Susan Zereini Easily Wins First Solicitor-General Debate

Incumbent Donna Gopaul Appears Angry, Inexperienced

CUMMING, Ga. -- The first candidate debate of the 2014 campaign season is in the books and the takeaway is that Republican challenger Susan Zereini was the clear winner of the Solicitor-General's race.

Sen. Jack Murphy was a no-show for the Senate Dist. 27 debate. Forsyth County Tea Party President Sheri Gilligan read a statement from the senator, who said he felt it was more important to remain in Atlanta while the General Assembly was still in session. Challenger Mike Williams was given time to respond to questions before the Solicitor's debate started.

Challengers Susan Zereini and Bill Finch and incumbent Donna Gopaul were all on hand.

Zereini and Finch arrived in time for the 30-sminute social networking period that started at 6:30 p.m. Gopaul marched in just moments before the debate started and after a few "icy" hellos, proceeded to take her seat and await her turn to speak.

In Zereini's opening remarks she pointed out she had more than twice as many years of prosecutorial experience as the other candidates combined.

Gopaul said she was the only candidate with experience prosecuting cases in Foryth County, as if that somewhow mattered.

But the incumbent's inexperience began to show with the very first question.

QUESTION NO. 1: "What factors do you consider when preparing for prosecution?"

Gopaul's knee-jerk response was, "history."
Both challengers disagreed that history should be the first consideration. They said the facts of the case were considerably more important.

Zereini remarked, "Sometimes a first violation can be so egregious that history doesn't matter."

QUESTION NO. 2: How should the Solicitor-General's office prepare for future growth?

Zereini said she would do something the incumbent has failed to do and ensure that all investigators are P.O.S.T. certified. She noted that domestic violence crimes are rampant and the Solicitor's failure to have investigators P.O.S.T. certified could put their lives at risk.

Gopaul, who seemed to be angered that Zereini exposed her failure, sternly blurted out, "We are already prepared."  But then she conceded, "It's true we have no P.O.S.T. certified officers, but I hope to change that soon."

Finch said he would look at the office resources and if crime is increasing, ask for more money from the Board of Commissioners.

Later in the debate, Gopaul, who once worked as a legislative aide to radical, left-wing Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, donated money to McKinney's campaign and has always voted Democrat, seemed to lose her temper again when questioned about her "social values" and "conservatism."

Gopaul admitted voting for President Barack Obama in the last two elections. but said, "that has nothing to do with my values."

Zereini pointed out that she is a lifelong Republican. She added that she grew up in New York in a Republican family and added that it wasn't easy clinging to conservative Republican values in a state filled with Democrats.