In tight race for Georgia governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms has been massively outspent but is still confident
The GOP candidate Rick Jackson is a healthcare executive and billionaire.
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candidate → outspent → governor
In battleground Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms faces a massive cash disadvantage in the race to replace term-limited Brian Kemp as governor.
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Bottoms → face → governor
"My opponent has put over $100 million of his own money in this race.
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opponent → put → race
And this race is still tied," Bottoms said in an interview with ABC News' Linsey Davis that aired Thursday.
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that → tie → Davis
I've said repeatedly over the course of this campaign: he has the money, but the people still have the power," Bottoms added.
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Bottoms → say → power
A poll released Tuesday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows this year's governor's race statistically tied, with 46% of likely voters supporting Jackson, and 45% saying they're backing Bottoms.
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they → release → Bottoms
Georgia hasn't elected a Democrat for governor since 1998.
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Georgia → elect → 1998
Jackson declined ABC News' request for an interview.
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Jackson → decline → interview
In a statement, Jackson campaign spokesperson Garrison Douglas said: "As Rick travels across the state, engaging with voters directly and answering their questions, our campaign has been running an historic ground game operation alongside our media strategy."
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campaign → say → strategy
The statement added: "Rick Jackson is not letting up, refusing to be outworked by anyone, and is committed to sharing his story and vision with Georgians every day."
Suspending the grocery tax
Bottoms spoke about her plans to address affordability, which she says she "didn't need a polling source to tell me."
In addition to suspending taxes on items like diapers and feminine hygiene products and funding an affordable housing trust fund for the state, Bottoms detailed a "grocery tax relief plan.
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Bottoms → add → plan
"It would give local governments the ability to suspend or end the grocery tax, because they are collected by local governments," Bottoms said.
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Bottoms → give → governments
Bottoms also said that as governor, she would stand up against the Trump administration's Immigrations and Customs Enforcement policies and cuts to federal agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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she → say → Control
'I completed the four-year term that I was elected to serve'
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I → complete → that
Many of the attacks on Bottoms from her political opponents stem from her time as mayor of Atlanta.
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Many → stem → Atlanta
Bottoms chose not to run for reelection in 2021 after a tumultuous first term in which she faced criticism over her handling of COVID-19 and city crime.
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she → choose → COVID-19
"Keisha Lance Bottoms had her chance to lead.
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Bottoms → have → chance
The results were disastrous," Jackson said at a rally with President Trump in Dalton, Georgia last week.
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Jackson → say → Dalton
"Bad mayors don't make good governors," Jackson told the crowd.
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Jackson → make → crowd
Bottoms places the blame for a rise in crime rates on the pandemic.
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Bottoms → place → pandemic
"Just before things shut down -- which, we didn't shut down very long in Georgia -- I was touting a reduction in crime in our city," Bottoms told ABC.
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Bottoms → shut → ABC
"Then there was the pandemic, and then the governor made the decision to reopen Georgia ...
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governor → be → Georgia
So, our numbers went up, and we started seeing the trend before many other cities saw it."
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cities → go → it
According to data analysis from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, violent crime increased by 59% in Atlanta from 2019 to 2020, compared to an increase of 33% in other cities during that time period.
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crime → accord → period
Bottoms also responded to criticism she's received for not seeking reelection during the difficult time for the city.
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she → respond → city
"I completed the four-year term that I was elected to serve," Bottoms said, calling the decision not to run again in 2021 "deeply personal."
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Bottoms → complete → 2021
And I was experiencing a number of health issues I'd never talked about publicly," said Bottoms.
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Bottoms → experience → issues
"If I go to bed like my daddy did and I don't wake up, where do I want to spend these four years?
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I → go → years
And for me, it was wanting to be the best version of myself for my family.
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it → want → family
So that's very different than quitting," she added.
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she → quit → ?
Would be the 1st Black woman governor in US
If elected in November, Bottoms would become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history.
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Bottoms → elect → history
She would also be the first woman and the first Black person elected governor in Georgia.
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She → elect → Georgia
"My family goes back at least five generations in Georgia...
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family → go → Georgia
I'm a descendant of slaves on both sides," Bottoms said, calling the potential milestone "much more personal" for her.
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Bottoms → say → her
The Aporia
