Facing competitive district, Dem State Senator switches to State House race
A Democratic State Senator is now running for the State House after her district became more competitive in redistricting
It appears that the music still hasn’t stopped playing in the game of redistricting musical chairs.
State Sen. Dr. Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek), who represents a swath of the Northeast Metro Atlanta suburbs, announced on Friday that she will seek to move across the hall to the State House.
The first-term State Senator announced that she will run for a Johns Creek-based House seat after her diverse Senate district became significantly more competitive and whiter during last month’s redistricting session.
The first and only Chinese-American woman to serve in the State Senate, Dr. Au is a practicing anesthesiologist and the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Some of her Democratic colleagues have suggested that she was unfairly targeted by Republicans during the remap because of her background.
She now plans to run to succeed State Rep. Angelika Kausche, a fellow Johns Creek Democrat who was one of about a dozen Democrats to flip Republican-held districts in the 2018 elections. Even though her district saw few changes in redistricting, she announced last month that she would not seek a third term.
“Tough medical diagnosis”
Dr. Au’s current State Senate district, which is outlined above in yellow, is one of the most diverse legislative constituencies in the state. It stretches from Johns Creek to Lawrenceville, and whites currently make up less than two-fifths of the district’s population.
But during last month’s redistricting session, Republican State Senators created a new Senate district out of the most Democratic precincts in Au’s current district. In exchange, Au’s district moved northward to take in more Republican precincts in Forsyth County, boosting the district’s white population to nearly 50%.
Au’s current district gave President Joe Biden roughly 58% of the vote, but her new district would have voted for former President Donald Trump by a single digit margin. That may be enough for Republicans to flip it in 2022, but margins here have significantly narrowed in recent elections. So it’s not out of the question that this district could become a political battleground in coming years. One might argue that Georgia Republicans are maximizing short-term gains over long-term risks.
“I am not done yet.”
In a video shared online Friday morning, Dr. Au equated the new Senate district to a tough medical diagnosis.
“In some ways it’s like getting a tough diagnosis,” she said, adding that her district was the only one that was targeted by Georgia Republicans. “You wished things looked more favorable, but at some point you have to accept the hand that has been dealt and figure out what to do next.”
In announcing her switch to the State House, Au acknowledged that she is gearing up for a competitive race. “The Republicans have put a target on my back, and that will not change as I run for HD50,” she said. “While the Republicans can draw me out, they cannot count me out.”
From an Au-Watcher in Massachusetts:
Sen. Au blames the Repubs for her re-districting, but I can't help but wonder if the Dem Senate leadership gladly assented to it behind closed doors. Think about it: she is a NYC native, Wellesley grad, M.D., a best-selling author, a talented cartoonist, etc., a juggernaut of talents and energy who inspires devotion and enthusiasm amongst her followers-- i.e., hardly your typical State Senator. Her term in the Senate, marked by outspoken drive and media savvy, calls to mind the David Bowie lyrics: "I stumble into town/ Just like a sacred cow/ Visions of swastikas in my head/ Plans for everyone...." I'm confident the entrenched Dem Senate leadership will be as happy to see her go to the House as the Repubs will.