With Election Day about 10 days away, Georgia’s governor’s race is coming down to voter turnout, as Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican nominee Rick Jackson campaign across the state.
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Bottoms met with community leaders at the Latin American Association along Buford Highway in metro Atlanta on Thursday, making a push to connect with Latino voters. Jackson, meanwhile, was campaigning in Valdosta as he works to turn out Republican supporters in Middle and South Georgia.
The latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll cited by the campaigns showed the candidates essentially tied, with 8% of voters still undecided.
Bottoms said Latino voters could play an important role in the election, pointing to the community’s significance in a close statewide race.
“A candidate will not win in the state without the support of the Hispanic communities,” Bottoms said. “Very important community, would be a huge and significant factor in this year’s election.”
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The outreach comes as polling cited in the report suggests Republican support among Latino voters has eroded following the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and enforcement operations.
Jackson has been campaigning in rural parts of Georgia, including Rabun County on Wednesday, where he urged supporters to get out and vote.
“I want your vote. I want you to get other people out,” Jackson told supporters. “That’s what I’m worried about, what Derek Dooley said is our people showing up.”
Jackson is not expected to attend President Donald Trump’s rally in Perry on Saturday. Instead, he plans to campaign in metro Atlanta’s suburbs to encourage his supporters to vote.
Bottoms also emphasized the importance of turnout, noting that the poll showed the candidates within the margin of error.
“This is going to be a turnout game,” Bottoms said. “We know that the AJC poll had us tied, essentially within the margin of error. So we know it’s going to be about who can turn out people to vote.”
Trump is scheduled to visit South Georgia on Saturday to rally Republican voters ahead of Election Day.
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