The Trump era has changed the politics of local elections in Georgia, a pivotal 2024 battleground

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — As she accepted an endorsement from a group called Veterans for Trump, Stacy Skinner spoke about how she got into politics because Democrats “were starting to infiltrate on the local level.” Former President Donald Trump and other national Republicans often warn of takeovers by China or people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. “People have a right to know who they’re voting for,” said Betsy Kramer, a Republican Party volunteer who is backing Skinner in Johns Creek, which is about 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta in Fulton County. “I’m concerned that if Democrats start taking over north Fulton, the whole area is going to change dramatically.” The suburbs of Georgia’s largest city once anchored the state’s Republican establishment. She associated Georgia’s capital city with “crime” and “riffraff,” similar to how Trump once disparaged Atlanta as “crime infested” and “falling apart.” Atlanta’s population is 48% Black and 41% white. I’m not trying to keep anybody out.” In nearby Roswell, City Council candidate Jason Miller said the “high-density” debate has yielded a perceived battle between “two slates.” Miller, who moved to Roswell from Atlanta with his husband, is among the candidates who does not want to give developers free rein on residential high-density projects.