{"createdAt":"2026-01-15T20:41:47.157Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-23T16:19:24.263Z","title":"Politics - Main Section","primarySectionNotApplicable":true,"layout":[{"blockType":"app-content","PackageTitle":"","hidePackageTitle":false,"displayconfig":"MainArticleCardType1","ListMenuHierarchy":"","MostReadFeed":"https://experiences.mrf.io/recommenderexperience/render.json?id=AP_SzwZiHjXTpKC0Vu4fbYZkQ&canonical_url=https://www.ajc.com","MostReadNumber":5,"populateBy":"collection-content-api","mustIncludeThumbnail":false,"collectionId":"EAKWILDLOREHFDBYK5YHV63KIE","onlyIncludeThisType":"","canonicalWebsites":{"ajc":true,"uatl":false,"dawgnation":false,"access-atlanta":false},"daysBack":30,"size":1,"from":0,"includeTags":"politics.ajc","mustIncludeAllTags":"no","content":[{"canonical_url":"/politics/2026/09/georgia-counties-that-could-shape-the-governors-race/","canonical_website":"ajc","content_elements":[{"_id":"IVOWCCKZHNBCJD3CL5EARJH47E","additional_properties":{},"content":"In a tightening race for governor, the path to victory could wind through the margins of some densely populated metro Atlanta counties and the leftward trends of previously reliable Republican areas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SICDWUY2RVCZDNP5HEY7LFIWEM","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/georgia-2026-what-the-polls-say-about-the-race-for-governor/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Recent polls show</a> a toss-up between Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson. The <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/new-georgia-poll-shows-ossoff-leading-governors-race-deadlocked/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">latest AARP poll</a> revealed the race is effectively deadlocked, with Bottoms and Jackson within the poll’s margin of error. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5262DSF5NAZLG64UBP73Z33FI","additional_properties":{},"content":"That puts a disparate group of counties at the center of the November contest.<b> Baldwin</b> and <b>Washington</b> counties in Middle Georgia<b> </b>have moved between Republicans and Democrats in recent presidential elections while the longtime Republican advantage in <b>Fayette County</b> just south of Atlanta has narrowed. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3JEGOBJ2I5HENP3SJVHSJYLES4","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson face off in Georgia governor’s race","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/08/georgia-governor-candidates-2026-whos-running/"},{"_id":"4F2MITHU25AANBIGA63JY53MMA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Meanwhile in metro Atlanta, <b>Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett</b> counties<b> </b>offer a different kind of opportunity: huge pools of voters where even a small change in turnout could translate into tens of thousands of votes. Let’s look at these seven counties in more detail.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFDLU4YPIJAQLI4IGCJERVLWX4","content":"<iframe title=\"Counties to watch in the 2026 election\" aria-label=\"Choropleth map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-PCEJ7\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PCEJ7/3/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"612\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">(function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();</script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"GUWSRYBGJFBM5DAAXZA7UG7O3I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Competitive counties","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"JTVZPOSNVJHOBBCLCOLEMX2KWI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since 2016, Baldwin County has seen a slight Republican shift, but it remains competitive. Democrat Stacey Abrams narrowly carried the county in the 2018 governor’s race, beating Republican Brian Kemp by less than half a percentage point in a race Kemp ultimately won. Kemp went on to win the county by 7 points in their 2022 rematch. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY.JPG?auth=abf58a5cdfb18abe2ef3d9c8a9d8eb54c2dcf337055fbd4d961f6cce8a512614","galleries":[],"ingestionMethod":"manual","iptc_job_identifier":"2326726","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","iptc_title":"Photojournalist","keywords":[""],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"101418 Gov debate_AP7.JPG","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY.JPG","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY.JPG?auth=abf58a5cdfb18abe2ef3d9c8a9d8eb54c2dcf337055fbd4d961f6cce8a512614","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY.JPG?auth=abf58a5cdfb18abe2ef3d9c8a9d8eb54c2dcf337055fbd4d961f6cce8a512614","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2018-10-23T00:00:00Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY.JPG?auth=abf58a5cdfb18abe2ef3d9c8a9d8eb54c2dcf337055fbd4d961f6cce8a512614&width=300","version":0,"template_id":594,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"Georgia"},"auth":{"1":"abf58a5cdfb18abe2ef3d9c8a9d8eb54c2dcf337055fbd4d961f6cce8a512614"},"caption":"Democrat Stacey Abrams (left) and Republican Brian Kemp, seen in 2018 before a debate during the governor's race. (Alyssa Pointer/AJC)","created_date":"2021-01-06T16:06:58Z","credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"byline":"Alyssa Pointer","name":"Alyssa Pointer","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"height":2581,"image_type":"photograph","last_updated_date":"2021-01-06T16:06:58Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc","sponsored":false},"slug":"101418 Gov debate_AP7","source":{"name":"AJC","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY","system":"photo center"},"subtitle":"Stacey Abrams Brian Kemp 2018 debate","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY.JPG?auth=abf58a5cdfb18abe2ef3d9c8a9d8eb54c2dcf337055fbd4d961f6cce8a512614","version":"0.10.9","width":3872,"syndication":{}},{"_id":"MHZN52CEBZBX3HUGBEGWU2O55I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Presidential elections have also been close. Democrat Hillary Clinton carried Baldwin by less than 2 percentage<b> </b>points in 2016. Democrat<b> </b>Joe Biden won the county by just over 1 point in 2020. But in 2024, the county flipped to Republican Donald Trump, who beat Democrat Kamala Harris by just over 2 percentage<b> </b>points. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FEENAICOQJDLJLUGJBHRKECIDA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Washington County tells a similar story. Kemp won the county by less than 2 percentage points in 2018 and just 5 points in 2022. In the past three presidential elections, the margin between the Democratic and Republican candidates has been less than 2 percentage points. Clinton narrowly carried the county in 2016, and Biden won it by less than 1 point in 2020. But in 2024, the county flipped to Trump, who beat Harris by nearly 2 points. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"T3UYLQQXKBHNFLMG4HADN3HXE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"From 2016 to 2024, Fayette County has seen its share of Republican voters shrink by 7 percentage points and its share of Democratic voters increase by 9 points. Republican candidates still consistently win the county, but by smaller<b> </b>margins. It’s in counties like Fayette — farther out in Atlanta’s suburbs and with an increasingly diverse electorate — where the candidates will be fighting it out on Election Day. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FZOQRRSEEZBGVKNGX2H5KWNO64","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Georgia 2026: What the polls and experts say about the race for governor","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/georgia-2026-what-the-polls-say-about-the-race-for-governor/"},{"_id":"GWKU4SBLOZHYVOIF3YO4XQID5U","additional_properties":{},"content":"From 2016 to 2024, Democrats in Fayette County increased their total votes by 54%, compared with a 9% increase among Republicans. Fayette County Republican Steve Brown called the Democratic shift “alarming,” but said he remains confident that Jackson will carry the county come November. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4OFABYHPPVHAFOQJLGOB5DB2IM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Brown said the Fayette County Republican Party is relying on a strong ground game to turn out their voters. That includes knocking on the doors of people who voted in the Republican primary to make sure they return to the polls in November.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WN3MYWGM3JA7DDQKLOXF44E7OE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think the fear of where people within the Democratic Party are heading and this new (Democratic Socialists of America) movement … scares Republicans into saying I’m voting for whoever has got the ‘R’ behind their name,” he said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA.JPG?auth=b8f187158d5bc410b83c3113e243cb0dbccae2f94b8b1074edd7024e7d17cf07","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"6a8775cbe3c19717dda2f33b","iptc_source":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","keywords":["elections","governer","rick jackson"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"08142026 Rick Jackson Rally 17.JPG","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA.JPG","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA.JPG?auth=b8f187158d5bc410b83c3113e243cb0dbccae2f94b8b1074edd7024e7d17cf07","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA.JPG?auth=b8f187158d5bc410b83c3113e243cb0dbccae2f94b8b1074edd7024e7d17cf07","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-08-21T18:02:19Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA.JPG?auth=b8f187158d5bc410b83c3113e243cb0dbccae2f94b8b1074edd7024e7d17cf07&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{},"auth":{"1":"b8f187158d5bc410b83c3113e243cb0dbccae2f94b8b1074edd7024e7d17cf07"},"caption":"Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson speaks during a rally in August in Buford. (Natrice Miller for The AJC)","copyright":"Copyright 2026 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","created_date":"2026-08-22T19:18:39Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Natrice Miller for the AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Natrice Miller","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":4656,"last_updated_date":"2026-08-22T19:18:39Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"aajc Rick Jackson rally","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/08142026 Rick Jackson Rally 17.JPG","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"aajc Rick Jackson Rally","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a8775cbe3c19717dda2f33b"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/MIRL6T6MQNCFPOPIVKL67D6ROA.JPG?auth=b8f187158d5bc410b83c3113e243cb0dbccae2f94b8b1074edd7024e7d17cf07","version":"0.10.9","width":7566},{"_id":"36NHAVN67RADTPIT5Z7Z2SANTA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Metro Atlanta targets low-propensity voters ","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"YK2AGO7DDFDMFI2T5QZLOLVEXY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Cobb County, once a Republican stronghold, flipped Democratic a decade ago. But the size of Democrats’ advantage varies depending on the election. In the 2018 and 2022 governor’s races, Democratic turnout outpaced Republican turnout by up to 30,000 votes. In the past two presidential elections, that gap grew to nearly 60,000 votes. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGRQDGIZFBE5JMBLB7DTOQSVY","additional_properties":{},"content":"That makes lower-propensity voters — those who may turn out for presidential elections but skip midterms — particularly important. Cobb County Democrats and Republicans are working to reach those voters this year. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"D4S67JJTZFHNBAUULXQR66FUXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Cobb County Republican Party Chair Mary Clarice Henry said enthusiasm for Jackson is growing, even among those who voted for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who lost to Jackson in the Republican primary. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BOKTNQUREJCTNA6TRDQ7R64FPE","additional_properties":{},"content":"You need more than Republican voters to win a general election. Henry said she’s also targeting independents who feel “politically homeless” and Republicans who feel disillusioned with the party. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"TCTJTBWCIJCR3ILASLYV6W46J4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“And quite frankly, I think Rick Jackson has that kind of message,” she said. “I think he appeals to people all across the board because of his story … He removes a lot of excuses for people.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPNTTESV5ZC4JCNTNOFBPYHH24","additional_properties":{},"content":"Jackson appeared with Trump when he <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/donald-trumps-policy-pitch-turns-into-a-georgia-campaign-rally/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/donald-trumps-policy-pitch-turns-into-a-georgia-campaign-rally/\">visited Wheeler High School</a> in Cobb County last month. But Cobb County Democratic Party Chair Essence Johnson said the visit has <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/07/a-slap-in-the-face-some-in-wheeler-high-community-oppose-trumps-visit/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/07/a-slap-in-the-face-some-in-wheeler-high-community-oppose-trumps-visit/\">energized Democrats</a>, who protested the event and later flooded a <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/outrage-over-trumps-cobb-county-visit-fuels-tense-school-board-meeting/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/outrage-over-trumps-cobb-county-visit-fuels-tense-school-board-meeting/\">Cobb County School Board meeting</a> to complain about the visit. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"P2SIMWDIYNGPHHZGGTXRJ6IGKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This election is a little bit different,” Johnson said. “It’s not just about what political affiliation you are — people can’t afford to eat, they can’t afford housing.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NMUXRTSUKBCVDKDKG3MX5FVX2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although Bottoms will likely carry Cobb, Henry said Republican success in the county will depend on Jackson cutting into Democratic margins as much as possible, something she said she is confident he can do. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JNYNTPKLTZE7XOZVHMZ5TSASQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“That makes Cobb, in my opinion, one of the most important counties in the entire state,” she said. “We actually have the capacity to almost determine what direction the election goes.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"6a904e2fe3c19717dda4be2b","keywords":["ajc","freelance"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"082826 klb ethics plan  02.JPG","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-08-27T19:30:16Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"Ga"},"auth":{"1":"c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b"},"caption":"Keisha Lance Bottoms greets Georgia legislators before unveiling her ethics and government transparency plan in Atlanta last week. (Ben Gray for the AJC)","copyright":"Ben Gray 2026","created_date":"2026-08-27T20:59:21Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"(Ben Gray for the AJC)","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Ben Gray","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":2667,"last_updated_date":"2026-08-27T20:59:21Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/082826 klb ethics plan  02.JPG","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a904e2fe3c19717dda4be2b"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","version":"0.10.9","width":4000,"subtitle":""},{"_id":"CYFPX4CSLJFRTBIGMFXV5PW2IQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pattern is just as pronounced in Gwinnett County. In recent governor’s races, Democrats have outperformed Republicans by roughly 30,000 to 40,000 votes. During presidential elections, that advantage grows to roughly 70,000 to 80,000 votes. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2U6JRXUMO5AMHHR7FAOTRTOGKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gwinnett County Democratic Party Chair<b> </b>Curt Thompson said coordination with the campaign is more frequent and organized than previous years. But the challenge remains reaching those low-propensity voters. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LDPH5SWPSJDBDBQQFOZVWFY6S4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think that Gwinnett is the bellwether county for the state of the metro counties,” he said. “If we are No. 2 in percentage of turnout of all the ‘big urban-ish’ counties, because of our sheer raw numbers, you can win statewide.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LQQZIVUZBEVJKYGLB6N4I32JE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The key for both campaigns will be closing the turnout gap. If Bottoms can bring Democratic presidential-year voters back to the polls, she could significantly expand her advantage in two of the state’s largest counties. If Jackson can mobilize lower-propensity Republican voters and cut into those Democratic margins, he could limit the votes Bottoms gains in two counties critical to a path to victory. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y7MNSLBFE5HA7GUQRWI23XX4DQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Jackson campaign strategy mirrors that of <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/rick-jackson-is-rebuilding-the-kemp-machine-and-supercharging-it/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/rick-jackson-is-rebuilding-the-kemp-machine-and-supercharging-it/\">Kemp’s in 2018 and 2022</a> by using a targeted data-and-analytics to grab nontraditional voters.<b> </b>On top of that, Jackson can pour millions of dollars of his fortune into the operation. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FUHOYKIDQJAVXPVM3V4OEKZELM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Everybody saw what our side was able to accomplish in 2022 under Gov. Brian Kemp,” Jackson campaign spokesperson Garrison Douglas said. “I think Democrats and those in the Keisha Lance Bottoms campaign are going to long for those days based off of the ground game that we’ve put together and are executing.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5LBKOAWW65DWLH64QL75FCINQE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bottoms’<b> </b>campaign spokesperson TaNisha Cameron said Bottoms has offices statewide and is running an aggressive ground campaign, making a specific effort to visit counties where Democratic margins have increased. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5OPQVQQOHFALTLOU5TFK2WF6SY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Keisha has traveled across the state — to red and blue counties alike — to talk to Georgians about her plans to expand Medicaid and protect Georgia’s hospitals, bring down costs, and invest in education,” she said. ","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/DE7H4THP6ZFEFKLJ2SBRIJFL74.jpg"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"Sophia.Eppley@ajc.com"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"Sophia.Eppley@ajc.com"}],"name":"Sophia Eppley","description":"Sophia Eppley is the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's 2026 summer politics intern. ","_id":"sophia.eppley","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Eppley","education":[],"native_app_rendering":false,"affiliations":"","bio":"Sophia Eppley is the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's 2026 summer politics intern. ","expertise":"11","type":"author","contributor":false,"custom_ajc_website":"ajc","bio_page":"/staff/sophia.eppley/","last_updated_date":"2026-07-15T17:20:30.860Z","byline":"Sophia Eppley","email":"Sophia.Eppley@ajc.com","slug":"","image":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/DE7H4THP6ZFEFKLJ2SBRIJFL74.jpg","longBio":"Sophia Eppley graduated from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree in 2026. She interns with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the politics team. ","fuzzy_match":false,"author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Sophia","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-416-0717","_id":"sophia.eppley","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/sophia.eppley/","slug":""}]},"description":{"basic":"Recent polls show a toss-up between Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson. So even a small change in turnout could mean tens of thousands of votes."},"display_date":"2026-09-01T13:57:49.466Z","headlines":{"tablet":"","print":"7 counties that could shape Georgia’s governor's race","meta_title":"Georgia counties that could shape the governor's race","native":"","web":"","mobile":"","basic":"7 counties that could shape Georgia’s race for governor","table":""},"label":{"team":{"display":true,"text":"politics","url":""}},"subheadlines":{"basic":"From politically divided counties in middle Georgia to Democratic strongholds in metro Atlanta, the governor’s race could hinge on where each candidate can squeeze out a few thousand more votes. 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Gov. Burt Jones, whose term ends in January following his unsuccessful bid for governor. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QS7YNUI5NFB6TPTYZFQIVO3SUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If the majority caucus and the lieutenant governor aren’t on the same page on a lot of issues, then it can make for a very dysfunctionally run chamber,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NI572PK2UVBNLM6X3LPFRVVIX4","additional_properties":{},"content":"A weakening of the lieutenant governor’s authority could limit the next officeholder’s ability to deliver on promises made on the campaign trail.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DKGCB4G2KZDRPBLPX5EQOWJ2YE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The candidates in the race to replace Jones have both<b> </b>spent<b> </b>two terms in the Senate — but have<b> </b>vastly different politics. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDIKMK2ICJD2LLRCZORKOIAITY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Greg Dolezal casts himself as a hardline Republican with unwavering loyalty to President Donald Trump. Democrat Josh McLaurin is a<b> </b>rising star of his party and looking to become the first Democrat to hold<b> </b>the powerful seat since 2007.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTKIPAK7OZB3LMK5PXR4VG64GM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Senate Democrats see this race, along with Keisha Lance Bottoms’ bid for governor, as an opportunity to level up their influence at the state Capitol, where they have had little power for the past two decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHBGMIOQSVE2NNPEF63VORG7D4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If (Bottoms) were to win, and we pick up seats in the Senate and the House, I don’t know what their posture is going to be,” Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II said of the Republican majority. “Will they just try to shut everything down and wait to win those seats back, or will they say, ‘Let’s work with Democrats’?”","type":"text"},{"_id":"CX7FBNHX4JEJRE5ESV5OBZJT3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte wouldn’t say whether the caucus would explore stripping the lieutenant governor’s powers if a Democrat is elected in November.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77RPAFLTGFHJHO4XNENTJHO2AE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Our caucus is excited to work with one of our own, Greg Dolezal, when he is elected by the people of Georgia this November,” he said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TBZ5DFCGG5FWZLXBIW4YRKQKMM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Majority rules","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"69cc09ae3315424f251c7b90","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","keywords":["40","chamber","day","final","house of representatives","sine die"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"040226 sine die wrap 09.JPG","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-04-02T16:05:07Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366"},"caption":"Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, seen here in the state Senate in April. (Jason Getz/AJC) ","copyright":"© 2026 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","created_date":"2026-04-02T16:00:36Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Jason Getz/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Jason Getz","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":3568,"last_updated_date":"2026-04-02T16:00:37Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"aajc 040226 sine die wrap","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/040226 sine die wrap 09.JPG","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"Georgia General Assembly Sine Die Wrap Up","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["69cc09ae3315424f251c7b90"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366","version":"0.10.9","width":5352},{"_id":"W6SV4UZGGFGEHJWPSOI6SWWQSE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Burt<b> </b>Jones, a Republican, couldn’t recall a time when he feuded with the majority party while serving as<b> </b>lieutenant governor.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EJLFUXDBQNG4TMFNGFCXGB4NRY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I was very fortunate that I had a lot of great relationships and they had a lot of confidence in me,” he said. “So, they didn’t see any need to put any kind of guardrails or restrictions on the lieutenant governor’s role.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GRX3WMJB4FHQNBVHX5L4T4FZSM","additional_properties":{},"content":"History shows that not all lieutenant governors have been so lucky. A Republican majority has twice changed Senate rules to<b> </b>weaken the position’s powers in recent years. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7IIAHLYPXZFT7NRITRUZYRF6Z4","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"AJC Voter Guide: The candidates for lieutenant governor","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/10-compete-to-become-georgias-next-lieutenant-governor/"},{"_id":"QFBS6BFUDBE4DCNVI7XCRJVYV4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The first<b> </b>came in 2003 after the GOP won control of the chamber for the first time since Reconstruction. Sonny Perdue, then<b> </b>the incoming Republican governor, convinced four Senate Democrats to switch parties. The Republican chamber moved to strip then Democratic Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor of his authority to make committee assignments and name committee chairs. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFGL526YJVCJVPINDTO33GV2EM","additional_properties":{},"content":"And in 2011, within the first two hours of that year’s legislative session ― and while <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/legislature-convenes-amid-wintry-blast/CFD2C6N2qoQ5zzEcgIYbSN/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">a winter storm blew</a> through Atlanta ― the<b> </b>Republican-led Senate stripped Republican<b> </b>Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle of his assigning powers following<b> </b>a feud over a hospital bed tax the year prior.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQGNTZ6NRVB5DFGVVHY24PQBBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If the chamber stays — and I think it will stay in Republican control — I would be willing to bet that McLaurin would probably not enjoy the same type of power and influence I had,” Burt Jones said. 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(Arvin Temkar/AJC)","copyright":"Copyright 2026 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","created_date":"2026-08-01T18:04:13Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":2001,"last_updated_date":"2026-08-06T21:43:17Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"aajc 080126 dems state convention  ","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/aajc 080126 dems state convention 4411.jpg","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/XWFYYSZUZNBV5KSZQ5ITJ4MV6Y","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"Georgia Democratic convention\r\r","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a638a995d27aa682b3f828e"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/XWFYYSZUZNBV5KSZQ5ITJ4MV6Y.jpg?auth=f811d5c8d7ef1bde46d5bf2dbe31eb61321be14f2ffc944e19b1b508b1f9b3b4","version":"0.10.9","width":3000},{"_id":"YTLAJP6OBNBVFB7ZDTWJR4DNMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"On the campaign trail, McLaurin touts his ability to work across the aisle in the Senate while at the same time lambasting Trump-supporting Republicans. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4VGPA2KAHVDNFAE5BEP2C4NXGI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s a new day in Georgia, folks,” McLaurin said at the Georgia Democratic Convention in Savannah earlier this month. “Millions of voters are waking up to the reality that Democrats are the adults in the room.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AD5TWQHDYZDYBBYITZ3R5LY6HM","additional_properties":{},"content":"McLaurin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution there will always be the potential for the majority caucus<b> </b>to weaken the lieutenant governor’s powers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IF6WNX63TRG6PNENFHW5BIHNBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“They’ve done it to both Democrats and Republicans,” he said. “But rather than store up my treasures in the Senate rules, I’m focused on the ways the office can help build bipartisan consensus and momentum around the main affordability issues facing Georgians, like housing and healthcare.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"A3HUIS7BWFCZ5MEZASM2E3LABI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Weakening the lieutenant governor’s role<b> </b>is a top concern for Democrats if McLaurin wins, particularly if Bottoms loses the governor’s race and the party fails to pick up additional seats in the Legislature, Harold Jones<b> </b>said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YC6IAGCJ6ZGWHAQKEER44WLSKU","additional_properties":{},"content":"But even when they share the same party, the lieutenant governor and Senate majority can still butt heads. 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Gov. Geoff Duncan ― who ditched the Republican Party to run for governor as a Democrat this year ― <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/georgias-no-2-republican-boycotts-debate-over-election-restrictions/EUJNGU34MFG3XFBC4I5RZVLJ3Q/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/georgias-no-2-republican-boycotts-debate-over-election-restrictions/EUJNGU34MFG3XFBC4I5RZVLJ3Q/\">boycotted a 2021 Senate vote</a> over sweeping election changes spurred by President Donald Trump’s ire over the 2020 election results. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVI2E4SPORALJKGMSIE755WAHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It brought attention to the matter,” Duncan said. “It was good attention to some really bad ideas because ultimately that bill failed over in the House and a different version came forward that was slightly improved.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"IL2OGBNYNJDQLC4DLNBY3MNPH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Party lines aren’t always the only thing that splits the chamber, he said. Often rural and metro-area lawmakers battle over policy; other times it’s a generational divide. And sometimes, more right-leaning Republican members of the body look to pull the chamber further in that direction. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTBG7FYQFNA25H33ARKUV3PJFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"How far right is too far","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4","additional_properties":{"countryId":227,"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"GAWP209","iptc_source":"FR53108 AP","iptc_title":"FRE","keywords":["Politics"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"download?role=main&qt=RYJrIqyz5feS&cid=457538fe11c746a78dff2c5c072fbdfc&pt=NDE2NjV8MTIzMjgzfDF8MHwt","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-07-22T18:03:22Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"locality":"Marietta","region":"GA","country_name":"USA"},"auth":{"1":"a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5"},"caption":"State Sen. Greg Dolezal speaks at Wheeler High School in Marietta in July. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)","copyright":"Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved","created_date":"2026-07-22T19:13:16Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Erik S. Lesser","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"425c44eb-5b03-4ce5-89fa-69e74b50003b"},"height":2017,"last_updated_date":"2026-07-22T19:13:17Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"Trump","source":{"name":"Associated Press Photo Stream","source_id":"6880c95bdb094d44a631fe2fa13573e6","source_type":"wires","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4","system":"Associated Press Photo Stream"},"subtitle":"Trump","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5","version":"0.10.9","width":3026},{"_id":"PE57KEWTZNBANLLUS2ODF5HTEY","additional_properties":{},"content":"During Trump’s <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/outrage-over-trumps-cobb-county-visit-fuels-tense-school-board-meeting/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">visit</a> to Cobb County last month, Dolezal dubbed the Peach State “Trump country.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HY3Z6SYTLRAN3AQEBLG5YI4N2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Don’t you believe for a second what the fake news will tell you (that) this is a purple state — this is a red state,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RV635GU6INFV5EKOHKI7HPZ4KY","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the Legislature, Dolezal has championed issues aligned with Trump’s positions on transgender athletes and changes to Georgia’s voting system. In 2020, he joined <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/in-georgia-concerted-gop-pushback-blocks-trump-attempts-to-overturn-election/WCRIAROVEZADVLEL5Q6QHY6UFU/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">a group of senators</a> who sought to help Trump overturn the results of Georgia’s presidential election. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CE56KAW6V5DY3CJBHN6EIOTJCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"How Trump-supporting candidates will fare during the midterm elections is a major question among Georgia politicos. Republicans are navigating the challenge of energizing their base without alienating more moderate voters. 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Partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement have strengthened, in part because of the Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act, a law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2024. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"N7ICPUL6CZAQZDYOGPAHMNONZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The law requires local law enforcement to check the immigration status of inmates, cooperate with ICE agents and submit quarterly reports on immigrant detainees.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I6Y423IPJVCELNYTVGQJ4QPQHY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The number of immigrants in ICE detention in Georgia has <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/08/ice-detention-in-georgia-grew-90-under-trump-advocates-suing-for-records/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">grown 90%</a> under President Donald Trump’s second administration. Georgia has the fourth-most immigrant detainees out of all U.S. states behind Texas, Louisiana and California. Last fall, Georgia was the site of the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/business/2025/09/475-arrested-in-unprecedent-immigration-raid-at-georgias-hyundai-ev-site/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">largest single immigration raid</a> in the history of Homeland Security Investigations. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"A3FXYO277VBK7PF4NBYGTKNSL4","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Georgia governor race: Bottoms and Jackson say they’ll raise teacher pay","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/08/keisha-lance-bottoms-and-rick-jackson-both-say-theyll-raise-teacher-pay/"},{"_id":"JM3WHCJHLVGTPCAJJBAQD3RJII","additional_properties":{},"content":"Here’s where candidates for governor, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and healthcare CEO Rick Jackson, stand on immigration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IJIJERBX75FC3HFZMIU6HN7LGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bottoms","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"6a638a995d27aa682b3f828e","iptc_source":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"aajc 080126 dems state convention 4835.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-08-01T17:32:16Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{},"auth":{"1":"0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d"},"caption":"During her tenure as Atlanta mayor, Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order prohibiting the city jail from accepting any new ICE detainees.  (Arvin Temkar/AJC)","copyright":"Copyright 2026 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","created_date":"2026-08-01T18:04:47Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":2001,"last_updated_date":"2026-08-01T18:04:48Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"aajc 080126 dems state convention  ","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/aajc 080126 dems state convention 4835.jpg","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"Keisha Lance Bottoms","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a638a995d27aa682b3f828e"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","version":"0.10.9","width":3000},{"_id":"UAR2YLUYCZFCPIHUC4AKOW5QOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor, has expressed concern over states’ collaboration with federal ICE agents, especially under the Trump administration. She called the ICE campaign earlier this year in Minnesota “reckless” and <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DT82hKvAZIJ/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">condemned the shooting of Alex Pretti</a> at the hands of federal agents. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2JKRZHIJMNEITADZHTBVIE25GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The tactics we have seen from ICE under the Trump Administration have terrorized communities and harmed Americans,” Bottoms said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DTSEHRQLNNHKFBZSL5L2GGV7LU","additional_properties":{},"content":"During her tenure as Atlanta mayor, Bottoms issued an executive order prohibiting the city jail from accepting any new ICE detainees. In 2018, she called the forced separation of migrant families at the U.S. southern border “despicable” and said the city won’t accept any new immigration detainees until the separations have stopped.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYXBZXWQXFDWFFN6X4G57SFEM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"If elected governor, Bottoms said in a statement she will “support lawful and responsible collaboration between local and federal law enforcement.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"UYMHGPPD6ZCTDGGO2A4PX3XPXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As governor, I will support giving Georgia law enforcement tools to get dangerous criminals out of communities, but I will not support ICE tactics designed to terrorize Georgians,” she said. 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(Jason Getz/AJC)","copyright":"© 2026 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","created_date":"2026-06-26T18:02:33Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Jason Getz/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Jason Getz","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"geo":{},"height":5099,"image_type":"photograph","last_updated_date":"2026-08-12T15:03:18Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc","sponsored":false},"slug":"aajc 062626 Rick Jackson event","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/062626 Rick Jackson event 17.JPG","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/HQPAWPVALVF23ERJ5LOSA5KYCA","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson hosts his first event post runoff","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a3d7b073315424f2536f972"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/HQPAWPVALVF23ERJ5LOSA5KYCA.JPG?auth=802d44565c306e6fccaeb289ee7598746b36ecc8bd3eed22e92dfce15e00acbf","version":"0.10.9","width":7645},{"_id":"63X5JBVYMNDEPK767PQMNRJ5EM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Jackson, the Republican candidate, has said will make the deportation of unauthorized immigrants one of his top priorities if elected governor. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"OXY4DZP4KRC4NEF5QFSZSEUQIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"On the campaign trail, he vows to make Georgia No. 1 in the nation for deporting immigrants<b> </b>who break the law and work with President Donald Trump to enforce federal immigration laws. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CUFPAMNOT5BR5MLGME7FISPSDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"In a statement, the Republican said his focus will be “cracking down on illegal immigration.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"4Z7GJF2Y3VEVFNCDU3BKUV4KAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As governor, I will approach public safety and immigration through the same lens, and that is enforcing the law,” he said. “Immigration law is federal law, not state law, and I will enforce the law and make sure Georgia is a partner in doing it.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"E7KZ46SDUVGQHNMRGIDQA4XES4","additional_properties":{},"content":"During the primary, Jackson released an ad warning that people living in Georgia without permission who violate the law would be “<a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ocp-vmStLE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">deported or departed</a>” that drew backlash.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XNBNL2PHQBCDXHANVNBDSGWNRA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Too often, criminal illegals commit sick, violent crimes, victimize our children and get away with murder,” Jackson said in the ad. “Do that when I’m governor, and you’ll end up deported or departed.”","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"_id":"sophia.eppley","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"Sophia Eppley","image":{"url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/DE7H4THP6ZFEFKLJ2SBRIJFL74.jpg","version":"0.5.8"},"description":"Sophia Eppley is the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's 2026 summer politics intern. 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The <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/new-georgia-poll-shows-ossoff-leading-governors-race-deadlocked/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">latest AARP poll</a> revealed the race is effectively deadlocked, with Bottoms and Jackson within the poll’s margin of error. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5262DSF5NAZLG64UBP73Z33FI","additional_properties":{},"content":"That puts a disparate group of counties at the center of the November contest.<b> Baldwin</b> and <b>Washington</b> counties in Middle Georgia<b> </b>have moved between Republicans and Democrats in recent presidential elections while the longtime Republican advantage in <b>Fayette County</b> just south of Atlanta has narrowed. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3JEGOBJ2I5HENP3SJVHSJYLES4","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson face off in Georgia governor’s race","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/08/georgia-governor-candidates-2026-whos-running/"},{"_id":"4F2MITHU25AANBIGA63JY53MMA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Meanwhile in metro Atlanta, <b>Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett</b> counties<b> </b>offer a different kind of opportunity: huge pools of voters where even a small change in turnout could translate into tens of thousands of votes. Let’s look at these seven counties in more detail.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFDLU4YPIJAQLI4IGCJERVLWX4","content":"<iframe title=\"Counties to watch in the 2026 election\" aria-label=\"Choropleth map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-PCEJ7\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PCEJ7/3/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"612\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">(function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();</script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"GUWSRYBGJFBM5DAAXZA7UG7O3I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Competitive counties","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"JTVZPOSNVJHOBBCLCOLEMX2KWI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since 2016, Baldwin County has seen a slight Republican shift, but it remains competitive. Democrat Stacey Abrams narrowly carried the county in the 2018 governor’s race, beating Republican Brian Kemp by less than half a percentage point in a race Kemp ultimately won. Kemp went on to win the county by 7 points in their 2022 rematch. 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(Alyssa Pointer/AJC)","created_date":"2021-01-06T16:06:58Z","credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"byline":"Alyssa Pointer","name":"Alyssa Pointer","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"height":2581,"image_type":"photograph","last_updated_date":"2021-01-06T16:06:58Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc","sponsored":false},"slug":"101418 Gov debate_AP7","source":{"name":"AJC","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY","system":"photo center"},"subtitle":"Stacey Abrams Brian Kemp 2018 debate","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/HBXPF53FYRBDRJ4QK7MIYSOQAY.JPG?auth=abf58a5cdfb18abe2ef3d9c8a9d8eb54c2dcf337055fbd4d961f6cce8a512614","version":"0.10.9","width":3872,"syndication":{}},{"_id":"MHZN52CEBZBX3HUGBEGWU2O55I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Presidential elections have also been close. Democrat Hillary Clinton carried Baldwin by less than 2 percentage<b> </b>points in 2016. Democrat<b> </b>Joe Biden won the county by just over 1 point in 2020. But in 2024, the county flipped to Republican Donald Trump, who beat Democrat Kamala Harris by just over 2 percentage<b> </b>points. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FEENAICOQJDLJLUGJBHRKECIDA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Washington County tells a similar story. Kemp won the county by less than 2 percentage points in 2018 and just 5 points in 2022. In the past three presidential elections, the margin between the Democratic and Republican candidates has been less than 2 percentage points. Clinton narrowly carried the county in 2016, and Biden won it by less than 1 point in 2020. But in 2024, the county flipped to Trump, who beat Harris by nearly 2 points. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"T3UYLQQXKBHNFLMG4HADN3HXE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"From 2016 to 2024, Fayette County has seen its share of Republican voters shrink by 7 percentage points and its share of Democratic voters increase by 9 points. Republican candidates still consistently win the county, but by smaller<b> </b>margins. It’s in counties like Fayette — farther out in Atlanta’s suburbs and with an increasingly diverse electorate — where the candidates will be fighting it out on Election Day. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FZOQRRSEEZBGVKNGX2H5KWNO64","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Georgia 2026: What the polls and experts say about the race for governor","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/georgia-2026-what-the-polls-say-about-the-race-for-governor/"},{"_id":"GWKU4SBLOZHYVOIF3YO4XQID5U","additional_properties":{},"content":"From 2016 to 2024, Democrats in Fayette County increased their total votes by 54%, compared with a 9% increase among Republicans. Fayette County Republican Steve Brown called the Democratic shift “alarming,” but said he remains confident that Jackson will carry the county come November. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4OFABYHPPVHAFOQJLGOB5DB2IM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Brown said the Fayette County Republican Party is relying on a strong ground game to turn out their voters. That includes knocking on the doors of people who voted in the Republican primary to make sure they return to the polls in November.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WN3MYWGM3JA7DDQKLOXF44E7OE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think the fear of where people within the Democratic Party are heading and this new (Democratic Socialists of America) movement … scares Republicans into saying I’m voting for whoever has got the ‘R’ behind their name,” he said. 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But the size of Democrats’ advantage varies depending on the election. In the 2018 and 2022 governor’s races, Democratic turnout outpaced Republican turnout by up to 30,000 votes. In the past two presidential elections, that gap grew to nearly 60,000 votes. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGRQDGIZFBE5JMBLB7DTOQSVY","additional_properties":{},"content":"That makes lower-propensity voters — those who may turn out for presidential elections but skip midterms — particularly important. Cobb County Democrats and Republicans are working to reach those voters this year. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"D4S67JJTZFHNBAUULXQR66FUXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Cobb County Republican Party Chair Mary Clarice Henry said enthusiasm for Jackson is growing, even among those who voted for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who lost to Jackson in the Republican primary. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BOKTNQUREJCTNA6TRDQ7R64FPE","additional_properties":{},"content":"You need more than Republican voters to win a general election. Henry said she’s also targeting independents who feel “politically homeless” and Republicans who feel disillusioned with the party. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"TCTJTBWCIJCR3ILASLYV6W46J4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“And quite frankly, I think Rick Jackson has that kind of message,” she said. “I think he appeals to people all across the board because of his story … He removes a lot of excuses for people.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPNTTESV5ZC4JCNTNOFBPYHH24","additional_properties":{},"content":"Jackson appeared with Trump when he <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/donald-trumps-policy-pitch-turns-into-a-georgia-campaign-rally/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/donald-trumps-policy-pitch-turns-into-a-georgia-campaign-rally/\">visited Wheeler High School</a> in Cobb County last month. But Cobb County Democratic Party Chair Essence Johnson said the visit has <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/07/a-slap-in-the-face-some-in-wheeler-high-community-oppose-trumps-visit/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/07/a-slap-in-the-face-some-in-wheeler-high-community-oppose-trumps-visit/\">energized Democrats</a>, who protested the event and later flooded a <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/outrage-over-trumps-cobb-county-visit-fuels-tense-school-board-meeting/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/outrage-over-trumps-cobb-county-visit-fuels-tense-school-board-meeting/\">Cobb County School Board meeting</a> to complain about the visit. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"P2SIMWDIYNGPHHZGGTXRJ6IGKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This election is a little bit different,” Johnson said. “It’s not just about what political affiliation you are — people can’t afford to eat, they can’t afford housing.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NMUXRTSUKBCVDKDKG3MX5FVX2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although Bottoms will likely carry Cobb, Henry said Republican success in the county will depend on Jackson cutting into Democratic margins as much as possible, something she said she is confident he can do. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JNYNTPKLTZE7XOZVHMZ5TSASQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“That makes Cobb, in my opinion, one of the most important counties in the entire state,” she said. “We actually have the capacity to almost determine what direction the election goes.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"6a904e2fe3c19717dda4be2b","keywords":["ajc","freelance"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"082826 klb ethics plan  02.JPG","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-08-27T19:30:16Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"Ga"},"auth":{"1":"c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b"},"caption":"Keisha Lance Bottoms greets Georgia legislators before unveiling her ethics and government transparency plan in Atlanta last week. (Ben Gray for the AJC)","copyright":"Ben Gray 2026","created_date":"2026-08-27T20:59:21Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"(Ben Gray for the AJC)","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Ben Gray","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":2667,"last_updated_date":"2026-08-27T20:59:21Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/082826 klb ethics plan  02.JPG","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a904e2fe3c19717dda4be2b"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/Q4LSKBYHUJF3TDL4HZ35QCCGFU.JPG?auth=c9083ea0a4bdd21e878301ee4de6f94c90abc837042bf623173a919a5ce98a7b","version":"0.10.9","width":4000,"subtitle":""},{"_id":"CYFPX4CSLJFRTBIGMFXV5PW2IQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pattern is just as pronounced in Gwinnett County. In recent governor’s races, Democrats have outperformed Republicans by roughly 30,000 to 40,000 votes. During presidential elections, that advantage grows to roughly 70,000 to 80,000 votes. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2U6JRXUMO5AMHHR7FAOTRTOGKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gwinnett County Democratic Party Chair<b> </b>Curt Thompson said coordination with the campaign is more frequent and organized than previous years. But the challenge remains reaching those low-propensity voters. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LDPH5SWPSJDBDBQQFOZVWFY6S4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think that Gwinnett is the bellwether county for the state of the metro counties,” he said. “If we are No. 2 in percentage of turnout of all the ‘big urban-ish’ counties, because of our sheer raw numbers, you can win statewide.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LQQZIVUZBEVJKYGLB6N4I32JE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The key for both campaigns will be closing the turnout gap. If Bottoms can bring Democratic presidential-year voters back to the polls, she could significantly expand her advantage in two of the state’s largest counties. If Jackson can mobilize lower-propensity Republican voters and cut into those Democratic margins, he could limit the votes Bottoms gains in two counties critical to a path to victory. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y7MNSLBFE5HA7GUQRWI23XX4DQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Jackson campaign strategy mirrors that of <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/rick-jackson-is-rebuilding-the-kemp-machine-and-supercharging-it/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/rick-jackson-is-rebuilding-the-kemp-machine-and-supercharging-it/\">Kemp’s in 2018 and 2022</a> by using a targeted data-and-analytics to grab nontraditional voters.<b> </b>On top of that, Jackson can pour millions of dollars of his fortune into the operation. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FUHOYKIDQJAVXPVM3V4OEKZELM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Everybody saw what our side was able to accomplish in 2022 under Gov. Brian Kemp,” Jackson campaign spokesperson Garrison Douglas said. “I think Democrats and those in the Keisha Lance Bottoms campaign are going to long for those days based off of the ground game that we’ve put together and are executing.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5LBKOAWW65DWLH64QL75FCINQE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bottoms’<b> </b>campaign spokesperson TaNisha Cameron said Bottoms has offices statewide and is running an aggressive ground campaign, making a specific effort to visit counties where Democratic margins have increased. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5OPQVQQOHFALTLOU5TFK2WF6SY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Keisha has traveled across the state — to red and blue counties alike — to talk to Georgians about her plans to expand Medicaid and protect Georgia’s hospitals, bring down costs, and invest in education,” she said. ","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/DE7H4THP6ZFEFKLJ2SBRIJFL74.jpg"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"Sophia.Eppley@ajc.com"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"Sophia.Eppley@ajc.com"}],"name":"Sophia Eppley","description":"Sophia Eppley is the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's 2026 summer politics intern. 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So even a small change in turnout could mean tens of thousands of votes."},"display_date":"2026-09-01T13:57:49.466Z","headlines":{"tablet":"","print":"7 counties that could shape Georgia’s governor's race","meta_title":"Georgia counties that could shape the governor's race","native":"","web":"","mobile":"","basic":"7 counties that could shape Georgia’s race for governor","table":""},"label":{"team":{"display":true,"text":"politics","url":""}},"subheadlines":{"basic":"From politically divided counties in middle Georgia to Democratic strongholds in metro Atlanta, the governor’s race could hinge on where each candidate can squeeze out a few thousand more votes. 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Gov. Burt Jones, whose term ends in January following his unsuccessful bid for governor. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QS7YNUI5NFB6TPTYZFQIVO3SUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If the majority caucus and the lieutenant governor aren’t on the same page on a lot of issues, then it can make for a very dysfunctionally run chamber,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NI572PK2UVBNLM6X3LPFRVVIX4","additional_properties":{},"content":"A weakening of the lieutenant governor’s authority could limit the next officeholder’s ability to deliver on promises made on the campaign trail.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DKGCB4G2KZDRPBLPX5EQOWJ2YE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The candidates in the race to replace Jones have both<b> </b>spent<b> </b>two terms in the Senate — but have<b> </b>vastly different politics. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDIKMK2ICJD2LLRCZORKOIAITY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Greg Dolezal casts himself as a hardline Republican with unwavering loyalty to President Donald Trump. Democrat Josh McLaurin is a<b> </b>rising star of his party and looking to become the first Democrat to hold<b> </b>the powerful seat since 2007.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTKIPAK7OZB3LMK5PXR4VG64GM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Senate Democrats see this race, along with Keisha Lance Bottoms’ bid for governor, as an opportunity to level up their influence at the state Capitol, where they have had little power for the past two decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHBGMIOQSVE2NNPEF63VORG7D4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If (Bottoms) were to win, and we pick up seats in the Senate and the House, I don’t know what their posture is going to be,” Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II said of the Republican majority. “Will they just try to shut everything down and wait to win those seats back, or will they say, ‘Let’s work with Democrats’?”","type":"text"},{"_id":"CX7FBNHX4JEJRE5ESV5OBZJT3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte wouldn’t say whether the caucus would explore stripping the lieutenant governor’s powers if a Democrat is elected in November.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77RPAFLTGFHJHO4XNENTJHO2AE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Our caucus is excited to work with one of our own, Greg Dolezal, when he is elected by the people of Georgia this November,” he said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TBZ5DFCGG5FWZLXBIW4YRKQKMM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Majority rules","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"69cc09ae3315424f251c7b90","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","keywords":["40","chamber","day","final","house of representatives","sine die"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"040226 sine die wrap 09.JPG","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-04-02T16:05:07Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SPZLBZJ44RG67JILTP4O2LH2SE.JPG?auth=44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"44bf8f8820ab05fce236ab764ce3b60d7a64bf2a4554f808f15f789555ff7366"},"caption":"Lt. 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A Republican majority has twice changed Senate rules to<b> </b>weaken the position’s powers in recent years. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7IIAHLYPXZFT7NRITRUZYRF6Z4","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"AJC Voter Guide: The candidates for lieutenant governor","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/10-compete-to-become-georgias-next-lieutenant-governor/"},{"_id":"QFBS6BFUDBE4DCNVI7XCRJVYV4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The first<b> </b>came in 2003 after the GOP won control of the chamber for the first time since Reconstruction. Sonny Perdue, then<b> </b>the incoming Republican governor, convinced four Senate Democrats to switch parties. The Republican chamber moved to strip then Democratic Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor of his authority to make committee assignments and name committee chairs. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFGL526YJVCJVPINDTO33GV2EM","additional_properties":{},"content":"And in 2011, within the first two hours of that year’s legislative session ― and while <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/legislature-convenes-amid-wintry-blast/CFD2C6N2qoQ5zzEcgIYbSN/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">a winter storm blew</a> through Atlanta ― the<b> </b>Republican-led Senate stripped Republican<b> </b>Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle of his assigning powers following<b> </b>a feud over a hospital bed tax the year prior.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQGNTZ6NRVB5DFGVVHY24PQBBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If the chamber stays — and I think it will stay in Republican control — I would be willing to bet that McLaurin would probably not enjoy the same type of power and influence I had,” Burt Jones said. 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","type":"text"},{"_id":"4VGPA2KAHVDNFAE5BEP2C4NXGI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s a new day in Georgia, folks,” McLaurin said at the Georgia Democratic Convention in Savannah earlier this month. “Millions of voters are waking up to the reality that Democrats are the adults in the room.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AD5TWQHDYZDYBBYITZ3R5LY6HM","additional_properties":{},"content":"McLaurin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution there will always be the potential for the majority caucus<b> </b>to weaken the lieutenant governor’s powers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IF6WNX63TRG6PNENFHW5BIHNBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“They’ve done it to both Democrats and Republicans,” he said. “But rather than store up my treasures in the Senate rules, I’m focused on the ways the office can help build bipartisan consensus and momentum around the main affordability issues facing Georgians, like housing and healthcare.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"A3HUIS7BWFCZ5MEZASM2E3LABI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Weakening the lieutenant governor’s role<b> </b>is a top concern for Democrats if McLaurin wins, particularly if Bottoms loses the governor’s race and the party fails to pick up additional seats in the Legislature, Harold Jones<b> </b>said. 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Gov. Geoff Duncan ― who ditched the Republican Party to run for governor as a Democrat this year ― <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/georgias-no-2-republican-boycotts-debate-over-election-restrictions/EUJNGU34MFG3XFBC4I5RZVLJ3Q/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/georgias-no-2-republican-boycotts-debate-over-election-restrictions/EUJNGU34MFG3XFBC4I5RZVLJ3Q/\">boycotted a 2021 Senate vote</a> over sweeping election changes spurred by President Donald Trump’s ire over the 2020 election results. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVI2E4SPORALJKGMSIE755WAHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It brought attention to the matter,” Duncan said. “It was good attention to some really bad ideas because ultimately that bill failed over in the House and a different version came forward that was slightly improved.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"IL2OGBNYNJDQLC4DLNBY3MNPH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Party lines aren’t always the only thing that splits the chamber, he said. Often rural and metro-area lawmakers battle over policy; other times it’s a generational divide. And sometimes, more right-leaning Republican members of the body look to pull the chamber further in that direction. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTBG7FYQFNA25H33ARKUV3PJFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"How far right is too far","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4","additional_properties":{"countryId":227,"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"GAWP209","iptc_source":"FR53108 AP","iptc_title":"FRE","keywords":["Politics"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"download?role=main&qt=RYJrIqyz5feS&cid=457538fe11c746a78dff2c5c072fbdfc&pt=NDE2NjV8MTIzMjgzfDF8MHwt","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-07-22T18:03:22Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/COEU5CQQ65BORIYMNWHJUTHEL4.jpg?auth=a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"locality":"Marietta","region":"GA","country_name":"USA"},"auth":{"1":"a529ef82f9ab96fe2b05dddda87ca6f7772f5eef6d7551d06470e9b1bcba0ce5"},"caption":"State Sen. 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In 2020, he joined <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/in-georgia-concerted-gop-pushback-blocks-trump-attempts-to-overturn-election/WCRIAROVEZADVLEL5Q6QHY6UFU/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">a group of senators</a> who sought to help Trump overturn the results of Georgia’s presidential election. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CE56KAW6V5DY3CJBHN6EIOTJCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"How Trump-supporting candidates will fare during the midterm elections is a major question among Georgia politicos. Republicans are navigating the challenge of energizing their base without alienating more moderate voters. 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That count includes key members of leadership and the chairs of important committees, including appropriations, judiciary and transportation. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GGTRQLPBVZEP7MYQ6NX3W3YVOY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Charles Bullock, political science professor at the<b> </b>University of Georgia, said there’s little way to predict how the Senate will operate before the election results are in.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DA6JZVEK7VDSFD7GEDQEHQLQ7M","additional_properties":{},"content":"“So much of the leadership is gone now,” he said. “It’s going to be a very different institution potentially.”","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"_id":"riley-bunch","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"Riley Bunch","image":{"url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/QN7APTHFHJBFPNA7KLLBW42R3A.png","version":"0.5.8"},"description":"Riley Bunch is an enterprise reporter covering the impacts of politics and policy on everyday Georgians. 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","longBio":"Riley Bunch is a politics and policy reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She covers the everyday impacts of policy decisions made by state leaders and examines top voter issues during elections. Prior to her role on the politics team, Riley covered Atlanta City Hall for the AJC where she reported on the mayor, City Council and Atlanta's diverse neighborhoods. ","slug":"","native_app_rendering":false,"fuzzy_match":false,"contributor":false,"status":true,"expertise":"10","last_updated_date":"2026-07-22T18:05:42.554Z","twitter":"https://twitter.com/ribunchreports","author_type":"Staff","beat":"Atlanta City Hall","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","type":"author"}}}]},"description":{"basic":"The Republican majority in the state Senate has twice chosen to weaken the lieutenant governor's powers. They could do so again, regardless of who wins in November."},"display_date":"2026-08-31T09:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Georgia has a powerful lieutenant governor. 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Partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement have strengthened, in part because of the Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act, a law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2024. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"N7ICPUL6CZAQZDYOGPAHMNONZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The law requires local law enforcement to check the immigration status of inmates, cooperate with ICE agents and submit quarterly reports on immigrant detainees.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I6Y423IPJVCELNYTVGQJ4QPQHY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The number of immigrants in ICE detention in Georgia has <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/08/ice-detention-in-georgia-grew-90-under-trump-advocates-suing-for-records/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">grown 90%</a> under President Donald Trump’s second administration. Georgia has the fourth-most immigrant detainees out of all U.S. states behind Texas, Louisiana and California. Last fall, Georgia was the site of the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/business/2025/09/475-arrested-in-unprecedent-immigration-raid-at-georgias-hyundai-ev-site/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">largest single immigration raid</a> in the history of Homeland Security Investigations. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"A3FXYO277VBK7PF4NBYGTKNSL4","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Georgia governor race: Bottoms and Jackson say they’ll raise teacher pay","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/education/2026/08/keisha-lance-bottoms-and-rick-jackson-both-say-theyll-raise-teacher-pay/"},{"_id":"JM3WHCJHLVGTPCAJJBAQD3RJII","additional_properties":{},"content":"Here’s where candidates for governor, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and healthcare CEO Rick Jackson, stand on immigration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IJIJERBX75FC3HFZMIU6HN7LGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bottoms","level":2,"type":"header"},{"_id":"RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"6a638a995d27aa682b3f828e","iptc_source":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"aajc 080126 dems state convention 4835.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-08-01T17:32:16Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{},"auth":{"1":"0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d"},"caption":"During her tenure as Atlanta mayor, Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order prohibiting the city jail from accepting any new ICE detainees.  (Arvin Temkar/AJC)","copyright":"Copyright 2026 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","created_date":"2026-08-01T18:04:47Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":2001,"last_updated_date":"2026-08-01T18:04:48Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"aajc 080126 dems state convention  ","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/aajc 080126 dems state convention 4835.jpg","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"Keisha Lance Bottoms","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a638a995d27aa682b3f828e"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/RS7EYLC55ZDFBBLVRQMDUUI7BI.jpg?auth=0ac5c986f57e87c0034926bbdc9e94dd4f5424009bb941e1b65676aa2f9df85d","version":"0.10.9","width":3000},{"_id":"UAR2YLUYCZFCPIHUC4AKOW5QOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor, has expressed concern over states’ collaboration with federal ICE agents, especially under the Trump administration. She called the ICE campaign earlier this year in Minnesota “reckless” and <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DT82hKvAZIJ/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">condemned the shooting of Alex Pretti</a> at the hands of federal agents. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2JKRZHIJMNEITADZHTBVIE25GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The tactics we have seen from ICE under the Trump Administration have terrorized communities and harmed Americans,” Bottoms said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DTSEHRQLNNHKFBZSL5L2GGV7LU","additional_properties":{},"content":"During her tenure as Atlanta mayor, Bottoms issued an executive order prohibiting the city jail from accepting any new ICE detainees. In 2018, she called the forced separation of migrant families at the U.S. southern border “despicable” and said the city won’t accept any new immigration detainees until the separations have stopped.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYXBZXWQXFDWFFN6X4G57SFEM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"If elected governor, Bottoms said in a statement she will “support lawful and responsible collaboration between local and federal law enforcement.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"UYMHGPPD6ZCTDGGO2A4PX3XPXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As governor, I will support giving Georgia law enforcement tools to get dangerous criminals out of communities, but I will not support ICE tactics designed to terrorize Georgians,” she said. 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(Ben Hendren for the AJC)","copyright":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2026","created_date":"2026-08-28T16:38:21Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Ben Hendren","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Ben Hendren","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":5763,"last_updated_date":"2026-08-28T16:38:21Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"aajc082826","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/AAJC082826GCDALPC-4.jpg","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/FSCIRPVYLNGEHIOGOWRGBJDK6Q","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"Gwinnett District Attorney files a lawsuit related to House Bill 369","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6a9049555d27aa682b490374"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/FSCIRPVYLNGEHIOGOWRGBJDK6Q.jpg?auth=e80306a79bf2cfa4b8b9dc3ef545e6d94b60db032495f34a8d8b8ed4cbd91a25","version":"0.10.9","width":8644,"focal_point":{"x":4181,"y":1715}}}],"id":"697120fa589f0f7ffbf2ea86","blockName":"Carousel Article Card / Type 1","LiveBlogUseRelatedOverride":false},{"blockType":"app-content","PackageTitle":"","hidePackageTitle":false,"displayconfig":"MainArticleCardType1","ListMenuHierarchy":"","MostReadFeed":"https://experiences.mrf.io/recommenderexperience/render.json?id=AP_SzwZiHjXTpKC0Vu4fbYZkQ&canonical_url=https://www.ajc.com","MostReadNumber":5,"populateBy":"collection-content-api","mustIncludeThumbnail":false,"collectionId":"3RINKECWJNAJ7KZW4LGZZEK4GY","onlyIncludeThisType":"","canonicalWebsites":{"ajc":false,"uatl":false,"dawgnation":false,"access-atlanta":false},"daysBack":30,"size":1,"from":0,"mustIncludeAllTags":"no","content":[{"canonical_url":"/politics/2026/06/havent-received-your-georgia-special-tax-refund-yet-you-might-be-out-of-luck/","canonical_website":"ajc","content_elements":[{"_id":"UAJWMR7MS5GQVCJYR2PJUFLOEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Georgia officials have issued more than 2.6 million refunds of up to $500 as of last week, and there’s still more to come.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ATLI75PKYVGTJJNAOZASTG6AQY","additional_properties":{},"content":"But for a variety of reasons, some Georgia residents may be out of luck. Here’s what you need to know.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5ESULQYTWVBMJNRBJCNYXRUGA4","additional_properties":{},"content":"<b>Why is Georgia offering refunds?</b> In the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-starts-budget-season-with-165-billion-in-reserves/RVULGEGNJZDTTJTPARHOO5GADE/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-starts-budget-season-with-165-billion-in-reserves/RVULGEGNJZDTTJTPARHOO5GADE/\">accumulated $16.5 billion</a> in various savings accounts. Gov. Brian Kemp and his fellow Republicans who control the state Legislature have been giving much of this money back to taxpayers in special refunds. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"T42W4Z4X7RBK5KRSW7YFE3GNUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Earlier this year Kemp and lawmakers <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/georgia-senate-approves-tax-rebates-of-up-to-500/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">approved legislation</a> authorizing special tax refunds again this year. It’s the fourth time in five years the state <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/08/georgia-has-issued-more-than-1-billion-in-tax-refunds-more-are-on-the-way/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/08/georgia-has-issued-more-than-1-billion-in-tax-refunds-more-are-on-the-way/\">has done this</a>. The latest round is expected to reduce state reserves by more than $1 billion.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AHZGSBX2EREF5MT6VY6ZPNVP3U","additional_properties":{},"content":"These “surplus” refunds are in addition to the regular refunds many Georgians received after they filed their 2025 tax returns.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77VOYB6NHJCWPK2M3GOVVZFXMQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"<b>Who is eligible?</b> Georgia residents who filed a timely individual state income tax return for 2024 and 2025. Nonresidents and people who lived in Georgia for part of those years are eligible for partial refunds. Most people who are eligible have already received refunds. Of the roughly $1 billion available, Georgia has sent out about $950 million so far. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"OC6FLJVR3FHYZBNKAXQH2HWIEM","additional_properties":{},"content":"<b>Why haven’t I gotten a refund yet? </b>Many reasons. People who asked for more time to file their tax returns have not gotten refunds yet. Or you might not be eligible. People who didn’t pay state taxes will not receive a refund. For example, many retirees won’t get a refund because they don’t make enough money to owe taxes. State law exempts up to $35,000 in retirement income for people ages 62-64 and up to $65,000 in income for those age 65 and older. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LTZIYGVWHBFT5O4BCM5F7YAFUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"<b>What’s the maximum refund?</b> Individuals or married people filing separately will get a maximum refund of $250. Heads of household will get up to $375. Married couples filing jointly will receive up to $500.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MPVVP2AAPBEPFOYFG47R3EIFGQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"<b>My refund is less than that. Why?</b> Those who paid less in taxes than the maximum refund will receive a smaller amount. People who owe the state money — such as delinquent taxes or child support — also might receive a reduced refund.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3SJRVUWKT5EPRD3EGWUJ5D274Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"<b>How will I receive the refund?</b> It’s based on the refund instructions you provided on your tax form.<b> </b>In previous years, more than 75% of refunds were issued via direct deposit.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TMXUT5Z3O5EZPFT57X5AGZHG3M","additional_properties":{},"content":"<b>More information:</b> For more details, visit <a href=\"https://dor.georgia.gov/georgia-surplus-tax-refund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">https://dor.georgia.gov/georgia-surplus-tax-refund</a>. ","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"_id":"david-wickert","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"David Wickert","image":{"url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/86822855-3666-4f7d-8eac-7db534540ea3.png","version":"0.5.8"},"description":"David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. 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Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.","firstName":"David","lastName":"Wickert","longBio":"David Wickert has been a reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2010. He writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Prior to arriving in Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Washington state, Illinois, Virginia and Tennessee. He lives near Lilburn with his wife Shelly and their two children.","twitter":"https://twitter.com/dwickert","custom_ajc_phone":"770-263-3062","books":[],"podcasts":[],"education":[],"awards":[],"last_updated_date":"2024-11-02T13:54:28.399Z","expertise":"11","image":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/86822855-3666-4f7d-8eac-7db534540ea3.png","facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/journalistdavidwickert/","beat":"Transportation and state government","type":"author","bio_page":"/staff/david-wickert/","author_type":"Staff","custom_ajc_website":"ajc"}}}]},"description":{"basic":"Most people have already received special tax refunds of up to $500 this year. Some people's refunds will be delayed. But others are not eligible."},"display_date":"2026-06-09T09:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Haven’t received your Georgia special tax refund yet? You might be out of luck. 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Brian Kemp declined to extend a suspension lawmakers approved amid soaring fuel prices during the war with Iran. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R5HC32L65ZDRTOE2IUBV3AND2I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Georgia was the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/brian-kemp-says-he-will-suspend-georgias-gas-tax-amid-surging-prices/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/brian-kemp-says-he-will-suspend-georgias-gas-tax-amid-surging-prices/\">first state</a> to suspend its gas tax, which also includes a 37-cents-per gallon levy on diesel. Last month, Kemp <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/05/gov-kemp-will-extend-georgia-gas-tax-break-ahead-of-summer-driving-season/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/05/gov-kemp-will-extend-georgia-gas-tax-break-ahead-of-summer-driving-season/\">extended that suspension</a> for another two weeks to get drivers through the busy Memorial Day weekend.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7R4ZQBEUZRFKFN4TMN5I7L4JHI","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"PSC signs off on lower bills for Georgia Power customers","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/05/psc-signs-off-on-lower-bills-for-georgia-power-customers/"},{"_id":"HNUG326VQRHP5HSD7Z66SYG6KE","additional_properties":{},"content":"But on Monday, a spokesperson for Kemp said he would let the gas tax suspension expire at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. The spokesperson said the governor made the decision “with oil prices now holding relatively steady,” noting the state must keep “a financial eye toward any unexpected needs in the future.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"B76FZEMYNZAUZKLDXNVKK37ES4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Georgia’s gas tax pays for road maintenance and construction. Motorists collectively saved about $200 million a month while it was suspended.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2VAOORGWJJFIZGLFB6GXVAJJJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Motorists will notice the increase at the pump over the next few days. Though the gas-tax suspension saved motorists money, it couldn’t halt the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/kemps-gas-tax-suspension-helped-but-prices-rose-anyway/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">rise in prices</a> amid the war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NGM6N4C465A2XOL3UCGUX7KYOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The average price of regular gasoline in Georgia was $3.83 a gallon on Monday, <a href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=GA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=GA\">according to AAA</a>. When lawmakers suspended the tax in March the price was $3.79 a gallon — up from $2.70 in February.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T7RXNMMCEJAYVGYOHTLSI4NB6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"<i>Staff Writer Amy Wenk contributed to this story</i>","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"_id":"david-wickert","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"David Wickert","image":{"url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/86822855-3666-4f7d-8eac-7db534540ea3.png","version":"0.5.8"},"description":"David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. 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Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.","firstName":"David","lastName":"Wickert","longBio":"David Wickert has been a reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2010. He writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Prior to arriving in Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Washington state, Illinois, Virginia and Tennessee. He lives near Lilburn with his wife Shelly and their two children.","twitter":"https://twitter.com/dwickert","custom_ajc_phone":"770-263-3062","books":[],"podcasts":[],"education":[],"awards":[],"last_updated_date":"2024-11-02T13:54:28.399Z","expertise":"11","image":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/86822855-3666-4f7d-8eac-7db534540ea3.png","facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/journalistdavidwickert/","beat":"Transportation and state government","type":"author","bio_page":"/staff/david-wickert/","author_type":"Staff","custom_ajc_website":"ajc"}}}]},"description":{"basic":"Georgia was the first state to suspend its gas tax amid soaring prices triggered by President Donald Trump's decision to go to war in Iran."},"display_date":"2026-06-01T19:38:32.229Z","headlines":{"basic":"Georgia’s 33-cent gas tax returns"},"label":{"team":{"display":true,"text":"politics","url":""}},"subheadlines":{"basic":"The state suspended the taxes in March, including 37 cents on diesel, amid rising fuel prices caused by the war in Iran."},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"DINMNZSHW5GBDPZJSTY57DQLXI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/DINMNZSHW5GBDPZJSTY57DQLXI.JPG?auth=61e5d15e344db865b89a4cd98403f002c67d28ae98a42a9021338d567e60d431","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"69d661f7062c0306ce0f462b","iptc_source":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","iptc_title":"Visual Journalist","keywords":["gas prices"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"aajc 041026 gas prices ABC 05.JPG","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/DINMNZSHW5GBDPZJSTY57DQLXI.JPG","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/DINMNZSHW5GBDPZJSTY57DQLXI.JPG?auth=61e5d15e344db865b89a4cd98403f002c67d28ae98a42a9021338d567e60d431","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/DINMNZSHW5GBDPZJSTY57DQLXI.JPG?auth=61e5d15e344db865b89a4cd98403f002c67d28ae98a42a9021338d567e60d431","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-04-08T15:29:21Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/DINMNZSHW5GBDPZJSTY57DQLXI.JPG?auth=61e5d15e344db865b89a4cd98403f002c67d28ae98a42a9021338d567e60d431&width=300","version":1},"address":{"locality":"Atanta","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"61e5d15e344db865b89a4cd98403f002c67d28ae98a42a9021338d567e60d431"},"caption":"Duncan Butler fills up his gas tank at Buddy’s gas station in Atlanta in April. 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Brian Kemp used his veto pen to trim spending in <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/brian-kemp-trims-300-million-from-georgias-budget/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/brian-kemp-trims-300-million-from-georgias-budget/\">Georgia’s new budget</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNPBCSCT45CQ5HICJWT3YKDPKQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The governor cut $100 million that was supposed to guarantee more robust cost-of-living raises for retired state workers after more than a decade of stagnant benefits. While retirees will still get a 2.25% cost-of-living adjustment in July, their representatives say it won’t be enough to keep up with <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/05/ajc-poll-georgians-concerned-about-inflation-economy-as-midterms-loom/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">inflation</a> and that future raises will be smaller than they could have been.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BKKTRTFSFJHSBOQLLPU5CEMOP4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“A good chunk of the General Assembly said they wanted to help us. This year, it seemed like it was all coming to fruition,” said Chuck Freedman, legislative liaison for the Georgia State Retirees Association. “And then the door just got slammed shut in our faces.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"S2PGB2VCBVF5HE6V5RTEWOP34E","additional_properties":{},"content":"A spokesperson for Kemp noted the state has spent more than $1.1 billion over the last three years to shore up the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia. And the 2027 budget Kemp <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/brian-kemp-trims-300-million-from-georgias-budget/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/brian-kemp-trims-300-million-from-georgias-budget/\">signed last week</a> still includes $27.8 million for a one-time supplemental payment for retirees.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N7CGJZBUANE47N6IEBZK6ZVRZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Retirees know (the governor) has fought hard for them,” Kemp communications director Andrew Isenhour wrote on social media last week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OMYZOKZV6JC7RLGV6VWJPYTEE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The vetoed money is just part of the more than $300 million in state spending Kemp blocked to help pay for a significant <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/georgia-lawmakers-approve-income-tax-cut-property-tax-relief/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">income tax cut</a> lawmakers passed on the final day of the legislative session.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MTJMP5O77JDA7OH3FKHKOM6BTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Kemp said that tax cut created a $1.3 billion deficit. It lowers the individual income tax rate while raising the amount of nontaxable income for everyone by 25%. It also temporarily exempts some income from overtime and tips from taxation. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"POXFD356RZCDJO4CG2VGNOOKSI","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"What to know about Georgia’s special session on redistricting, voting","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/what-to-know-about-georgias-special-session-on-redistricting-voting/"},{"_id":"E3X4T3HAHVCT5FCV6PFC72GTBE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Among the other spending he cut was $30.7 million for school transportation, $12 million for school safety equipment grants, $5.3 million for Medicaid dental care and $2.5 million to aid homeless veterans.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RUJRHLUDMVB4XPCZCO2IVWOFUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We’re taking all of this out of the budget so that Republicans can say ‘we gave you a tax cut,’” said House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus. “But at what cost?”","type":"text"},{"_id":"4MIKJ22ELRCPNM5J7Y3VFAYTBI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Kemp’s veto of the money for retirees has received less attention. But many of the state’s 56,000 retirees noticed. They’ve complained for years about the state’s lack of support for the retirement system.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CSFX2DIE3FAMXD4CGVDZ2H4GTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Freedman said Georgia used to provide 3% cost-of-living raises to retirees each year. He said good retirement benefits helped the state to attract employees who otherwise could make more money in the private sector.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TJMHHX7JPBFXBCNIWTRVBGITXM","additional_properties":{},"content":"But those raises disappeared following the Great Recession. Retirees received no raises for 13 years. While state retirees received some additional one-time payments in six of those years, they didn’t get another bump in their base benefits until 2023. They have since received several small increases.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BX5VSUHYA5B2ZL3YD6FEKS4VIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Like most states, Georgia’s budget has been buoyed by massive budget surpluses in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Kemp and the Republican-controlled state Legislature have sent a lot of that money back to taxpayers, both with one-time rebates and lowering the income tax rate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FOPIZME2KRGNXG7ULQAEKEZH4M","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Why Georgia lawmakers keep sending you money","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/why-georgia-lawmakers-keep-sending-you-money/"},{"_id":"2EQKYNH35JFBNKI4RDUARBAGOY","additional_properties":{},"content":"They’ve also made two $500 million payments to the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia in recent years, plus another $100 million in the amended fiscal year 2026 budget they approved this year. As a result, the system’s board approved the upcoming 2.25% cost-of-living adjustment last month.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PF3OL2ULFZC4NJCDDQVVLRVJRA","additional_properties":{},"content":"That will give the average retiree an extra $49 a month.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DAMGE6WTQJDG5CGDNY2RE2DZFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The additional $100 million in the 2027 budget — about $72 million in state funding, with the rest coming from federal and other sources — was intended to boost future retiree raises on an ongoing basis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JFI2JNWNEVFUDPZ4BRJ3AQIYQE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Freedman said he appreciates what Kemp and legislators have done to bolster retirement benefits in recent years. But he said retirees are having a hard time paying for basic expenses like food and medical care, even before the most recent bout of <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/05/ajc-poll-georgians-concerned-about-inflation-economy-as-midterms-loom/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">inflation</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"665YZFG2ARGKLOHHK3BDQEXRC4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We’re, frankly, dismayed and saddened at the loss this represents,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4RHOZDJKFVCD7BJGRCO3JFGTRQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Jim Potvin, executive director of the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia, said he’s heartened by the support that lawmakers and Kemp have given retirees in recent years. He said that bodes well for the possibility of future funding.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6SI6CK7DDVFPJCC6VNWYDSAHVQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I go into the next session with a sense of optimism,” Potvin said.","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"_id":"david-wickert","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"David Wickert","image":{"url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/86822855-3666-4f7d-8eac-7db534540ea3.png","version":"0.5.8"},"description":"David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. 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Brian Kemp signed on Monday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GJSWTRINLBHODGZZBK2HID4PP4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Now, state and local officials must figure out how to pay for it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WE5WJZGTY5DOZPGBSSU2SNRSA4","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-legislative-navigator/#bills/HB/463\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">House Bill 463</a> cuts the state income tax rate, raises the standard deduction and temporarily excludes a portion of tips and overtime earnings from taxation. <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-legislative-navigator/#bills/SB/33\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Senate Bill 33</a> caps tax assessments on individual properties and allows cities and counties to raise sales taxes to grant additional property tax relief to homeowners.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X7GTGEID2BCA7N2FRYH6S656WY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Kemp signed both bills at the Georgia Capitol<b> </b>while surrounded by state lawmakers. He said cutting taxes is a hallmark of conservative budgeting and leadership.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SIVAVFROSJGNZFCGZIK22NBVHY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“While other states like California and Maryland are raising taxes, here in Georgia we’re giving money back to the people,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QIC73AWCYJEV7GU76PL2F3V4GA","additional_properties":{},"content":"But the governor also suggested the income tax cut could have consequences for the state budget that he is expected to sign into law on Tuesday. He could wield his veto power to trim some spending.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B43ABP3Q4ZELJAVDCJ4QO5ZWBE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Critics — including most Democrats — say the tax cuts will play havoc with state and local government finances, forcing governments to raise sales taxes that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income Georgians.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LT4ECDQCQVGSHMWJHITU7X3F2Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As we’ve said all year, this fake populism tries to distract voters from the truth — these bills are just more GOP giveaways to the wealthy on the back of our middle class,” Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II, D-Augusta, said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BETT6B4TNRDH3PP4DCFDRPT5PA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In signing the laws, Kemp has given Republican leaders a partial victory in an election year dominated by <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/01/affordability-is-the-political-buzzword-of-2026/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">affordability issues</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"A5MVCDGYJVCUZO2QGC4H35GINI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/A5MVCDGYJVCUZO2QGC4H35GINI.jpg?auth=0e190ce905af394f69d7aa4a5b77ef069024cc2731cec5ffe33bd16646080b46","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"69fdf646062c0306ce18dd0b","iptc_title":"Multimedia Journalist","keywords":["burt jones","georgia state capitol","house bill 463. brian kemp","jon burns","tax relief"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"AAJC051126HB463-5.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/A5MVCDGYJVCUZO2QGC4H35GINI.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/A5MVCDGYJVCUZO2QGC4H35GINI.jpg?auth=0e190ce905af394f69d7aa4a5b77ef069024cc2731cec5ffe33bd16646080b46","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/A5MVCDGYJVCUZO2QGC4H35GINI.jpg?auth=0e190ce905af394f69d7aa4a5b77ef069024cc2731cec5ffe33bd16646080b46","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-05-11T17:08:44Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/A5MVCDGYJVCUZO2QGC4H35GINI.jpg?auth=0e190ce905af394f69d7aa4a5b77ef069024cc2731cec5ffe33bd16646080b46&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"street_address":"Georgia State Capitol building","locality":"Atlanta","region":"Georgia"},"auth":{"1":"0e190ce905af394f69d7aa4a5b77ef069024cc2731cec5ffe33bd16646080b46"},"caption":"Lt. Gov. Burt Jones speaks inside the Georgia Capitol on Monday. 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Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor, wanted to <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/01/senate-republicans-release-plan-to-end-georgia-state-income-tax-by-2032/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">eliminate the individual income</a> tax by 2032. But that didn’t happen, mostly because the tax is the state’s largest source of revenue, generating nearly $16 billion annually.","type":"text"},{"_id":"45AY3AO2FNABJD77ANFKZJBBJQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"In February<b>,</b> Jones <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/02/jones-plan-would-eliminate-tax-breaks-to-cut-georgia-income-tax/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">unveiled a plan</a> that constituted<b> </b>a down payment on that promise. It would have nearly quadrupled the standard deduction — essentially eliminating the income tax for two-thirds of Georgians. To help pay for it, the bill would have eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars of sales and income tax breaks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HJT4AVM25JGBTERTDVA3SHXWQA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The scaled-back law Kemp signed raises the standard deduction by 25%. It raises the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly from $24,000 to $30,000 next year and the deduction for other filers from $12,000 to $15,000. It raises the deduction for each dependent from $4,000 to $5,000, and it would exempt up to $1,750 in cash tips and $1,750 in overtime income from taxation through 2028.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NYNX6Q4M7FBV5DI4KQEDZNYPVY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The bill also reduces the income tax rate from 5.19% to 4.99% this year. If the state meets certain revenue targets, the rate would be further reduced to 3.99% over eight years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6S56ENRORND25FNJBCZOVM6JUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Monday, Georgia<b> </b>House Speaker Jon Burns said the bill will return $2.9 billion a year to taxpayers. That also means $2.9 billion less in state revenue. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4.jpg?auth=ae3ff75347dd12af16aa9f96b4bccf3d7e1a7caa1b6fb8a685644d446012eaad","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"69fdf646062c0306ce18dd0b","iptc_title":"Multimedia Journalist","keywords":["burt jones","georgia state capitol","house bill 463. brian kemp","jon burns","tax relief"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"AAJC051126HB463-6.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4.jpg?auth=ae3ff75347dd12af16aa9f96b4bccf3d7e1a7caa1b6fb8a685644d446012eaad","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4.jpg?auth=ae3ff75347dd12af16aa9f96b4bccf3d7e1a7caa1b6fb8a685644d446012eaad","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2026-05-11T17:10:46Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4.jpg?auth=ae3ff75347dd12af16aa9f96b4bccf3d7e1a7caa1b6fb8a685644d446012eaad&width=300","version":1,"alt_text":"","link":""},"address":{"street_address":"Georgia State Capitol building","locality":"Atlanta","region":"Georgia"},"auth":{"1":"ae3ff75347dd12af16aa9f96b4bccf3d7e1a7caa1b6fb8a685644d446012eaad"},"caption":"Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns speaks inside the Georgia Capitol on Monday. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)","copyright":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2026","created_date":"2026-05-11T16:32:59Z","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Ben Hendren","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Ben Hendren","type":"author"}]},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"46cae676-4989-4b34-bc9b-906e8e9b6d59"},"height":3704,"last_updated_date":"2026-05-11T16:33:00Z","licensable":false,"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"slug":"aajc051126","source":{"name":"AJC Freelancer","source_id":"Freelancer/AAJC051126HB463-6.jpg","source_type":"freelance","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"},"edit_url":"https://ajc.arcpublishing.com/photo/VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4","system":"AJC Freelancer"},"subtitle":"Governor Brain Kemp signs multiple bills ","taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["69fdf646062c0306ce18dd0b"]},"type":"image","url":"https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/VC7RA3KHFVDD3LOBUQO2O5UNF4.jpg?auth=ae3ff75347dd12af16aa9f96b4bccf3d7e1a7caa1b6fb8a685644d446012eaad","version":"0.10.9","width":5556},{"_id":"SO6Q7WW6LNG7RGBUVRPTPRHS2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Meanwhile, the handful of tax breaks the law eliminates<b> </b>will only raise about $107.4 million over five years, an <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/georgia-lawmakers-vowed-to-cut-tax-breaks-they-approved-more-instead/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis</a> found.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CWKZTP4GTZHSFDAOXOV7SNXQZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Though Georgia has accumulated sizable budget reserves in recent years, legislators have been quickly spending that money. They have cut the income tax rate, suspended the gas tax and, most prominently, they have sent up to $500 checks to most taxpayers for the fourth time in five years. This year, lawmakers also agreed to use $850 million of the surplus to <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/why-georgia-lawmakers-keep-sending-you-money/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/why-georgia-lawmakers-keep-sending-you-money/\">send similar payments</a> to most homeowners. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"67SPRRANC5DH5DHWOQNXPSBYFA","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"openInNewTab":true,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false},"content":"Why Georgia lawmakers keep sending you money","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/why-georgia-lawmakers-keep-sending-you-money/"},{"_id":"PTDJS3P2JVEPFAJAEFANBQQG5Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"That could be one reason why Kemp on Monday suggested he may trim spending when he signs the 2027 budget on Tuesday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HYUJUTBBWVD7ZDTI57MZSBJE6Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We’ve got a budget that I’ve still got to sign,” Kemp told reporters. “We’re going to make sure that we’re good fiscal stewards of our resources. And we’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"PV6CTPZKCVAEDC2PAKE6JN7W2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"While Jones focused on reducing the income tax, Burns’ top priorities included lowering property taxes. He wanted to <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/01/burns-unveils-plan-to-eliminate-property-taxes-on-georgia-homes/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/01/burns-unveils-plan-to-eliminate-property-taxes-on-georgia-homes/\">eliminate the tax</a> on “homestead” properties, or residents’ primary single-family homes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R6ZZL7JO5ZDY5GVJHNPYJUCD4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The scaled-back SB 33 caps property tax assessments on properties at the rate of inflation. It also allows cities and counties — but not school districts — to either raise sales taxes or use existing sales tax revenue to reduce property taxes for homeowners. Plus,<b> </b>if a local government completely eliminates taxes on homesteads, the law would let them lower property taxes on other types of properties. The maximum total sales tax in most places remains 9%.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y7HTJJ3WLNDEHDOBETXJNO4MSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Democrats say the law will force local governments to raise sales taxes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GQZFO3MZCVEJZG4IUVPD36JGHY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“You see explicit authorization for higher taxes on gas, groceries, and alcohol — all to pay for rich people’s tax cuts,” said Harold Jones II, the minority leader.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2AWS5PVSTJGDXD24K2PC7TRMGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Burns said lawmakers will work with local schools and governments to ensure they can provide essential services. But he said Georgians are crying for property tax relief.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3ZNAXG5PZNH2XMI5QICPO73JBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We believe that we can do something in this state, especially when it comes to homestead property taxes,” Burns said. “It needs to be addressed.”","type":"text"}],"credits":{"by":[{"_id":"david-wickert","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"David Wickert","image":{"url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/86822855-3666-4f7d-8eac-7db534540ea3.png","version":"0.5.8"},"description":"David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. 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