Republicans targeted Fani Willis. It did not work. – Capital B News

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Sheriff Patrick Labat are just two of the metro Atlanta area incumbents who won a landslide victory Tuesday night in an election marred by political scandals.

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath also dominated her Democratic primary opponents. Superior Court Clerk Ché Alexander defeated former Atlanta City Council member Keisha Sean Waites by a margin of nearly 20 points.

Overall, the victories showed the power of the powers that be in local politics, according to Stephanie Ali, political director of the New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan voter engagement group.

Ali said name recognition and voter familiarity make it difficult for challengers to defeat incumbents, even if they have been involved in high-profile scandals.

“Being an incumbent will always have a huge impact in low-turnout elections like a primary,” Ali said. “Being elected is generally an important indicator of victory in these primaries. »

Unofficial vote totals show Willis received 87 percent of the votes cast in the Fulton County district attorney’s race against Christian Wise Smith, despite an alleged corruption scandal involving his former subordinate Nathan Wade.

Local black leaders, including Bishop Reginald Jackson, rallied support for Willis after she was targeted by Republicans seeking to oust her over her racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and his allies.

Willis is one of only two local prosecutors in the country with unprecedented criminal cases pending against Trump. In November, she will recruit Courtney Kramer, a Republican lawyer and former Trump intern at the White House.

Fulton County has a predominantly Democratic electorate, but Willis said she is not taking the general election race lightly.

“The campaign does not end tonight. It starts tonight,” Willis said at an election night event in Buckhead.

Labat also brought baggage to last night’s primary in the form of a rash of inmate deaths in unsanitary conditions inside the Rice Street jail.

He still received more than 54 percent of the votes cast in the race for Fulton County sheriff, despite criticism of additional deaths and violence in the county jail. Challenger Joyce Farmer led the rest of the field, coming in a distant second with more than 22% of the vote.

Fulton County voters, like Adamsville resident Alden Hughley, told Capital B Atlanta they don’t blame Labat for jail conditions and issues of inmate abuse that he failed to address. resolve so far.

“He inherited the problem that’s happening now,” Hughley said of Labat early Tuesday night after voting for him at the CT Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center. “It is high time to build a new facility to house prisoners. »

Broady breaks down

Willis’ endorsement may have helped her subordinate, Assistant Fulton County Prosecutor Sonya Allen, defeat Cobb County Prosecutor Flynn Broady Jr. in the evening’s most notable loss.

Allen and Broady are black. Allen received nearly 55 percent of the votes cast in his matchup with Broady, who four years ago became the first Democrat in decades to win the Cobb County district attorney’s race.

Berry wins key West Atlanta primary

Georgia House District 56 candidate Bryce Berry was in a party mood Tuesday night after scoring an unofficial landslide victory in the Democratic primary in a remarkable race in west Atlanta.

Support from notable Democratic Party allies Billy Mitchell, who chairs the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, and outgoing Democratic House Minority Leader James Beverly appear to have helped Berry, who is only 22, secure more than 54 percent of the votes cast in the race with 100 % of reporting districts, based on unofficial vote totals.

Her closest rival was Adelina Merello, who received around 20% of the vote.

Berry is now set to take on GOP incumbent Meisha Mainor in a general election race he is favored to win in November. Political insiders consider District 56 and its 47 percent black voters to be one of the most progressive jurisdictions in Georgia. No Republican has ever won an election there, according to Mitchell.

A tearful Berry celebrated his victory with family and friends at Prime on Peachtree restaurant in Midtown.

“I’m incredibly honored and humbled,” Berry told Capital B Atlanta by phone. “I thank the residents of this district for voting for me.”

Ali noted that Berry was just one of many young men of color who triumphed in primary races that were supposed to be more competitive and possibly lead to a runoff election.

Community organizer Gabriel Sanchez was one of the few challengers who successfully upset an incumbent Tuesday night, defeating state Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna, by an unofficial 23-point margin in a District 42 Democratic primary matchup.

“These are young men who worked hard and really defied the predictions that they wouldn’t outright win their races,” Ali said. “It’s a very good sign that young men of color can win races through hard work.”