Jason Carter is Out for Governor in 2018

Just days after state Rep. Stacey Evans announced she would be running in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, another major Georgia Democrat has announced his 2018 plans. Jason Carter, the 2014 Democratic nominee, will not be pursuing another run. According to the AJC, Carter is planning on spending more time running the Carter Center and being a father.

Without Carter, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, or former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates running, it looks like the Democratic primary will be a battle between Evans and House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams. Carter is not endorsing either right now. Look for the Democratic primary to be a fight over how Democrats will present themselves to Georgia voters in the general election. Will they try to appeal to moderate suburban whites who could be convinced to dump Trump? Or will they focus on turning out their more diverse base and hope that Trump keeps many traditional Republican voters home? Look for the Abrams-Evans struggle to bring out the fracture in the Georgia Democrats.