A rare Georgia Supreme Court race could hinge on abortion rights

ATLANTA — Over nearly two centuries, almost all the sitting Georgia Supreme Court justices who have sought another term have won their elections. Former U.S. Rep. John Barrow might have the best chance in generations to upend that tradition.

The ex-Democratic lawmaker is treating the nonpartisan race much like a political campaign, emphasizing his support for abortion rights to challenge Justice Andrew Pinson, who was Gov. Brian Kemp’s surprise 2022 pick to fill a vacant seat.

If the track record wasn’t daunting enough, Pinson enjoys support from a bipartisan cast of judicial and legislative leaders, along with help from Kemp’s political network as he seeks a full six-year term in the May 21 election.

Barrow, however, is convinced Georgians are ready for a justice who believes in an ever-evolving “living Constitution” and is openly critical of anti-abortion limits in Georgia.

“I’m running because I believe that women have the same rights today under our state constitution that they used to have under Roe v. Wade,” he said this week at a North Fulton County Democrats forum.

Speaking about the pending legal challenge over Georgia’s abortion restrictions, which generally ban the procedure for most women as early as six weeks, Barrow doesn’t mince words.

“It’s the most important decision the Supreme Court of Georgia is going to make in the next 20 years,” he told the standing-room-only crowd. “Politicians shouldn’t be making your personal health care decisions.”

The campaign trail is familiar territory for Barrow, who represented a chunk of south and east Georgia over five terms in Congress. He narrowly lost a 2018 bid for secretary of state before embarking on a quest for the judiciary.

Pinson has run a more traditional campaign for a statewide judicial race — avoiding speaking directly about issues that could come before the court while talking broadly about his philosophy. The 37-year-old was first picked for the bench in 2021 after serving as the state solicitor general.

“I’m a judge, not a politician,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Folks understand that what makes a good judge doesn’t really have to do with partisanship or politics.”

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