Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the Associated Press call of the race.
Republican state Sen. Bruce Thompson has won the race to become Georgia’s next Commissioner of Labor.
The Associated Press declared Thompson the winner Wednesday as he held a seven-point lead against his main rival, Democratic state Rep. William Boddie Jr. Far behind them both was Libertarian Emily Anderson. About 97% of votes had been tallied statewide.
Thompson said Wednesday morning, ahead of the AP call, that his first move will be to find space at the State Capitol for some representatives of the Department of Labor.
“The constitutional offices all have a presence — the Department of (Agriculture) is there, the Attorney General is there,” he said. “We have to make sure we have a presence for the Department of Labor. There’s an old saying, either you are at the table or you are on the menu.”
Thompson was part of a Republican sweep of most statewide offices. His share of the vote, as of mid-day Wednesday, was better than that of Chris Carr in his pursuit of another term as attorney general, while less than that racked up by Brian Kemp in winning a second term as governor.
Thompson and Boddie vied for a job that can be low profile in good times, but the center of the storm in a crisis.
The Georgia Department of Labor manages the state’s unemployment insurance system, so when the economy is growing and hiring is healthy, the agency is typically not the focus of attention. But in 2020, when the pandemic spurred unprecedented jobs losses, and the department was overwhelmed, the agency and its commissioner were in the crosshairs.
Both Thompson and Boddie pegged their campaigns to criticism of the department’s performance during the pandemic.
In the past year, layoffs have ebbed to near-record lows, relieving much of the pressure on the department. Yet another test of the agency might be looming just as it gets a new commissioner.
With the economy wobbling under the weight of inflation and higher interest rates, some economists predict a recession, which would mean a resurgence in layoffs and a renewed demand on the agency.
In his campaign for the position, Boddie emphasized the perspective of workers and talked about partnering with unions to add training programs.
Thompson, a businessman and veteran who has been a state senator for nearly a decade, has pledged to upgrade the department’s technology, boost the skills of its workforce, and prepare for the next crisis.
The roughly 1,100-worker department needs better processes, Thompson said. The senator from White in Bartow County ran and eventually sold a number of companies, including Coverstar Automatic Covers, which sells covers for swimming pools, The Thompson Group Insurance and Bruce Thompson State Farm insurance company.
Thompson has said that the office does not need to be partisan, but if he wins, he will continue the Republican reign in the commissioner’s position taking over from Mark Butler, who he has harshly criticized. Butler was the target of angry criticism and public protest for his handling of the unprecedented wave of job losses during the pandemic and he chose not to run for re-election.
A Democrat has not held the office since 2010, when incumbent Michael Thurmond chose not to run for re-election.
Boddie, an Atlanta native, lives in East Point. He’s an attorney in a firm that specializes in personal Injury and criminal defense law.
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