Georgia Supreme Court justices face challengers in May 19 election

Two left-leaning attorneys have decided to challenge two sitting Georgia Supreme Court justices in the upcoming elections.

Former state Sen. Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin announced their campaigns in Liberty Plaza last week across from the state Capitol.

Jordan is challenging Presiding Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren while Rankin will go up against Justice Charlie Bethel. Both justices were appointed in 2018 by former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal and reelected for a six-year term in 2020, according to the Georgia Recorder.

“I’m not just going to sit down and do nothing because someone has to stand up for Georgia’s civil liberties that are being stripped away,” Rankin said.

Rankin is the former president of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and works as a trial lawyer. Jordan was the Democratic Party’s nominee for Georgia attorney general in 2022 and lost against acting Attorney General Chris Carr.

“Our Georgia Supreme Court must be our last line of defense against near-constant attacks on Georgians’ basic constitutional rights, from voting rights to reproductive freedom — and this court majority is failing to meet the moment,” said Jordan.

The two candidates will face their opponents in the nonpartisan election on May 19.

Dr. Barbara Joy Jones-Parks, who advocates for reproductive and voting rights, spoke at the announcement endorsing for Miracle Rankin.

“Most folks assume judges will just be appointed and that elections are rare – which is true but when the opportunity to be vote for such an important position comes up – WE HAVE TO VOTE on May 19th,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

 

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