Democrats Disavow Controversial Candidate in Atlanta Suburbs
In a heated congressional race within the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Democrats find themselves in a precarious position during the final days of the campaign. They are issuing an urgent call to voters: do not cast your ballot for the candidate officially listed as their nominee, Katy L. Stamper.
Stamper, a lawyer by profession, has positioned herself as a more appealing alternative to the Republican incumbent, arguing that he does not align closely enough with conservative values. However, her platform has raised eyebrows and caused significant concern among Democratic leaders. Referring to herself as an āindependent candidate running on the Democratic ticket,ā Stamper’s campaign is fraught with contradictions that sharply diverge from traditional Democratic ideals.
Her proposals include the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, whom she has provocatively labeled as āinvading ungrateful hordes.ā Additionally, she has expressed a desire to repeal the right to same-sex marriage, a stance that runs counter to the party’s long-standing advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. While she does support providing free therapy for transgender individuals, she justifies this by suggesting that it is essential for helping them cope with what she terms āmental injuries,ā asserting that “we should help them deal with their mental injuries without pretending reality is other than it is.”
As a result of these alarming positions, Democratic leaders have been scrambling to distance themselves from Stamper, launching a grassroots write-in campaign to rally support for an alternative candidate who better represents the partyās values. Enter Tracey Verhoeven, a relatively new face in Georgia’s political landscape, who has stepped up as the candidate that Democrats can rally behind.
Verhoeven’s campaign, which took off in August, has adopted the domain TheRealDemocrat.com for its official website, signaling a clear distinction from Stamper. In a bid to inform voters, yard signs have recently been printed ā some even cautioning against a āFake Democrat.ā Volunteers have been actively distributing cards that guide voters on how to write in Verhoeven’s name on the ballot.
āWhat she did was not right,ā Verhoeven remarked about Stamper, while sitting at a local brewery and barbecue restaurant in Woodstock, Ga., which has become her campaign’s informal headquarters. āI want to rectify this situation and ensure that voters have a true Democratic option.ā