In recent years, Republicans have made a point of nominating nonwhite candidates who embody Trump’s ultraconservative and illiberal ideals — with limited success. This tactic faced a key test in a state legislative race in Georgia, and it came up massively short.
CJ Pearson, a Black, 21-year-old, Trump-loving social media influencer viewed as key to the GOP’s effort to win over young voters, suffered a convincing special election defeat to Columbia County Commissioner Gary Richardson on Tuesday in Georgia’s 125th district. The state legislative race occurred because the Republican who formerly sat in that seat, state Rep. Barry Fleming, was appointed as a superior court judge. The race was to finish Fleming’s term, which ends this year.
On Tuesday night, Gabriel Sterling, a top official from Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office, congratulated Richardson on winning by a “wide margin,” posting a screenshot of polling data showing Richardson win with about 60% of the vote to Pearson’s nearly 40%.
The election was essentially a battle between two warring factions in the GOP.
Richardson had been endorsed by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who’s largely viewed in the conservative movement as a Trump foil for his refusal to help the former president overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential results.
Pearson staked his campaign on his proximity to Trump, and his purported ability — as a young, Black conservative — to enrage liberals.
Pearson, who garnered social media attention around a decade ago for his posts attacking then-President Barack Obama, had been backed by Trump-loving Republicans like Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and failed presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. (He also touted a pseudo-endorsement from Elon Musk via social media, although the conspiratorial mogul never actually endorsed Pearson). And Pearson staked his campaign on his proximity to Trump, and his purported ability — as a young, Black conservative — to enrage liberals.
Posting a picture of himself with Trump during the former president’s recent visit to Georgia, Pearson sounded pretty confident heading into Tuesday’s race.
“Just met with President Trump here in Georgia and let him know that in just three days, the youngest black legislator in America will be a MAGA Republican!” he said. “Just imagine how mad that’s going to make the Left.”
Just met with President Trump here in Georgia and let him know that in just three days, the youngest black legislator in America will be a MAGA Republican! Just imagine how mad that’s going to make the Left. It looks like CJ Pearson serving in the Georgia Legislature will remain fodder for MAGA fantasies for now, although Pearson has filed paperwork to run for the seat again in the May primary. Predictably, Pearson concluded his recent race in true, Trumpian fashion: by playing the victim and complaining about internal forces in the GOP — namely Kemp — stifling him. And pro-Pearson social media accounts known to spread disinformation have lobbed conspiratorial claims in an attempt to discredit his loss. The disappointment is understandable, to a degree. The MAGA movement’s hopes of portraying itself (however dubiously) as inviting to young, nonwhite people took another blow with Pearson’s defeat. And with that defeat, we can also see how Trump has set an example for candidates who, like Pearson, are made in his image: run deeply flawed campaigns and, when voters respond accordingly, deflect blame.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog. Recommended
Georgia HD-125 – President Trump and I need your votes on March 12th!… pic.twitter.com/pgl44EQvPF
