Georgia, a historically Republican state that has flipped to the Democratic Party due to the close race between former President Trump and Vice President Harris, is once again moving to the forefront of the election. Polls in the “Peach State” show the two candidates in a “neck and neck” race.
Experts say Trump’s comments could tip the balance in the state. Georgia was seen as a reliably Republican state going into the 2020 presidential election, as it has been for more than four decades. But not only did Trump lose, Republicans also suffered two Senate losses in the state, giving them control of the Senate.
“It’s a close race in Georgia,” presidential historian Tevi Troy, a former deputy secretary of Health and Human Services under George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital. “In 2020, we were operating under the assumption that Georgia was Republican territory because it had been a Republican stronghold for a long time, but not only did Trump lose, he suffered two Senate losses right after the January election that determined control of the Senate.”
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage with his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, during a campaign rally at the Georgia State University Convention Center in Atlanta on August 3, 2024. (Joe Raedl/Staff)
“I think part of the loss is down to what Trump did during that time, so I think he has to be careful with what he says and how he approaches Georgia, because if he alienates it in a close state, there could be consequences,” he said.
Georgia’s electorate is a mix of traditional rural voters who have historically backed the Republican Party and a newer, more affluent, educated electorate who often lean Democratic, especially in the Atlanta suburbs.
Troy also noted that black voters make up a significant portion of the electorate that has traditionally leaned heavily Democratic. Recent signs suggest that Trump is doing moderately well among black voters, particularly black men, and reducing the Democratic advantage among this demographic could have an impact on overall voting trends, he added.
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Vice President Kamala Harris attends a campaign rally in Atlanta on July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Erick Erickson, a Georgia-based radio host and former city council member for Macron, told Fox News Digital that more than 30,000 people in Georgia refused to vote for Trump in 2020, and Trump lost by about 12,000 votes.
“All he’s doing is reminding people why they hate him,” Erickson said. “And now he has no ground power in Georgia and has to rely on Kemp. This is going to hurt him.”
But old tensions between Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, and the former president resurfaced at Trump’s rally in Atlanta over the weekend, with Trump criticizing Kemp for refusing to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The governor responded by suggesting Trump should focus on winning the November election and refrain from “petty personal insults, attacks on Republicans and dwelling on the past.”
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Vice President Harris and former President Trump (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images/Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, Ms Harris also headlined a rally in Atlanta last week, speaking to about 10,000 people – the largest for a Democratic national candidate this season – and featuring a performance from hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion.
Fox News Digital’s Landion Mion and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
