State Representative Donna McLeod, who is campaigning energetically but is lagging behind in raising funds, is also in the competition, which could lead to a runoff.
The intra-party battle comes about a year and a half after Georgia, a longtime Republican bastion, not only helped deliver the presidency to Democrats, but also elected two Democratic senators, confirming the party’s Senate majority. Those victories were propelled by a broad constellation of constituencies, including a strong turnout of black Georgians and a sweeping rejection of Donald J. Trump in the state’s diverse suburbs.
Mrs. McBath is a black woman from the Atlanta suburbs who has been embraced by several liberal organizations and some progressives such as Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, but she isn’t usually seen as a left-wing candidate. Ms. Bourdeaux, a white moderate, was also adept at addressing people in the historic center-right area. Both, in many ways, represent parts of the sprawling Biden coalition that Democrats are scrambling to stick together as they head into a challenging midterm election season.
Ms Bourdeaux is considered the more centrist candidate in the race. For example, she joined other House moderates in saying she would not support a budget resolution designed to pave the way for President Biden’s sweeping social policy package until a bipartisan infrastructure measure became law, a position that had outraged many Democrats. who were going to prioritize.
But unlike Democratic primaries elsewhere, the primary battle in Georgia’s Seventh District was not a torrid ideological battle over party direction, or a race dominated by negative advertising. Both women emphasize issues such as protecting abortion rights and voting rights, and they received joint support from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Still, there are clear stylistic and strategic differences as they compete to represent a racially and ethnically diverse district.
Widely regarded as the frontrunner, Ms. McBath shares her personal story and recently received national attention from prominent Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for her deeply emotional testimony about her struggles with pregnancy as she advocated abortion rights.
