'Downtown': How the 'key' to the White House can live in a suburban Georgia county

Marietta, Ga. – 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. While Washington, D.C. may be within its borders, the key to unlocking your front door may be in the suburbs outside of Atlanta, local authorities say.

“It’s not just state, it’s federal,” Essence Johnson, chairman of the Cobb County Democratic Party, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Cobb County is the hub. It is the bellwether for Georgia, but also at the federal level. … That’s why Cobb County is so important.”

Cobb County Republican Party Chairman Saleh Grubbs told Fox News Digital that his district is “very important in this election.”

“I think Cobb County is important,” he said. “I fight with people all the time about whether Cobb is blue or red and stuff like that. And the fact is we have the highest number of Republican voters in the state for our population.”

Georgia GOP chairman shares two-pronged campaign strategy as Trump works to win swing state

Fox News Digital spoke to Atlanta voters about who they think will win in the swing state between former President Trump and Vice President Harris. (Getty Images)

The traditionally Republican state of Georgia flipped when then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden won the state in 2020. A victory by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., cemented its status as a swing state in the 2022 midterm elections.

Statewide, Biden defeated then-President Trump by less than 1%. In Cobb County, which includes parts of suburban Atlanta and is anchored by the city of Marietta, Biden's margin of victory was about 15%.

Asked how Democrats' base game in Cobb County has changed now as they seek to control Georgia rather than turn it around, Johnson said the key is to be “intentional” in outreach and “meet people where they are.”

He also indicated that abortion is an important issue for Democrats this election cycle, but noted that it could still be an uphill battle for Harris to get certain groups, such as black men and white women, to the polls.

Georgia Dems chairman delivers message to swing GOP voters as Harris works to build broad base

“We saw some areas of vulnerability in voters and reached out to those communities to understand why they felt they weren’t being heard,” Johnson said.

“They don’t feel that specific policies affect them. And although I say there is no specific policy for anyone, reproductive rights affect my child, right? He has responsibilities in terms of reproductive rights because he can be your girlfriend, your partner, your best friend. friend.”

She also said that suburban white women are “sometimes the weakest link in the electorate” but noted that reproductive rights affect them too.

Meanwhile, Trump's campaign has sought to court a minority of men dissatisfied with the Democratic Party, a strategy that Trump's allies believe is critical to winning battleground states like Georgia.

Johnson Essence

Cobb County Democratic Party Chairman Essence Johnson spoke to Fox News Digital. (Fox News Digital)

Don't tell grubs what the population is He believes Cobb County is the key to victory, but noted that the Republican Party's path to victory includes focusing on local issues and election integrity.

“I don’t want to see it like that,” Grubbs said.

“The way I look at it more is, especially at the local level, what's going on in your community and what your values ​​are and what your quality of life is, and just translating the quality of life issue from the level of county. Path to national level.”

He cited recent dock worker strikes, supply chain issues and “school standards” as issues with local and national implications for the public.

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Sally Grubbs

Fox News Digital also heard from Cobb County Republican Party Chair Sally Grubbs. (Fox News Digital)

Grubbs said he also focuses on making Americans feel confident in the election: “In this election, everyone needs to get out and vote. Everyone needs to make their voice heard. Everyone needs to be concerned about the integrity of the election.”

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“They need to know that when they vote, their vote counts,” Grubbs said.

Georgia's early in-person voting period begins October 15th and runs through November 1st