A perpetually expanding sprawl encircles Atlanta, the capital of Georgia and arguably all of the South. Newcomers from all over have powered its rapid growth, lured by a sense of promise and possibility.
Because of the demographic shifts in these rapidly diversifying suburbs, Georgia recently emerged as a battleground state, after years of Republican dominance. And even though President Biden won the state in 2020, his prospects this year in Georgia were dim.
Then Vice President Kamala Harris stepped up, and the energy shifted. Voters who struggled to feel enthusiastic about Mr. Biden were now excited and optimistic. The new dynamics may serve as the biggest test yet of Georgia’s status as a swing state.
Over several weeks, we spoke to voters scattered across the constellation of suburban counties that make up the footprint of Metro Atlanta, finding a range of opinions as diverse as the area itself.
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Blake McClellan
Blake McClellan
Melinda Hicks
Melinda Hicks
Blake McClellan
Blake McClellan
Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale
Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale
Blake McClellan
Blake McClellan
Yesenia Mohammad
Yesenia Mohammad
Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale
Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale
October Zahou
October Zahou
Yesenia Mohammad
Yesenia Mohammad
Bruce Leonard
Bruce Leonard
Melinda Hicks
Melinda Hicks
Yolanda Alvarado Sanchez
Yolanda Alvarado Sanchez
Blake McClellan
Blake McClellan
October Zahou
October Zahou
Yesenia Mohammad
Yesenia Mohammad
Bruce Leonard
Bruce Leonard
October Zahou
October Zahou
“When I tell people, ‘Where are you from?
“When I tell people, ‘Where are you from?
Oh, I’m from Atlanta.’
Oh, I’m from Atlanta.’
But most people are living on the — what we
But most people are living on the — what we
call the outside perimeter of the road that goes around
call the outside perimeter of the road that goes around
the city, in the suburbs.”
the city, in the suburbs.”
“The suburbs have changed
“The suburbs have changed
with just explosive growth.”
with just explosive growth.”
“I call it my little cookie-cutter suburbia
“I call it my little cookie-cutter suburbia
bubble here,
bubble here,
and I love it.
and I love it.
We feel safe.”
We feel safe.”
“Atlanta really is about inclusivity.
“Atlanta really is about inclusivity.
We’re really progressive.”
We’re really progressive.”
“Sadly enough, I haven’t been to Atlanta since Covid.
“Sadly enough, I haven’t been to Atlanta since Covid.
The crime has gotten out of control.”
The crime has gotten out of control.”
“I see a lot of people moving here
“I see a lot of people moving here
from a lot of different places,
from a lot of different places,
some very liberal places like California and New York.
some very liberal places like California and New York.
I think it’s changing the demographics and why we’re
I think it’s changing the demographics and why we’re
turning purple.”
turning purple.”
“I’ve always been a Democrat.”
“I’ve always been a Democrat.”
“I have a Trump bumper sticker on my car.”
“I have a Trump bumper sticker on my car.”
“I lean right on some issues,
“I lean right on some issues,
left on some other issues.”
left on some other issues.”
“I would say I’m politically marooned.”
“I would say I’m politically marooned.”
“Most of my neighbors are Republican.
“Most of my neighbors are Republican.
It’s lonely.”
It’s lonely.”
“I get my news from —
“I get my news from —
that’s a good question.”
that’s a good question.”
“I get my news mainly from social media.”
“I get my news mainly from social media.”
“I tend to do X as my medium for news.”
“I tend to do X as my medium for news.”
“I watch Newsmax.”
“I watch Newsmax.”
“Joe Rogan.”
“Joe Rogan.”
“Typically NPR.”
“Typically NPR.”
“You can’t really have
“You can’t really have
a conversation where there’s two sets of facts.”
a conversation where there’s two sets of facts.”
“I wish we were getting the same facts.”
“I wish we were getting the same facts.”
The prevailing issues echoed those expressed by voters virtually everywhere: the cost of living. Security at the southern border. Access to abortion.
But voting rights, election integrity and the health of the country’s institutions mattered here, as well. That was a direct result of 2020.
