The debate stage for Georgia's governor was one-sided Monday night as Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms stood across from an empty podium in Atlanta.
Bottoms, who is facing the Trump-backed Republican healthcare CEO Rick Jackson in November, fielded questions from journalists and made her pitch to voters as someone she said will always show up for Georgians.
"While I deeply believe in the hope that Georgia has to offer, I know that faith without work is dead. If we want a better Georgia, we have to fight for it. We can make Georgia more affordable, restore women's right to choose, protect our voting rights, protect our communities from data center growth, ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed and fight against the dangerous policies of Donald
Trump," Bottoms said in her opening remarks.
The two candidates faced off at the beginning of last week in a town hall-style debate with Atlanta News First, taking on topics from affordability to healthcare to Flock cameras to data centers.
Jackson had a clear message in the Oct. 6 debate: "Bad mayors don't make good governors." He attacked her record as mayor of Atlanta during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest following the death of George Floyd. He accused Bottoms of opening the door to more data center development in Atlanta, and for deciding not to seek a second term as mayor. He also said he would cut state income tax and expand technology access in healthcare.
Bottoms targeted Jackson for alleged financial stakes in data center companies and an oil company selling stock overseas while the United States deals with high gas prices. She said she would raise Georgia's minimum wage and expand access and funding to Medicaid.
But last night, her attacks were met with no rebuttal.
"Rick Jackson is a coward," Bottoms said in comments after the debate on Monday.
Bottoms makes connection between Jackson and Trump
Jackson has distanced himself from the Trump Administration in recent weeks, though he is expected to appear with the president during a visit to Dalton, Georgia at the end of the week.
Bottoms did not want voters to forget he used to say he would be "Trump's favorite governor" and "like Trump with a Southern tone."
"I have never been afraid to push back against the Trump Administration, especially when its policies have been detrimental to the people of Georgia," Bottoms said during the debate.
In follow up comments after the debate, Bottoms called Jackson's choice to appear with the president "really interesting."
"He's willing to go and stand with Donald Trump, but he is not willing to face the people of Georgia and answer unscripted questions... Trump has asked us to imagine that he is on the ballot, and I imagine that people are going to do just that when they start to early vote tomorrow."
Bottoms went on to say in the debate she is willing to sue the federal government when necessary, and that she would work to try and rebuild the programs and services that have been lost through cuts to federal funding.
Bottoms expands on women's rights to choose
In this debate, Bottoms also expanded on her opposition to the six-week abortion ban in Georgia, something that wasn't covered in the previous clash between candidates.
Bottoms used the question section of the debate to ask Jackson's empty podium about maternal deaths following the abortion ban.
"Rick Jackson has taken responsibility for the six-week abortion ban in this state, the same six-week abortion ban that has resulted in women who are experiencing miscarriages suffering needlessly. The same six-week abortion ban that has resulted in the deaths of women in this state. He's also agreed that you have to prove that you have been raped in order to access an abortion," Bottoms said in the debate. "If he were here, I would ask how do you prove that you have been raped in order to get an abortion? ... This six-week abortion ban has had catastrophic consequences in this state, and Rick Jackson take sole responsibility for it."
Jackson's campaign told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in September he supports the current "heartbeat bill" as it stands in Georgia, including the exceptions for rape, incest and saving the life of the mother.
Bottoms was asked about the specific case of Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old Atlanta woman who was kept in life support for months after she was declared brain dead for her fetus to continue to grow in her body, following the debate, and asked how women in her position could be helped in the state legistlature remains conservative.
"For women like Adriana Smith and so many other women across this state, we want to make sure that we are respecting women and that we are allowing doctors and giving doctors the respect and the authority to make decisions without interference of government," Bottoms said. She described meeting a doctor in Columbus who said he was worried he would go to jail if he provided care to a woman experiencing a miscarriage.
"Government needs to stay out of the exam room, plain and simple," Bottoms said. "And families like Adriana Smith's family shouldn't have to needlessly suffer because of laws that we have in this state."
Where can I watch Bottoms' solo debate?
Bottoms' full remarks can be found below, or on YouTube from the Atlanta Press Club.
Where was Rick Jackson?
Jackson made his intentions surrounding debates clear throughout the campaign, only ever committing to the single ANF debate last week.
On Monday, while Bottoms was preparing to take the stage in Atlanta, Jackson was traveling the state with Gov. Brian Kemp and his family to make a final pitch to voters before early voting began.
When asked about missing the debate, Jackson said it hadn't come up in conversations with Georgians.
"Out of probably 10,000 people I've talked to, not one of them mentioned anything about a debate. That's not important to the people," Jackson said. Kemp, who was standing next to him, also noted that he and his former opponent, Stacey Abrams, had also debated only once before the election.
Jackson made stops in Atlanta, Macon, Savannah, outside Augusta and Columbus on Monday in what he called the "Early Vote Fly Around."
When is the governor's election?
Early voting in Georgia starts on Tuesday, Oct. 13 and runs through Friday, Oct. 30.
Election day is on Tuesday, Nov. 3. If a runoff election is needed, it will be held on Dec. 1.
Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bottoms used empty stage to highlight key issues. Where was Jackson?
