A chicken farmer from North Georgia, a constitutional lawyer and a Vietnamese immigrant all meet at a party. What do they have in common?
In this case, they’re all the same person, Ethan Pham … and Ethan’s running for the Democrat nomination to oppose Rob Woodall in the Georgia 7th. His first test is the Democratic primary on May 20.
I’ve been reading and hearing about the exceptional new Dem candidates that are running hard in this cycle. There can never be an effective 50 state strategy until there are high quality candidates in every district.
Ethan more than fills the bill.
First, it’s important to understand the GA-7 and why Dems should care about it. After the heartbreak of Jon Ossoff in GA=6 (right next door), folks around here had to regroup. Now, GA-6 is again in play. But the GA-7 should have even better Dem fundamentals.
GA-7 is arguably the most diverse district in Georgia and one of the most diverse in the country. In 2016, the Republican, Rob Woodall, won re-election by 20%, but the district went for Hillary. She was the first Dem presidential candidate to win it in decades. More important, its demographic diversity is impressive and encouraging for Dem chances:
The geography is also encouraging. In the north, the white population is well-to-do, mostly suburban, and highly educated. We know that growing numbers of white, educated Republicans are rethinking, if not to flip, then at least to maybe stay home in November.
In the middle and south, the minority population is … well, diverse. If you know Atlanta, it includes a long swath of Asian small businesses up Buford Highway, plus high concentrations of Asian, Hispanic and African American suburbs. The other fringes are still pretty red.
If a Dem candidate can reassure the educated white voters up north, yet simultaneously mobilize the minorities in the Atlanta suburbs to come out and vote over gun safety, economic fairness and immigration, this district should be a gimme.
It won’t be that easy, of course. But the fundamentals are there. As further evidence, 9 candidates filed papers for the Democratic primary. Ethan is a top, solid contender, but it will be competitive.
Which brings me to the candidate.
When I met him, a few adjectives sprung to mind. Whip-smart. Articulate. Principled. Empathetic. Passionate. Organized. Professional. Energized. … not a bad set of traits! Plus, he can talk about chicken prices, Supreme Court rulings and immigrant small business. For all I know, he might be able to weave them all into one sentence.
Most of the people at our fundraiser were meeting Ethan for the first time. They left convinced that he is the real deal. Most will support him in the primary and all will pull for him in the general.
If ever there was a great fit between a candidate and the structure of a district, it seems to me that this might be it.