U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson announced earlier this week that he will step down from office at the end of 2019. In this episode, host Greg Bluestein and AJC editor Shannon McCaffrey share immediate reactions to Isakson's retirement and also dig into Isakson’s career to talk about why he is so well-respected in Georgia. The two also discuss how a second Georgia U.S. Senate seat on the ballot in 2020 impacts both state politics and Georgia's status as a battleground state ahead of the presidential election. Also, Gov. Brian Kemp will appoint a senator to Isakson’s seat, and Bluestein and McCaffrey discuss both the potential appointees and the potential impact of Kemp’s appointment.

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Georgia Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox, angry about an article, burns a copy of The Atlanta Constitution in the state Senate on March 10, 1971, saying the paper did not have the "guts, integrity, manhood or decency" to report the situation accurately. (AJC file)

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Ja’Quon Stembridge, shown here in July at the Henry County Republican Party monthly meeting, recently stepped from his position with the Georgia GOP. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)

Credit: Jenni Girtman