Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms attacked her Republican opponent, Rick Jackson, on data centers, fuel costs and abortion when he skipped what would have been their final debate Monday night.
Bottoms used Jackson's absence from the Atlanta Press Club event to claim her opponent believed that women who are victims of rape should have to prove it before they can qualify for an exemption from Georgia's ban on abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically six weeks into pregnancy.
Bottoms used the portion of the debate when candidates are allowed to ask each other questions to say, "If he were here, I would ask, how do you prove that you have been raped in order to get an abortion?"
Bottoms alleged that the wealthy entrepreneur was flying
on his private jet "rather than having to answer to the people of Georgia about this irresponsible position."
Bottoms apparently was referring to a June news report about an audio recording of Jackson at a campaign stop.
An attendee reportedly asked Jackson, who supports Georgia's anti-abortion law, about the law's exception for rape, according to a report about the recording by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Jackson reportedly responded, "You've still got life."
Jackson had indicated weeks ago that he would not participate in this latest installment of the long-running debate series, which was intended to give Georgia Public Broadcasting viewers a chance to watch nearly every statewide candidate think on their feet.
The only other candidate to decline an invitation was Fitz Johnson, the Republican running to unseat Democrat Peter Hubbard from the Public Service Commission.
Bottoms pledged to look for willing Republicans to help Democrats overturn Georgia's six-week abortion ban, though she said she hoped that "whole ballot energy" would result in her party taking control of the General Assembly.
Bottoms also attacked Jackson over his investments in the data center and oil refinery sectors.
This article is available through a partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Association's nonprofit, tax-exempt Educational Foundation.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Bottoms targets Jackson over abortion debate absence
