Georgia Dems pick former AG candidate Bailey to lead party back to win column

Charlie Bailey a former attorney general and lieutenant governor candidate was elected as chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia Saturday replacing Atlanta U S Rep Nikema Williams Bailey becomes the Democratic Party of Georgia s first full-time chair as the party intensifies its efforts to fundraise and campaign for candidates and reenergize a base after setbacks following the historic elections for U S Sens Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff President Donald Trump s return to the White House looms large as Georgia Democrats look ahead which fueled questions about the role of party leadership in winning close elections Trump s narrow Georgia win played a key role in his return to the White House this year In Saturday s runoff referendum to lead Georgia Democrats Bailey won of the votes with a margin of votes to votes over Wendy Davis a former Rome city commissioner and candidate for the U S House of Representatives Bailey was the Democratic nominee for attorney general in and lieutenant governor in Several top elected Democrats endorsed Bailey including Ossoff and U S Rep Lucy McBath a Marietta Democrat who delivered Bailey s nomination speech on Saturday The new chair reported he plans to hit the ground running by raising money for key races this year and in next year s referendum when Ossoff will be on the ballot He ll also need to focus on races for state legislative and statewide constitutional seats including governor Bailey will need to unite progressive and more moderate wings of Georgia s Democratic base to get the party back in the win column I only ask to be judged on my heart and on my work and I think my work as a lawyer and in politics shows I ve got a heart for democratic values Bailey explained following the balloting We re going to endorsement all of our people and get as various Democrats elected across the state as humanly realizable During his campaign for party chair Bailey has cited his experience as an attorney who represented local representatives seeking to stop last-minute rule changes made by the State Electoral contest Board that might have prevented the certification of the presidential poll Bailey finished first among a field of party chair candidates that also included Gwinnett County state Sen Nabilah Islam Parkes former Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Nakita Hemingway of Atlanta a former Democratic nominee for Agricultural commissioner and District chairman Jay Jones from coastal Georgia who finished third in Saturday s voting Bailey announced that the state Democratic Party will have to win over voters by following the party s long-held ideals for improving wellbeing care guidance and the financial market inequality Bailey declared Georgia s Republican Party is failing residents because of the closure of rural hospitals after the state GOP s leadership resistance to full Medicaid expansion and lagging community school ratings That is what they have given us the people of Georgia Bailey disclosed Democrats independents Republicans they got full cause to be angry about that and we re going to make sure that they know what the Republicans have done the choices they make and what we stand for McBath explained Bailey is the right person to lead the party because he knows the ins and outs of politics while also being able to raise the millions of dollars needed for campaigning I m not going to mince words about what s happening in D C right now McBath commented Our democracy is truly on the line and it s time that Georgians stand up It s time that we say enough is enough The post Georgia Dems pick former AG candidate Bailey to lead party back to win column appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta