The socialists are coming!

Baker and Olney are both members of the Democratic Socialists of America. They are among a crop of far-left candidates running in May’s Democratic primaries with promises to put working people and progressive policies ahead of status quo politics and party loyalties.

But Panitch and Evans say the challengers from the left only endanger the larger goal of defeating Republicans and winning back the majorities in the General Assembly this year.

“They are no different than what the Tea Party did to the Republicans, and now we have MAGA,” Panitch said. “So if we’re following the same pattern, and it looks like they are, they are our Tea Party. We’re going to have MAGA on the left.”

Panitch, an attorney, said she votes consistently with the Democratic caucus while also representing her constituents’ best interests. She counts among her wins the Family Justice Center Act to make support for abuse survivors easier to access and her push to add antisemitism to Georgia’s hate crime statute.

“I stand on my record,” she said. “We are close to taking the majority, and now is not the time to experiment with socialism. … There’s no appetite for socialism in Sandy Springs or Roswell.”

Panitch is the only Jewish member of the General Assembly, while her challenger, Baker, describes herself as a Jewish, lesbian, transgender activist. She grew up in the district and attended Woodland Elementary School.

Baker got her start in politics advocating at the state Capitol against GOP-sponsored legislation targeting transgender medical care. A software engineer, she eventually began to create online tools for voters to follow the legislative process, when she said people started suggesting she run for office herself.

“The Legislature has been having conversations about trans people, making decisions about us without us,” she said. “It is time for us to have a seat at the table.”

Baker said Democratic Socialists and Democrats are aligned on some issues, but far apart on others.

“There’s a lot of Democrats running against other Democrats because we’re upset with how things have been working,” Baker said. “One of the things that people are particularly upset about is that it doesn’t feel like our government is serving working people.”

Evans’ opponent, political activist and consultant Olney, said “leftist momentum” in the last several years convinced him that far-left candidates can win in Democratic seats like Evans’.

“I see a desire for something different,” he said. “I think we’ve had the same Democratic perspective for decades, and it’s been fine. But I think now people are saying, maybe fine isn’t good enough.”

Among his top issues are a $20 minimum wage and pushing progressive legislation “that is not sort of the standard, corporate Democrat led-and-owned.”

He said the Democratic Party’s biggest problem is the perception that it is weak.

“I think if you are caving on protecting vulnerable people, that is not moderation, that is weakness,” he said.

But Evans said she is one the most effective members of the entire Democratic caucus, adding that it is naive to believe that Democrats could pass their top priorities in a GOP-dominated Legislature.

“It’s math,” she said. “We will have more progressive policies when we have more Democratic legislators. So running against an effective incumbent doesn’t do anything to move us toward that goal.”

For her part, Evans’ record has focused on expanding HOPE scholarships for students and affordable health care for Georgians, while also leaning on her background as a trial attorney to scale back GOP legislation that’s sure to pass the GOP majority.

“It is anybody’s right to run, and I don’t discourage that,” she said. “But at the same time, I think my record is one that makes it an easy choice for the voters.”

Both Evans and Panitch point to former state Rep. Teri Anulewicz’s unexpected loss to Democratic Socialist Gabriel Sanchez in 2024 as a cautionary tale for taking their current challengers seriously.

Sanchez made history that year by becoming the first Democratic Socialist to join the General Assembly. The next year, DSA organizer Kelsea Bond also won a surprise victory to become the first Democratic Socialist on the Atlanta City Council.

There may be more to come.

Along with Baker and Olney, the co-chair of the Savannah Democratic Socialists of America, Kendra Clark, is running to replace retiring state Rep. Edna Jackson in Savannah, while Mathewos Samson is running in the open seat to replace outgoing state Rep. Park Cannon.

Reed Stillson is running for Fulton County Commission, and in Athens, Tim Denson is considered a favorite running in the open race to succeed Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz.

As much as the leftward moves are giving establishment Democrats heartburn, they’re making Republicans in Georgia downright giddy.

“When self-described socialists are on the ballot, Republicans aren’t defining the Georgia Democratic Party — their own candidates are,” said GOP strategist Stephen Lawson. “Quite frankly, it’s quickly becoming less of a talking point and more of a gift that could pay major dividends in November and beyond.”

But Evans and Panitch say they’re more than ready for whatever comes their way, both in the May primary and in November.

“I’m not afraid of competition,” Panitch said. “I like competition. It brings out the best in me.”