Brian Kemp asks GOP Senate donors for more time to find a consensus candidate

As the Republican field for U.S. Senate grows, Gov. Brian Kemp is urging his top donors to “keep your powder dry” and give him and President Donald Trump more breathing room to settle on a candidate who can defeat Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.

The governor and the president met on May 10 in Washington to discuss uniting behind a consensus candidate to take on Ossoff. Whether they’ll wind up rallying around the same contender is unclear, but Kemp pleaded for patience on a call with his closest supporters.

“Give us time,” he told donors on Tuesday, according to three people on the line, adding that he and Trump plan more conversations about the race.

Kemp and his allies are eager to avoid a messy primary that could complicate GOP efforts to win back the seat. Ossoff narrowly won office in a 2021 runoff and is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents on next year‘s ballot.

But that hasn’t stopped two prominent Republicans — U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and Insurance Commissioner John King — from entering the race. Others are still preparing to run.

Each aims to win support from both Kemp and Trump — or at least persuade them to hold off on endorsing until they can prove themselves. Carter told the “Politically Georgia” podcast last week he intends to stay in the race regardless, saying he can make the case to GOP leaders and voters that he’s the “true conservative, the MAGA warrior.”

And King said in an recent interview with the podcast that candidates need to “earn” any joint backing from Kemp and Trump on the campaign trail. That process, he argued, could yield a stronger nominee for a high-stakes showdown with Ossoff.

“I don’t think that’s helpful for them to jump in at this point,” he said.

A Trump aide said the president isn’t likely to rush an endorsement but is “very receptive” to uniting behind a common candidate and wants to avoid a repeat of 2020, when a feud with Kemp over the appointment of U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler fractured the party.

Things to know

Credit: Jason Getz /AJC

Credit: Jason Getz /AJC

Good morning! Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp will host the annual Georgia Memorial Day Ceremony at the state Capitol today. Adjutant General Dwayne Wilson and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Patricia “Trish” Ross will be there, along with other members of the General Assembly and military veterans.

Here are three other things to know for today:

Walk it out

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

Before state officials broke ground on a massive road project just north of Atlanta, local leaders asked about adding a multiuse trail through one of the busiest highways in the country.

“I think we said ‘heck no’ — but we didn’t say heck,” Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said Tuesday at a gathering of business leaders.

But the trail not only got built, it’s now a focal point for a trio of new metro Atlanta cities who are working to shed their reputations as commuter communities — an outcome McMurry said shows how “working together … can make things happen.”

“We’re not just a place where people drive to work anymore. We’re a place where people are living,” said Ann Hanlon, executive director of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts.

The business leaders gathered in Sandy Springs to discuss the future of the districts, which began more than 25 years ago when a group of commercial property owners agreed to tax themselves to pay for road improvements. Now, the districts have set their sights on becoming a destination.

A big part of that goal is to make the area more walkable, starting with that newly built trail. The city of Sandy Springs already has plans to extend the trail throughout the area.

“We are seeing a trend occur right before very eyes of urbanization of the suburbs,” said Ken Ashley, an executive director at Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm.

The districts include three of Georgia’s newest cities — Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs — which were all incorporated since 2005.

But who will lead those cities into their next phase of growth is a big question. Sandy Springs in particular looks like it will have a competitive race for mayor. Four-term incumbent Rusty Paul has drawn challenges from council members Jody Reichel and Andy Bauman, along with Dontaye Carter and Alex Somer.

Ticket to ride

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

Waymo’s self-driving taxis are becoming more common in Atlanta, but they haven’t been open to the public. That changes this week, when a group of early adopters will get a sneak peek ahead of Waymo’s formal launch on the Uber platform this summer.

Invitations are rolling out to select customers who signed up for early access to Waymo rides on Uber. Riders have access to travel 65 square miles of Atlanta, including downtown, Buckhead and Capitol View.

Robotaxis have been in vogue for a few years now, but they’ve had a rough rollout in some places. In San Francisco, city leaders at first balked at the self-driving revolution over concerns about safety and malfunctions that disrupt traffic.

But so far, self-driving companies have had little pushback in Georgia — and Atlanta has become a testing ground. The state Legislature passed a law in 2017 allowing the companies to operate and preventing local governments from banning them. Now Uber and Lyft are both set to launch autonomous operations into their platforms this summer.

Other driverless taxis are in the works. Amazon-backed Zoox started testing this week with human safety drivers, per the AJC’s Emma Hurt. And the Atlanta Beltline is planning a $3 million pilot program to bring autonomous vehicles to the Westside Trail ahead of the FIFA World Cup next summer, the AJC’s Sara Gregory reported.

Budget crunch

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Atlanta residents can ask questions tonight about the city’s $33 million budget deficit.

The City Council is hosting a public hearing starting at 6 p.m. at City Hall. You can ask questions in person, or via comments left on the City Council’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

It’s been a rough budget for Mayor Andre Dickens, who is running for reelection but is not likely to face a well-funded challenger. Our AJC colleague Riley Bunch reported Dickens plans to get rid of the deficit through layoffs and previously implemented 5% budget cuts.

Even with the cutbacks, Dickens is still proposing a 14% increase in the general fund — an increase that seemed to baffle some council members. Much of the uncertainty is driven by the federal government, where the Trump administration has proposed dramatic spending cuts that will trickle down to state and local governments.

The AJC’s David Wickert has written about how those federal cuts could impact Georgia’s budget. Some Democratic lawmakers have even called for a special legislative session to deal with the changes.

Listen up

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Today on “Politically Georgia,” we unpack why Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde initially broke ranks on President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Plus, Ife Finch Floyd of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute joins the show to explain how proposed cuts to food stamps could affect Georgians.

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Turning 80

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter will introduce a resolution in Congress today commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Georgia Ports Authority.

Georgia’s ports at Savannah and Brunswick have been receiving ships since the late 1700s. But it wasn’t until shortly after World War II that the state Legislature created an entity to oversee both deep-water ports.

Today, the ports are among the busiest in the country. The resolution notes that the ports support 609,000 jobs and generate $40 billion in income along with $5.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.

“The Ports of Savannah and Brunswick are the economic engines of the entire southeast,” Carter said. “We are proud to play host to these institutions in the First Congressional District and look forward to another eight decades of strengthening Georgia’s economy and solidifying our state as an international shipping hub.”

The Port of Brunswick is set for a makeover soon. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2025 budget includes $35.3 million to dredge the channel leading into the port. Silt has made the channel narrower and shallower than it was designed, making it difficult for big ships to navigate, the AJC’s Drew Kann reported.

While you were sleeping

The U.S. House Rules Committee began meeting at 1 a.m. in hopes of finalizing the “big beautiful bill” that Republicans hope to bring to the floor today to advance President Donald Trump’s priorities.

But as of 6 a.m., the final version of the text that includes updates reflecting 11th-hour negotiations with holdout lawmakers has yet to be released. And there are hundreds of amendments to be considered before the meeting can wrap. Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson is hoping for a procedural vote sometime today that can set up a final vote Thursday or Friday.

Meanwhile, Democrats have jumped on a new report from the Congressional Budget Office that says the bill as it currently stands would hurt the poorest 10% of Americans while benefiting the top 10%.

Today in Washington

Shoutouts

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

Today’s birthday:

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Before you go

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Georgia House Republicans considering a run for higher office won’t have to look far for their first endorsement. House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration sent an email to the caucus on Tuesday declaring his intent to “to endorse and support any House Republican who decides to take this leap.”

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.