GOP activists want to stop Brad Raffensperger from running as a Republican

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger might wind up running for governor or U.S. Senate next year. But last weekend’s Georgia GOP convention was a reminder he still must contend with an angry activist base.

The delegates approved a resolution calling on GOP officials to block him from qualifying on the Republican ticket and to “fully defend against any future litigation or legal action” taken by his team.

It appears to be mostly symbolic. Legal experts say Georgia law requires the party to qualify contenders who meet “procedural rules.” And Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon told us the party intends to follow law.

“I said throughout the campaign that I would not purchase a lawsuit by refusing to qualify people that meet the legal standard set forth in Georgia law,” he said.

Still, there’s a legal gray area. Bryan Tyson, an election law expert, noted appellate courts haven’t ruled definitively on the issue yet. He pointed to the Georgia Republican Assembly, the far-right group behind the resolution, which unsuccessfully fought in court to let local GOP officials in rural Catoosa County decide who can qualify as a Republican.

“The challenge is that once this kind of approach of a small group choosing candidates instead of voters applies to one candidate, no one is safe,” he said.

Raffensperger’s camp didn’t comment on the activist-driven backlash, which stems largely from his refusal to heed Donald Trump’s demand to find enough votes to overturn his 2020 defeat and his public rejection of the president’s false claims of widespread election fraud.

Some of Raffensperger’s supporters were more blunt.

“Insanity has infected the party I love so much,” said former state Rep. John Pezold, a west Georgia Republican who served with Raffensperger in the Georgia House. “It’s my hope that the fever breaks soon, but I gotta say I’m not optimistic.”

Activists also dinged House Speaker Jon Burns by passing a resolution that condemned him for blocking ultra-conservative state Sen. Colton Moore of Trenton from the House chambers. Burns, who took the House Republican caucus on a timely retreat to Jekyll Island over the weekend as the Georgia GOP met in Dalton, shrugged it off. His spokesman, Kayla Roberson Green, said the House leader is “not concerned.”

“The Speaker and the entire House caucus are focused on productive things like passing more historic conservative legislation and winning elections,” she said.

Things to know

Credit: Jeff Amy/AP

Credit: Jeff Amy/AP

Good morning! We’re eight days away from the primary election for the Public Service Commission.

Here are three things to know for today:

GOP leaders

Credit: Jason Getz /AJC

Credit: Jason Getz /AJC

Some years, the Georgia GOP drifts further to the party’s far-right flank. But this weekend’s state convention delivered a surprising result: a string of defeats for the party’s most extreme voices.

Party chair Josh McKoon cruised to reelection, easily defeating David Cross, an election conspiracist who vowed to dismantle the party from within. Teenage activist Ja’Quon Stembridge trounced Kylie Kremer, the daughter of a “Stop the Steal” organizer, for a low-level post.

Across the board, Cross-aligned candidates were routed — with some angrily berating delegates on their way out the door.

That doesn’t mean delegates were in a compromising mood. Anything short of full-throated allegiance to President Donald Trump was treated like a liability.

But McKoon and his allies channeled that pro-Trump energy and rode it to resounding victories. (It didn’t hurt that McKoon had Trump’s endorsement, too.)

An unofficial straw poll of 1,200 or so delegates and activists underscored the mood in the room.

Action!

Georgia’s expansive film and television tax credits have prompted a fierce competition with California. But now both states are working to shore up their positions as more projects are moving overseas in search of cheaper production costs.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed laws last month to extend benefits for post production companies while making sure streaming and free ad-support TV productions qualify for the tax breaks.

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is working to more than double his state’s film and television tax credit, a move that would make it more widely available.

“This is a global situation going on where we’ve had a lot of runaway productions that have gone to Europe and London and Australia,” said Brennen Dicker, board chair for the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition. “What we’re all hoping for is that they bring production back to the United States.”

Georgia is already in a better position than California because its tax credit is unlimited, meaning producers can count on it as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. California’s credit is limited to a total of $330 million. Newsom wants to raise that to $750 million — a big ask as the state is facing a projected $12 billion deficit.

Dicker said industry activity has improved over the past six months, with multiple productions happening in Georgia right now — including the CBS series “Tulsa King.”

“It’s a slow and gradual change that we’re seeing, but it’s getting better,” Dicker said.

States’ rights

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

We often think of political battles in terms of Democrats and Republicans. But the fight over President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” reconciliation bill is threatening to pit governments against each other.

The version that passed the U.S. House of Representatives would ban state governments from regulating artificial intelligence for the next decade. The idea is to let Congress do the regulating to prevent 50 different sets of rules for the fast-moving AI industry. But some state lawmakers are balking at the idea of having to rely on Congress to do anything.

Six Georgia lawmakers, including three Republicans, signed onto a letter recently urging Congress to not tie their hands. They included state Rep. Todd Jones, a Republican from South Forsyth and chair of the state House Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Committee.

Jones fears that if Congress stops Georgia from regulating AI, it would essentially stop them from governing vital industries such as health care and education. Jones said he believes the rapid advances in AI will soon lead to personalized instruction in public schools and humanoid robots offering care in doctor’s offices.

“Having to wait for the feds to do that is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.

The bill is now in the U.S. Senate, where it will likely undergo several changes. One early proposal would require states to not regulate AI to remain eligible for federal broadband funding. Jones said he is withholding judgement until he sees exactly what the Senate decides to do.

He’s getting some backup from U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Rome Republican said she didn’t know the AI ban was in the bill when she voted for it a few weeks ago.

She’s vowed to vote against the bill if the Senate version still bans states from regulating AI — and she chastised Attorney General Chris Carr for not joining other officials in objecting to the move.

Lonely voting

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

Down-ballot races usually get overlooked during a presidential or gubernatorial election cycle. But 2025 is proving they can still be forgotten even in an off year.

The only statewide races on the ballot this year are for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission. The stakes are high, as the commission approves electricity rates for Georgia Power customers — rates that have continued to go up.

But so far, the race has barely registered with the public. Just 35,602 people have cast ballots as of this morning, for a measly turnout of 0.5%.

The lone bright spot is Washington County, where more than 10% of registered voters have already cast ballots. But that’s mostly because the chair of the county commission is stepping down, prompting a special election to replace him. The only other county with even a modest turnout is Wheeler County, where a local race for tax commissioner has gotten some attention.

The June 17th election for Public Service Commission is a primary, meaning it will set the stage for the general election in the fall. There might be more interest then, given several metro Atlanta cities will have elections for mayor and other local seats on the ballot.

Listen up

Today on “Politically Georgia,” Greg Bluestein answers questions from listeners about the Trump administration’s proposed Medicaid cuts, the search for a Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and the effects of federal budget reductions on Georgia’s colleges and universities.

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Today in Washington

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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

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Before you go

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

President Donald Trump’s new travel ban takes effect today, barring people from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries from visiting the U.S.

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.