ATLANTA (AP) — Brian Jack sought to host a debate Sunday among Republican candidates for an open Georgia congressional seat over his close ties to the former president. Donald Trumpwhile the other contenders ignored Trump’s support for Jack.
Five Republicans running for their party’s nomination in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District came together for a debate at the Atlanta Press Club. Besides Jack, who was Trump’s political director during his administration and worked for the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Kevin McCarthythey included former state senators Mike Crane and Mike Duganformer state representative. Philip Singleton and party activist Jim Bennett.
They are seeking to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, who withdraws. The district runs along the Alabama border from Carrollton to Columbus, and extends east into the Atlanta suburbs of Newnan and Peachtree City.
Jack repeatedly referenced his work in the Trump administration, promising that he would continue that work in Congress.
“To sell myself, I think I’m going to look at the record of accomplishments and successes that we’ve had and have achieved under this administration,” Jack said.
Others largely passed up the opportunity to attack Jack, although Crane suggested that it was McCarthy who was trying to anoint Jack, asking voters who should choose their representative.
“Do you want to take responsibility for this vote or do you want to let Washington, D.C., insiders do what they have done for the past few cycles, which is choose the next representative for the 3rd District? ” » asked Crane.
But attacks on Jack, the fundraising leader in the race, have remained mostly silent. Crane, Bennett and Singleton took more conservative positions, each saying they would join the Freedom Caucus if elected.
Singleton was often at odds with GOP leadership during his tenure in the State House, attacking the leadership of then-Speaker David Ralston, with leading Republicans subsequently luring Singleton to a majority-Democratic district. Singleton, however, said he was “not an opposition guy.”
“You go out and you fight for the principles that you believe in and stand for,” Singleton said. “I’m not someone who fights against people. I fight for good policy.
When asked whether human embryos should have the same rights as humans, Jack echoed Trump’s position that restrictions on reproductive rights should be left to the states. Dugan said he voted for Georgia current restrictions on abortion, which prohibit abortions after detection of fetal cardiac activity. This is usually after about six weeks, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.
But Dugan said restriction of in vitro fertilization was “a deeper question,” without clearly saying how he would vote.
The other three, on the other hand, expressed no doubt about the implementation of a legal norm that could lead to a total ban on abortion in Georgia and a ban on in vitro fertilization as it is currently practiced.
“I’m against recreational abortion,” Bennett said. “I believe that life exists from the moment…
