DeKalb is one of the few counties in Georgia that actually feature a couple of competitive races this year for state legislative seats.
Most state House and state Senate contests in the county — like elsewhere in Georgia — aren’t competitive at all. State lawmakers did too good a job gerrymandering their own districts so that challengers would find it nearly impossible to unseat them.
But there are challengers who stand a chance in two North DeKalb House districts that fall along a jagged boundary of aging suburbs — inside or straddling the Perimeter — where demographics are changing quickly enough to give Democrats a chance to win Republican seats.
One of the vulnerable incumbents is Rep. Jill Chambers of District 81 (Chamblee and Doraville), the only Republican incumbent in a district that voted for John Kerry in 2004.
Chambers faces additional hurdles this time: She’s been the focus of attacks by the Dunwoody Crier newspaper for her stance against Dunwoody cityhood; a DeKalb man told police earlier this month that she confronted him at his home after he filed an ethics complaint against her (the complaint accuses Chambers of violating campaign finance rules by accepting more money than allowed from a business on whose behalf she later introduced beneficial legislation); and her opponent, Chris Huttman, is an experienced Democratic activist.
We appreciate the fact that Chambers has been among the most independent Republican voices in the General Assembly. Her willingness to buck GOP orthodoxy on issues ranging from education to transportation to Dunwoody cityhood has been refreshingly practical.
But her behavior at times has been erratic and high-handed. Earlier this month, Huttman — a bright young blogger who’s articulate on the issues — was the subject of a shamefully misleading flier from her campaign. It’s the kind of nasty politicking that all voters should be wary of, regardless of their ideology.
It also makes sense for the middle-class, aging suburbs that make up the 81st District to elect a candidate from a party that will represent middle-class interests. Huttman fits the bill.
In the neighboring District 80 (which runs from Druid Hills to Brookhaven), formerly Democratic Rep. Mike Jacobs has an unfair advantage in his first re-election campaign as a Republican.
Challenger Michelle Conlon, a solar energy consultant, has been forced to run as an independent instead of as a Democrat. That happened because Republican Secretary of State Karen Handel refused to reopen campaign qualifying for Democrats after another Democratic candidate was disqualified for residency reasons. Appearing on the ballot as an independent is almost certain to harm Conlon’s chances, even though she has Democratic Party support and promises to caucus with the Democrats in the House.
Jacobs has been a diligent representative. He knows the district, stays in touch with civic groups and works hard on constituent service. But his switch to the GOP, after winning re-election under the Democratic banner, was troublingly opportunistic — particularly because it was accompanied by craven support for such harmful ideas as House Speaker Bill Glenn Richardson’s irresponsible tax plan.
Residents of this highly educated district deserve a more thoughtful voice on the big issues that confront the Legislature. We side with Conlon in her uphill battle.
For more posts from CL’s 2008 Voters’ Guide click here. Come back next week to download our Voter’s Cheat Sheet.
