Atlanta Press Club debates finish as early voting sees record turnout

The Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Public Broadcasting partnered to host primary election debates on Sunday through Tuesday this week.

The debates included candidates running for U.S. Senate, Governor, Secretary of State and other seats that Georgians began voting for on Monday.

Republican candidates vying for the chance to beat U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in his reelection campaign sparred on the debate stage on Sunday.

U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins were among the five candidates to participate, and they mainly focused on each other.

Carter spoke directly to Collins about an investigation against Collins over accusations of misusing congressional funds.

“Mike, if you’re our candidate, we lose,” he said. “You’re under federal investigation! I’m telling you, the Democrats will eat that up.”

Collins dismissed the accusations and turned the attention back to Carter.

“I find it ironic that a career politician is talking about ethics,” Collins said. “Your career has been littered with complaints.”

The other candidates present for the debate were John Coyne, Derek Dooley and Jonathan McColumn.

On Monday, candidates for governor on both sides of the aisle got the opportunity to debate in two separate debates.

Eight Republicans and seven Democrats largely focused on affordability.

“Georgians see what’s happening in Trump’s economy,” said Democrat Jason Esteves, a former state senator, in his opening statement. “Billionaires and special interests are lining their pockets while you pay the bill.”

If you missed the debates, you can watch them on the Atlanta Press Club’s YouTube channel.

Early voting

The first day of early voting saw record turnout for a midterm primary election, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

More than 35,000 Georgians cast their ballot in-person Monday, which is a 29% increase over the 2022 primary election. In 2018, only 9,266 Georgians voted on the first day of early voting for the primary election.

“This record-breaking turnout is proof that Georgians trust our election process,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “My office is in constant coordination with county election officials to ensure early voting continues to run smoothly.”