivoting.)
Attorney General: Political Note #441 State Senator Jen Jordan vs Republican incumbent Chris Carr
Secretary of State: Political Note #409 State Representative Bee Nguyen vs Republican incumbent Brad Raffensperger or, conceivably, the Trump endorsed former Congressman Jody Hice.
US House of Representatives – There is only one competitive race in this heavily gerrymandered state
GA 02 Political Note #455 Incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop vs one of six Republicans running for the nomination in this D+4 toss-up district.
032022 Political Note #455 Sanford Bishop GA 02
2022 General Election
Thirty years ago, Sanford Bishop https://sanfordbishop.com had an opportunity and he took it. Georgia’s Congressional districts had been reconfigured. A majority Black district had been created in rural, southwest Georgia. Completing his first term as a state Rep, Sanford Bishop announced for Congress. He came in second in the first round of the primary and suggested the white incumbent, who had come in first in the primary, was corrupt. The incumbent had bounced hundreds of checks in the scandal that arose because Members of Congress were allowed to write checks against the House bank without concern about overdrawing their account. The incumbent had written the fifth highest number of checks and had left his account overdrawn for just under three years – the longest of any member of Congress. Sanford Bishop won the primary run off and defeated the Republican in the general election.
After 1992, Sanford Bishop had two close calls.
In 1996, Sanford Bishop faced the consequences of a US Supreme Court decision. The Court ruled that packing Blacks into districts avoided making other districts competitive. That packing violated the equal protection clause of the constitution. Georgia’s districts were redrawn and the new GA 02 became 60% majority white. Sanford Bishop won anyway with 54% of the vote.
In 2010, when Democrats were defeated all over the country, but especially in the South, Sanford Bishopsurvived. He survived because he was personable, according to one constituent quoted in the New York Times. “He just knows how to talk to people, to stop his car and shake every hand in a small town,” Another constituent quoted by the Times, had a blunter explanation. In this district which then had a slight white plurality of 49%, a white resident of the district, a retired economics teacher and a Republican said Sanford Bishop got his vote out — “It was blacks. That’s how he won,”
Sanford Bishop has been a conservative Democrat from the time he was elected. He has been a member of the conservative Blue Dog Caucus. He describes himself as a “leader among the fiscally responsible Democrats in Congress.” He says he “promotes the values and morals of southwest Georgians – God, country, work, family, and guns.” He sees himself as working toward a balanced federal budget. He supports some areas of federal generosity – particularly support of veterans. In Congress, he has chaired the agricultural subcommittee of the appropriations committee. In that role, he has been able to provide support for peanut farmers in his district – preserving federal price supports for their crop.
Sanford Bishop has been subject to criticisms not unlike those levelled at the Georgia 02 incumbent who he defeated to start his career. He was criticized for awarding Congressional Black Caucus scholarships to family members. He defended himself explaining that those awards were made prior to the CBC prohibiting awards to family members. He repaid the scholarship awards personally. He defended ignoring claims of fraud in a program intended to compensate Black farmers for discrimination. He said he ignored the claims to preserve the program itself. Most recently, the Office of Congressional Ethics reported that he used campaign funds for personal expenses. The House Ethics Committee began an investigation which is not yet concluded.
Sanford Bishop came to Congress and has been sustained in Congress by his affiliation with middle class institutions – white and Black. Born in Mobile, Alabama, he grew up in scouting and became an Eagle Scout. As an adult, he was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and became a member of the Scout’s Order of the Arrow. In Mobile, his father was President of a community college eventually named Bishop State Community College.
Sanford Bishop left home for Atlanta – getting his Bachelor’s Degree from Historically Black Morehouse College where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Later, he became a life-long member. His law degree was from the Atlanta’s Ivy Leagueish Emory University. He completed his military service and continued on as a sole practitioner in Columbus, Georgia. Among the fraternal organizations he joined and remained a member of were the Shriners and the Masons.
Sanford Bishop has not raised much for this campaign. He had just under $400,000 available to start the year. He and we will not know who his eventual opponent will be. Two Republicans each began the year with less than he had. Each had more than $100,000. If the Republicans see a chance to win in Georgia 02, they will spend plenty of money to defeat him. He has already beenb chosen as a target. What was a D+6 leaning district before redistricting is now leaning D+4 according to the 538 Website. Even if Sanford Bishop is complacent about his prospects, we should not be. Democrats cannot afford to lose a single seat. Help ensure that Sanford Bishop https://sanfordbishop.com has the resources he needs to defend himself. Make a donation.
Response to an inquiry
One of my readers asked who she should give money to and how to make the donations. In the relative chaos of squeezing a little work in while on vacation, I lost her email asking me those questions. She mentioned Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams in the note, so I will respond regarding governors and gubernatorial candidates. If she sees this or someone else wants to ask other questions, feel free to write to me.
I suggest you give money to the individual candidates at their campaign website.
Five Incumbent Governors for whom donations are urgent:
Laura Kelly Kansas https://www.laurakellyforkansas.com Kansas is showing hints of becoming a purple state. Reelecting a Democratic governor would be a big deal.
Janet Mills Maine https://janetmills.com Maine is showing signs of become a blue state. Janet Mills is opposed by a former governor who claims to have been Donald Trump before there was a Donald Trump.
Gretchen Whitmer Michigan https://gretchenwhitmer.com Gretchen Whitmer has done an extraordinary job in a state where the previous Republican administration was irresponsible.
Steve Sisolak Nevada https://stevesisolak.com Steve Sisolak has been a moderate Democrat in combat with extremist Republicans
Tony Evers Wisconsin https://tonyevers.com Tony Evers appears to be a mild-mannered former Superintendent of Public Instruction. However, he has been effective taking on Wisconsin Republicans who want to sustain their gerrymandered state legislature
Four gubernatorial candidates for whom donations are urgent:
Katie Hobbs Arizona https://www.katiehobbs.org Katie Hobbs is the former State Secretary of State. Her election is particularly important in a state which is very close to having a Democratic legislature.
Stacey Abrams Georgia https://staceyabrams.com Stacey Abrams is a Renaissance person – capable of turning out novels, founding and running a business, and raising astonishing amounts of money for a campaign. A graduate of Yale Law School and the former State House Minority leader, she has earned a national reputation. This time, she will need to raise more money than ever to win the election.
Josh Shapiro Pennsylvania https://joshshapiro.org Pennsylvania is like other gerrymandered states. A Democratic governor stops extreme state legislation. His election is important for Pennsylvania and the nation.
Beto O’Rourke Texas https://betoorourke.com Beto O’Rourke has been working to turn the country’s second largest state purple. The first step in that task is to elect a Democratic Governor.
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