<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/georgia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Georgia</a> gubernatorial candidates Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson participated in a town hall-style debate on Tuesday night, addressing topics such as their connections to President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/data-centers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">data centers</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/elections/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">election security</a> in Georgia.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This debate was the only one both candidates will attend before the election on November 3.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Throughout the debate, the candidates presented their positions, with some topics prompting more vigorous exchanges.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trump-loyalty">Trump Loyalty</h2>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bottoms, the former mayor of <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/atlanta/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Atlanta</a>, characterized Jackson as closely aligned with Trump in her opening remarks. She stated her intention to protect Georgia from what she described as the harmful policies of Trump, contrasting her vision with Jackson's. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“What we do in this moment will echo through history,” she stated. “So let’s choose hope over fear, progress over division, and come together to build a better Georgia for everyone. While my opponent is running to enrich himself and be Trump’s favorite governor, I want to be yours, Georgia.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jackson did not respond directly to Bottoms’s opening remarks but later in the debate, Bottoms accused him of being “Trump with a Southern tone.” She asserted her commitment to standing up to Trump when necessary and suggested that Jackson was aligned with Trump on many issues.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jackson, in response, emphasized his independence from Trump, stating, “I don’t owe anybody anything. Nobody’s ever told me what to do. My No. 1 priority is Georgians. It’s you, and I will stand up to anybody, just like Brian Kemp has done.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-election-security">Election Security</h2>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The debate also addressed election security, a significant topic given Georgia's prominence in Trump’s claims of election fraud. Trump has indicated plans to send 1,000 election monitors from the Department of Justice to the polls during the midterm elections.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A Georgia voter asked both candidates for their views on Trump’s election security plans. Bottoms expressed her deep concerns regarding Trump’s rhetoric about elections.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jackson acknowledged voter concerns about election security but supported Governor Brian Kemp’s (R-GA) efforts to ensure that voting is accessible and secure.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The discussion intensified when Bottoms claimed that Jackson intended to deploy tougher enforcement than the DOJ monitors. She referenced Jackson’s earlier comments about possibly involving the National Guard during the election.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jackson clarified, “I’ve never suggested that we have the National Guard to come in on this election. Period. That’s just a complete falsehood,” asserting his goal to unify Georgia.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bottoms countered, “He said that the National Guard would be called in. You all can pull the tape on that.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-centers">Data Centers</h2>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The candidates also debated data center policies, with Bottoms alleging that Jackson could not be trusted on the issue due to his investments in controversial data centers. She called for a moratorium on new data centers, claiming Jackson was behind a project in Bowie, Texas, that faced community opposition.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jackson disputed these claims, stating that he approved data centers while serving as mayor of Atlanta only if they met community approval and environmental standards. He asserted, “I haven’t invested in four data centers. I don’t own a data center, but what has happened under the mayor? The mayor has approved three data centers in Atlanta, no restrictions, and gave away $400 million of tax benefits.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bottoms acknowledged a data center was built at Georgia Tech but noted it was part of a larger initiative.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The race to succeed term-limited Kemp is currently rated as a “toss-up” by Cook Political Report, with recent polls indicating Jackson holds a slight lead over Bottoms, making it essential to sway undecided voters ahead of the election.</p>