An attack ad aimed at social media influencer Lindsay DeFranco, a candidate for Georgia House District 47, has sparked a social media backlash from the Democrat.
House District 47, which covers portions of Milton, Roswell, and Alpharetta, has become a race to watch due to out-of-state cash that has flooded in from all over the country in support of DeFranco. The Democrat is facing off against Jack Miller, her Republican challenger, in an attempt to flip the seat.
The ad, which DeFranco includes in the opening segment of her social media response video, states that the Democrat is “buying [the] state House seat with the help of California donors and a progressive social media army.” It adds that DeFranco supports “explicit books in schools, reduced jail time for criminals and rioters, and higher property taxes.”
The ad was produced by A Strong Georgia Inc., a Georgia-based political organization that supports candidates aligned with its conservative policy platform.
Its reference to explicit books stems from DeFranco’s testimony against Senate Bill 74, in which she wanted to ensure that librarians weren’t “criminalized” for explicit or inappropriate materials. The bill, as written, seeks to hold librarians accountable for distributing “harmful materials to minors.”
As for “buying” the seat, according to the Georgia State Ethics Commission website, her campaign has received $53,259 in out-of-state contributions and $28,065 in in-state contributions. Another $85,205—nearly half of her total campaign cash—is from anonymous donors.
In her response video, DeFranco admitted that she has “funding from across the nation but raised the most money from people in Georgia.” She also took aim at Miller, saying he’s “barely out of college and [his] campaign has benefited from hundreds of thousands of dollars in dark-money spending.”
Miller told the Daily Signal that her claim about “dark-money spending” is false.
“I have never accepted a dollar of ‘dark money,’ and I never will. My campaign is funded by Georgians, and my contributions are publicly disclosed,” he said in an email.
As for out-of-state funding and undisclosed sources, Miller said, “More than 80% of her funding comes from out-of-state donors and unknown sources.”
In her video, DeFranco took another jab at Miller, saying, “Jack Miller has pledged to defund our public schools.”
Miller said that’s also false. “I have never pledged to defund public schools—that is a complete and total lie,” he told the Daily Signal.
“I am a product of our public schools and desire for our public schools to remain strong. My opponent takes issue with the fact that I trust parents to know what is best for their children and to make decisions about their future and their education, rather than government bureaucrats and politicians in Atlanta.”
The two candidates also have a dispute over not having met in a debate forum, with DeFranco claiming that Miller “refused to debate.”
Miller denies that claim. “As we informed my opponent earlier in the campaign cycle, I welcome the opportunity to debate in a format that is open to the public and put on by an impartial organization,” he said.
He added that campaign finance is a more serious concern.
“Only one candidate in this race is under active investigation by the State Ethics Commission for numerous violations regarding their campaign donations, and it isn’t me,” he said.
The district is currently represented by state Rep. Jan Jones, a Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives who has served as speaker pro tempore since 2010. She has held the district seat since 2013 but announced in February she would not seek reelection.
DeFranco did not return the Daily Signal’s request for comment.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
