On Nov. 3, Peach State voters gathered at the polls to cast their ballots in what would turn out to give several victories to the Democratic Socialists of America.
The DSA backed two winning candidates in Georgia: Mathewos Samson, who ran for House District 58, and incumbent Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, who ran for reelection to House District 42.
Samson beat his Republican opponent Torrey Balam in a landslide. Roughly 92% of voters backed Samson, while only about 8% of voters backed Balam, according to the secretary of state’s website. Samson garnered 22,038 votes, while Balam received nearly 1,900 votes.
While Samson’s campaign website listed various priorities, some of the most progressive include abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reversing legislation that protects the unborn, and ensuring that “gender affirming care is treated as health care.”
Similarly, Sanchez also won in a landslide, defeating Republican Andre Stafford 75% to 26%, or 16,612 votes to 5,772 votes. [SOURCE]
Sanchez also ran on various progressive proposals, such as getting rid of drug screenings for employment purposes, taxing the rich, and granting driver’s licenses for each person “regardless of immigration status.”
His campaign website also states that he wants to “protect gender expression and discussion of queer issues” in schools.
Do Georgians Support DSA Objectives?
The DSA urged voters to either support or reject six measures that aligned with their platform. Out of the six, the DSA seemed to achieve victory with four out of the six measures.
The Fulton Local Option Sales Tax for Educational Purposes is a 1-cent tax that funds school buildings and equipment in the county’s schools, as well as in Atlanta Public Schools. In total, the measure would gain $1.3 billion for Fulton County Schools, and nearly $790 million for Atlanta Public Schools.
The DSA recommended that Fulton County voters support the measure, and voters overwhelmingly did. According to Ballotpedia, voters backed the measure 68.45% to 31.55%. Roughly 300,000 supported the measure, while nearly 140,000 rejected it.
The next measure on the ballot was Fulton County’s Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, also known as TSPLOST. This tax takes $0.75 from every dollar to invest in transportation projects across the county, but not in Atlanta, as it already has its own transportation tax. Voters supported the measure, but by a very slim margin of nearly 4,000 votes. DSA also supported this measure.
The DSA also closely watched the City of Sandy Springs Redevelopment Powers measure, which would allow for the city to create redevelopment areas, tax allocation districts, and distribute bonds “backed by them.”
In this case, the party urged voters to reject the measure, but only 37% of voters did. About 62% of county residents approved it, and the measure passed 26,222 to 15,698.
For DeKalb County, the DSA recommended voters back the DeKalb County Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or ESPLOST. Similar to Fulton County’s educational sales tax, this tax would renew the 1-cent tax to fund school buildings and equipment in the county’s district, as well as City Schools of Decatur, and the DeKalb portion of Atlanta Public Schools.
Residents of DeKalb County greatly supported the measure. Roughly 81%, or 234,000 voters, backed the measure, while nearly 19%, or 55,000, opposed the measure.
Next on the ballot was the Gwinnett County School Homestead Exemption. DSA activists encouraged voters to support this measure that would give the $2,000 school tax exemption to each Gwinnett and Buford County school employee, and veterans who are disabled. It passed by a 75%-25% margin.
Lastly, the urged voters to reject the Henry County Floating Local Option Sales Tax, or FLOST. This 1-cent tax would be used to decrease property taxes in the county and in cities that participate.
Voters overwhelmingly supported the measure, with roughly 61% or 65,830 voters, supporting it, and nearly 39% rejecting it.
Neither Samson nor Sanchez returned the Daily Signal’s request for comment.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
