Barack Obama threw his support behind two Georgia state supreme court candidates this week. The race hasn’t gotten much national attention, but that may be changing.
In a message posted to X, the former president named Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin as the candidates worth voting for. “State supreme court justices play a critical role in defending your rights and freedoms, which is why the election happening in Georgia right now is so important,” he wrote. Obama called Jordan and Rankin “the only two candidates in the race with strong records of standing up for all Georgians.”
Here’s the thing about state supreme courts, friends: they don’t get nearly enough attention for how much they actually matter. These judges often have the final word on voting rights, reproductive rights, and criminal sentencing. That’s a lot of power. A federal court ruling gets the big headlines. A state supreme court decision is what Georgia residents actually live with.
Early voting is already open in Georgia. Election Day is May 19. That’s one week away. Obama’s message pointed Georgians to a voting resource to find their nearest polling location.
The endorsement moved fast. The X post drew more than 95,000 likes and nearly 20,000 retweets. For a down-ballot judicial race most national outlets have ignored, that’s a notable reach.
Jen Jordan is a familiar name to Georgia politics watchers. She served in the Georgia State Senate and ran for state Attorney General in 2022. Miracle Rankin is also seeking a seat on the state’s highest court. Obama’s message is clear: he wants voters to back both of them.
Obama’s endorsement doesn’t come with a campaign donation. It comes with something arguably more useful right now: visibility. The former president naming two candidates in a state judicial race tends to reach a lot of people. Many of them had no idea the election was even happening.
That’s the quiet problem with judicial elections, friends. Most voters skip them. They often just don’t know these elections exist. A state supreme court seat doesn’t come with the same noise as a Senate or gubernatorial race. Endorsements like this one are one of the few things that actually cut through.
For Georgians, the timing is simple. Early voting is open now. Election Day is May 19. Obama included a link to check polling locations. That’s the kind of practical step that helps people actually follow through.
Georgia has been a true swing state since the 2020 election cycle. National figures from both parties have watched it closely ever since. An Obama endorsement in a state judicial race is one more sign nobody is treating Georgia as settled territory.
Jordan and Rankin still have to win on May 19. But as of today, they have the attention of a former president. That’s not nothing.