Greene to Take U.S. House Race, Supports QAnon
Forest Redd digs deeper into Greene's campaign and asks northern Georgia citizens how they feel about seeing Greene posed with a gun.
By Roxanne Cortner
Sept. 29, 2020
Marjorie Greene is running unopposed in the U.S. House race in the 2020 election, but QAnon could impact her campaign.
Marjorie Greene is the Republican candidate running to represent Georgia in the U.S. House. She is open about her association with the conspiracy theorist group QAnon, a viral pro-Trump group that is associated with the spread of conspiracy theories containing false information. The group has been linked to anti-vaccine movements and their controversial comments about Black Lives Matter movements and COVID-19.
Greene’s previous opponent, Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal, dropped from the race after announcing he would be leaving Georgia, which would disqualify him from the race later on.
The seat in the 14th congressional district has historically been deep rooted red, or republican. Many believe that a democrat could not win that seat; however, some are skeptical about Greene’s representation.
“I don't think she cares what GA stands for, I think she cares about what her conspiracies stand for,” republican Dillion Marcy said. “I don’t think she’ll represent Georgia well.”
Gwinnett Daily Post reported Greene won the congressional primaries in June by 40%. Trump has even endorsed Greene by calling her a “future Republican Star.”
However, with Greene running unopposed and found to have made racist and Islamophobic comments in the past (according to Business Insider ), some voters are concerned about what they should do if they do not support her beliefs.
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“Those who were on the fence can either vote for Marjorie or not vote, which impacts those who view voting as using their voice,” Emily Agadzhanova, a democrat studying political science at Georgia Tech, said.
Greene’s association with QAnon may not have been what got her to be the sole candidate running to represent her district. Dr. Patrick Novotny, a Georgia Southern professor with a Ph.D. in Political Science, believes that voters may not have guessed what they were getting into.
“Maybe even the majority of the people that voted for her may not have known they would be electing someone who is going to go and champion this group and their belief system,” Novotny said.
QAnon has sparked uproar with theories about 9/11 and child sex-trafficking with democratic involvement. QAnon was deemed a phenomenon that has grasped a lot of attention in 2020 and the election.
Greene as a U.S. House representative: What that means for Georgia
By Roxanne Cortner
Georgia has become a toss up state in the 2020 election. Many younger voters are said to vote democrat rather than republican which could push Georgia to flip blue.
Democrats in the senate and presidential races are leading in the polls, and Greene is a republican looking to win the House in November.
“Greene winning will be huge for the republican party in keeping Georgia red and having more conservatives in D.C.,” Democrat Emily Agadzhanova said.
Agadzhanova also says that Greene winning the election will help advance republican beliefs in D.C. such as the pro-life movements and building the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Novotny believes that in 2022, more republicans and even democrats will be running to oppose Greene’s reelection.
“I don’t see an upside for Georgia,” Dr. Patrick Novotny said.
While Marcy is a republican, he also believes republicans will be ready to vote Greene out of her seat in the 2022 election.
Novonty agrees that they’re a phenomenon and said he’s confused as to how people can brush their behavior aside so easily.
QAnon is known for its controversial topics, and Greene’s vocal support for the organization might make her a controversial candidate.