ATLANTA — The race for Georgia governor reaches a climax Tuesday when voters decide contests between two Democratic women striving to redefine their party’s philosophy and five GOP rivals dueling each other over their conservative chops.
Here is our guide to the people, events and trends that have helped shape the race for governor.
We'll have complete Election Day coverage from across the state on Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday
The Democratic race for governor has highlighted a tense scramble to win over black voters, who make up the biggest bloc of the party’s electorate. – Greg Bluestein, May 16
[ Big changes in Georgia politics at stake in Tuesday’s vote ]
Republicans are trying to outdo each other with aggressive promises on a blend of tried-and-true conservative issues, such as cutting taxes, cracking down on illegal immigration and expanding gun rights. And the Democratic contenders, for the first time in decades, are following a similar tack with a tack to the party’s base. – Greg Bluestein, May 20
[ In Georgia, Democratic primary hinges on appeal to black voters ]
[ Georgia Democrats turn left ahead of primaries. Can it work in a GOP-led state? ]
The gulf between the top Democrats and Republicans in Georgia is as wide as it has been in decades. – Greg Bluestein, May 13
[ Abrams banks on debt as advantage in final stretch of gov race ]
Rather than downplaying the fraught topic of her roughly $200,000 in debt, Stacey Abrams has been anything but quiet about her finances lately. – Greg Bluestein, May 10
[ Locked and loaded: Republicans race to right on guns ]
A few months after a mass shooting at a Florida high school reignited a nationwide debate over gun control, Georgia Republicans have aggressively moved in the opposite direction. – Greg Bluestein and James Salzer, May 7
[ Deal looms large over race to replace him as Georgia’s governor ]
The most liked figure in Georgia politics right now is not Donald Trump, Mike Pence, David Perdue or Barack Obama. It’s Gov. Nathan Deal. And his popularity is shaping the crowded race to succeed him. – Greg Bluestein, May 4
[ After Delta flap, some execs pony up to Georgia Democrats ]
In the days after Georgia Republicans exacted political revenge on Delta Air Lines, several high-profile business leaders and airline executives quietly threw their support behind one of the two Democrats running for governor. – Greg Bluestein, April 10
[ In Georgia, Democrats chart new course on gun control ]
Not so long ago, most leading Georgia Democrats cozied up to pro-gun groups. Not anymore. Now Georgia Democrats are embracing proposed firearms restrictions and openly warring with the gun lobby, a remarkably quick shift that upends the party’s decades-old political approach to the debate. – Greg Bluestein, March 22
[ Georgia GOP counting on tax overhaul to help during elections ]
Georgia Republicans plan to lean heavily on the recently passed tax overhaul as they hit the campaign trail this year to counter a surge of civic activism on the left and the headwinds that face a party in power in a tough political environment. – Tamar Hallerman and Greg Bluestein, March 18
Election-year politics threaten Georgia’s bid for Amazon
Georgia has pledged to roll out the welcome mat to Amazon in hopes of securing its second headquarters. The Legislature may not have received the message. – Greg Bluestein, March 2
[ 2018 election will weigh heavily on Georgia Legislature ]
Every Georgia legislative session is influenced by political machinations and maneuvering. But not every session features a bumper crop of open statewide races and a slew of newly competitive legislative seats up for grabs in an uncertain, combustible political environment. – Greg Bluestein, Dec. 28, 2017
[ A divide over the two Staceys has Georgia Democrats worried ]
Though the protest was but one moment in a brewing campaign, it instantly underscored racial tensions within the Democratic coalition, a tenuous alliance of a growing bloc of black voters and a dwindling number of whites. – Greg Bluestein, Aug. 25, 2017
[ How Trump is shaking up the governor's race ]
President Donald Trump is shaking up the emerging race for Georgia governor, forcing Republicans to gamble on how closely to tie themselves to his presidency – and speeding up plans for Democrats who think they have a tantalizing opportunity to exploit his setbacks. – Greg Bluestein, May 29, 2017
Information from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was used in this report