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Georgia Governor's Race Draws National Attention as Obama Endorses Keisha Lance Bottoms
Former President Barack Obama's endorsement of Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia's gubernatorial race has brought renewed national attention to one of the state's closely watched political contests. In recent coverage by Newsweek, the endorsement was examined alongside polling showing a competitive race between Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson. Among the experts providing perspective was William Hatcher, PhD, chair and professor of social sciences at Augusta University, who discussed the differences between polling results and election forecasting models. Hatcher's analysis highlights the importance of understanding what polls can reveal about voter preferences, how forecasting models interpret available information and why election outcomes remain uncertain. Augusta's experts are regulars – when it comes to national media. Hatcher's inclusion in Newsweek reinforces the role university experts can play in helping national media audiences understand the political forces shaping important elections. William Hatcher, chair and professor of social sciences at Augusta University, told Newsweek the race is a “statistical tie” based on limited polling, but noted there have not been many high quality surveys so far. “The few polls that have been conducted show a statistical tie, as noted, but often do have Jackson with a small lead. On the other hand, the predictive models are showing that Bottoms may have a slight edge,” he said. Oct. 8 – Newsweek With Georgia voters preparing for the Nov. 3 election, Hatcher can help journalists explore polling, voter turnout, political endorsements and the broader implications of the state's gubernatorial contest. If you're interested in speaking with Dr. William Hatcher about Georgia politics, the governor's race, election polling and public policy, simply click on his profile to arrange an interview today.
