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Georgia Stays Red

Democrats did not manage to turn Georgia blue.

By , a global affairs journalist and the author of The Influence of Soros and Bad Jews.
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If you take the midnight train to Georgia, you’ll still be going to a red state.

If you take the midnight train to Georgia, you’ll still be going to a red state.

The state tossed its 16 electoral votes behind Republican Donald Trump — and kept Sen. Johnny Isakson working in Washington.

As Foreign Policy reported back in October, Isakson, the chair of the Senate committees on veterans issues and lawmakers’ ethics, is known for his hawkish stance in matters of defense. His positions weren’t shared by Trump, whom he nevertheless consistently supported. Democrats hoped they might turn Georgia blue by courting women, black, and Hispanic voters.

Millionaire challenger Jim Barksdale, however, turned out not to be the man to help with that particular plan. After losing many a campaign staffer just weeks before the voters went to cast their ballots, the Democratic Senate hopeful lost the race, and, with the presidential election, Georgia remained red.

Photo credit: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Emily Tamkin is a global affairs journalist and the author of The Influence of Soros and Bad Jews. Twitter: @emilyctamkin

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