Kelvin King enters secretary of state race with a shot at his likely rival

King launched his bid Tuesday with a sharply-worded commentary posted to the James Magazine website that took direct aim at Gabriel Sterling, a Raffensperger deputy and likely King rival for the seat.

In the piece, King vowed to fire state employees who “attack political candidates or supporters of either party.” And he accused unnamed officials of “unprofessional conduct” and holding “press conferences aimed at attacking the president and concerned citizens.”

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

That’s a clear shot at Sterling, who gained national attention in 2020 for denouncing election fraud lies and warning they could lead to violence.

State Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington is the only other prominent Republican in the race to succeed Raffensperger, who is expected to seek higher office next year. So far, no big-name Democrat has entered the contest.

King, a contractor and Air Force veteran, lost to Herschel Walker in the party’s U.S. Senate primary in May 2022. He’s married to Janelle King, a conservative pundit who is part of the three-vote majority on the State Election Board that Donald Trump hailed as “pitbulls” for backing controversial rules changes.

Things to know

Good morning! We’re 30 days away from the deadline for municipal candidates to qualify for the November election.

Here are three other things to know for today:

Battling ICE

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Friends and family of Mario Guevara held a solemn news conference at the state Capitol on Tuesday hoping to increase the pressure on federal immigration authorities to release the Atlanta-based independent journalist who has been detained for more than a month.

The setting was important. While the state government won’t decide Guevara’s fate, advocates felt the backdrop of the Georgia Capitol was vital to conveying the importance of the issue because “here is where decisions are made,” said José Zamora, regional director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Their ticket inside the Capitol was Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin, a noted critic of the Trump administration. McLaurin launched a campaign for lieutenant governor earlier this year.

Zamora said they “reached out to everybody,” and McLaurin was the first to respond and offered to host a news conference. Giovanni Diaz, Guevara’s lawyer, said no Republicans had reached out to him to speak about Guevara’s case.

The news conference was good exposure for McLaurin, putting him front and center for multiple Spanish-language media outlets whose viewers might not know him.

“The themes you heard today about this country’s tradition of First Amendment protections are what moved me here,” he said.

Belgium boost

Credit: Screenshot

Credit: Screenshot

Bill White spent much of Tuesday trying to explain some of his problematic social media posts during a confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. ambassador to Belgium. But the former leader of the Buckhead cityhood push could benefit from a well-timed announcement from Belgium’s government.

The key U.S. ally announced plans this week to spend nearly $2 billion to purchase 11 F-35 fighter jets, part of the country’s commitment to increase its defense spending to 5% of its gross domestic product.

Convincing NATO nations to beef up their defense spending has been a priority for President Donald Trump. When asked how he would work to make that happen, White pointed to the F-35 news. He noted the announcement was confirmed by U.S. NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker, whom he called “a very dear friend of mine.”

“We’re excited to work together with Matt to help Belgium exceed their goals,” White said. “I think we’ll have a great partner there and I promise you that we will be monitoring that.”

The F-35 purchase is a twofer for White. Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35, has a manufacturing facility in Marietta that makes key parts for the plane. The company has said Georgia has 29 F-35 suppliers in total, adding up to about 3,500 jobs.

Pilgrimage

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is back in Washington this week on at least his fourth pilgrimage to the White House since announcing his campaign for governor.

It serves as a reminder that there are two overlapping contests at play now: the race for the GOP nomination and the race for President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Dominoes

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

When U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, launches a long-expected Senate bid, it will trigger a wide-open battle for his northeast Georgia seat.

One potential contender is state Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens. He’s a close ally of Gov. Brian Kemp who cut his teeth in politics as student body president at the University of Georgia.

A name you won’t see in the running: state Sen. Brian Strickland, a Republican from McDonough who told us he’s committed to running for attorney general.

“I am all in for attorney general and have no interest in running for the 10th,” he told us. “I will not be getting in that race.”

Listen up

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast WABE CEO and president Jennifer Dorian explains how federal spending cuts will impact public broadcasting stations across Georgia. Ximena Arias-Cristobal also joins the show to talk about her experience of being detained by federal immigration authorities.

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

Heading home

Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

U.S. House members are starting their summer recess a day early as Republican leaders decided to send everyone home rather than risk Democrats forcing a vote on a measure to release investigative files related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 in a New York jail.

It likely won’t be an easy vacation. Conservatives say Republicans will face constituents who are confused by President Donald Trump and GOP leaders who are balking at releasing the documents after promising for years that they would expose Epstein’s associates.

Beyond that issue, lawmakers know that when they return Sept. 2 they will have less than a month to figure out how to fund the government and avoid an Oct. 1 shutdown. They will likely need a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government, which U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, has said she would not support.

But Tuesday night provided an opportunity for Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson to at least temporarily shift the conversation away from the disagreements.

Trump invited congressional Republicans to the White House for a reception where sparkling wine was poured amid a rally-like atmosphere. Trump expressed support for Johnson and talked up his accomplishments during his first six months in office. He mentioned the signing of the Laken Riley Act and the passage of the "big, beautiful bill."

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, posted a photo from the event. “Promises made, promises kept,” he wrote.

Today in Washington

Guilty plea

A man has pleaded guilty to charges related to shooting a teenager who was canvassing on behalf of Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, WALB reports.

Police say Jimmy Paiz shot then-15-year-old Javontae Vann while the teen was leaving a flyer at his door during the 2022 campaign season. Paiz told the court on Monday that he genuinely thought Vann was trying to come inside his home.

“I walked up, and I knocked on the door,” Vann, now 17, testified in court, according to WALB. “Within a few seconds, I backed up, showed my face visible to the camera, and knocked on it again. There was no answer. I was leaving a paper flyer on the door and I was shot.”

Paiz has been on house arrest for more than two years. WALB reports that he will likely be sentenced in August or September. The Vann family is requesting that he be sentenced anywhere from five to 10 years in prison.

Shoutouts

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

Today’s birthdays:

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

Before you go

Credit: Matt Rourke/AP

Credit: Matt Rourke/AP

Kelly Loeffler told the Atlanta Rotary Club this week that being a U.S. senator from Georgia was “truly the honor of a lifetime,” but that being in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as the head of the Small Business Administration has, perhaps, surpassed it.

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.