Judy: The results from Georgia's
primary elections yesterday are
the most high-profile rebuke of
former president Donald Trump's
chosen candidates so far this
season.
Two Republican incumbents, who
both stood up for the 2020
election results, survived
primary challenges.
Georgia's secretary of state
Brad raffensperger, whom the
former president once pleaded
with to help find the votes to
overturn the 2020 results, won
his race.
And governor Brian Kemp easily
beat former senator David
perdue with more than
70% of the vote.
>> Even in the middle of a tough
primary, conservatives across
our state did not listen to the
noise.
They did not get distracted.
They knew our record of fighting
and winning for hardworking
Georgians.
Judy: Governor Kemp will face
Democrat Stacey Abrams in
November, a rematch from four
years ago.
But yesterday wasn't all bad
news for the former president.
His pick for the U.S. Senate a"
former NFL player Herschel
walker easily won the
nomination.
And controversial congresswoman
Marjorie Taylor Greene won the
backing of 70% of Republicans in
her district.
Stephen fowler is here for a
closer look.
Welcome back.
We see that some of former
president trump's indoor seas
did well, others did not.
What does this say to you if you
put it all together about his
influence among Georgia voters
and also the strength of the big
lie that he actually won and Joe
Biden did not in 2020?
Stephen: I think there is a
ceiling on just how far focusing
on false claims about the 2020
election can get you as a
Republican candidate.
We saw that with David perdue
struggling and Jody hi
struggling in the secretary of
state's race.
The reason trumps candidates
lost as well had two popular
incumbents that have a long
record with Georgia voters, that
have a long conservative record.
For example, Brian Kemp flexed
the power of his office in
recent years to cut taxes for
people and to pay teachers more
and state employees more and to
enact conservative policies
around abortion and voting
rights and firearms.
And really did not give Georgia
voters, the Republicans, much
reason to go with somebody else.
Same with secretary of state rad
raffensperger who touted
Georgia's turn out to say that
he is the one who should be in
charge.
Judy: When it comes to belief
and the big lie, does -- do
these results give you a sense
of how firm a hold that view has
on many, on Republican voters in
Georgia?
Stephen: I think the message
Republican voters are sending is
that it is time to move on and
that there is a future for the
Republican party, not the past,
and the resounding margins for
camp and raffensperger show most
voters are looking ahead and not
focused on the past, and that
trumps sway does not necessarily
carry as much weight as it used
to.
Judy: We are including in that a
look at Herschel walker.
He did not have the significant
opposition that the others did.
Let me ask you about Marjorie
Taylor Greene, congresswoman,
controversial.
What about her race?
Stephen: Marjorie Taylor Greene
is exactly what the voters in
that district want in a
representative.
She also now has the power of
incumbency and time in office
and many of the people running
against her ran as an opposition
to Marjorie Taylor Greene, and
that is just something the
voters did not want.
She is very controversial, but
she is very representative of
trump's policies.
Obviously trump-endorsed or.
She is very close to the former
president.
.
And for the people of northwest
Georgia, one of the most
conservative districts in the
country, that is who they want
representing them in the halls
of congress.
Judy: A look ahead to the fall,
to November.
What does it look like for Brian
Kemp facing a rematch with
Stacey Abrams?
Stephen: Brian Kemp won by
55,000 votes in 2018.
George's politics have become
even more of a hardened
battleground since then.
Both sides are expecting a
really tough race.
Kemp is riding this wave of
incumbency where he had a
decisive victory at a time where
people were saying he may be he
will face a runoff.
It is going to be tight, it is
going to be expensive, and it is
going to be a nationally watched
election.
Judy: And the senate race, tight
as well?
Stephen: Absolutely.
Rafael Warnock is the Democrat
who won in the 20 special
election, one of the most
vulnerable incumbents in the
ballot.
Herschel walker has a lot of
celebrity power in Georgia that
trump's endorsement probably
would not matter because
Georgians love him so much and
know him so much from his
football past.
Walker has a past where there
are questions about domestic
violence allegations and
overstated resumes.
This too will be a deciding race
for Georgia, but also
potentially for the U.S. Senate
and who controls it.
Judy: All eyes on the peach
state now and for the months to
come.
Thank you very much.
Stephen: Thank you.