A Republican Georgia mayor won his fourth term Tuesday with the help of Democrats, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
"Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul never wanted his bid for a fourth term to become a political dogfight, telling voters that 'potholes don’t have parties,'" the AJC writes.
Paul, a former Georgia Republican Party chair, they say, "won with plenty of conservative muscle," but he had help from Democrats, too.
"He routed progressive challenger Dontaye Carter on Tuesday with help from both Republican heavyweights and key Democratic allies," they explain.
In fact, "Paul was quick to note that his lopsided victory wouldn’t have been possible without a surge of Democratic support," they write.
That support included an endorsement from state Rep. Esther Panitch (D-GA), who, the AJC explains, "helped blunt backing for Carter from Stacey Abrams and other Democratic figures."
Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia Legislature, says she backed Paul, along with other area Jewish leaders, because she says he has directly confronted antisemitism.
“In a lot of ways, this has been the toughest election. In some ways, it’s been easier because I was more relaxed in this election,” Paul said. “Because one way or another, this is my last one.”
But though Paul is a Republican, his win is no sign of Republican momentum, they write.
"After all, Democrats swept last month’s statewide Public Service Commission races by roughly 26 points. And in nearby Roswell, former Democratic state Rep. Mary Robichaux ousted Mayor Kurt Wilson despite his endorsements from Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee," they note.
But state GOP Chair Josh McKoon drew one conclusion from Paul's win.
“I’m very pleased that a former chairman of the Georgia GOP won over 70% of the vote in a city that everyone acknowledges is a very purple place,” he said.