Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Brian Kemp says Hyundai immigration raid won’t undo economic progress.
- An environmental group withdraws its election lawsuit.
- Jon Ossoff says a new law targeting child sex trafficking is working.
Tragic shooting
Credit: Ross D. Franklin/AP
Credit: Ross D. Franklin/AP
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination at an event at Utah Valley University sent shockwaves through Georgia politics, becoming the latest tragic example in a pattern of escalating political violence nationwide.
Party leaders from both sides of the aisle issued heartfelt statements of sympathy, anguish and alarm over deepening national polarization. Some went a step further, casting Kirk as a symbol of the broader fight.
President Donald Trump called him a “martyr for truth and freedom.” He decried “radical left” political violence, including an assassination attempt on his life last year and the 2017 shooting of Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise during a congressional baseball game. He did not mention attacks on Democrats, including one in June that killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband while wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
Some Georgia Republicans echoed Trump’s sentiments as they framed Kirk’s death as proof of an intolerant left.
“Charlie was murdered for the highest crime known to the radical Left; he was an effective communicator of common sense and American values,” said state Rep. David Clark, a candidate for lieutenant governor. “I fear that our nation will be irrevocably changed by this heinous act.”
Kirk’s killer has not been apprehended, so no motive can be confirmed.
Democrats sent condolences while decrying the scourge of violence.
“No matter our views or our differences, political violence has no place in our democratic process,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, whose son Jordan was fatally shot in 2012.
“Today’s shooting on a Utah college campus is a horrific example of the current state of our country and it must be condemned.”
Things to know
Good morning. Here are three things to know for today:
- U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, says the GOP is a “boys club.” Other Republican women disagree, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports.
- A heavily divided federal appeals court has approved Houston County’s health care plan that doesn’t cover sex change surgery, the AJC’s Rosie Manins reports.
- Metro Atlanta’s hazardous ozone levels declined after the COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s transportation habits. But the levels have rebounded now that Atlantans have resumed their office commutes, the AJC’s Drew Kann reports.
Hyundai fallout
Credit: Justin Taylor for The Current GA
Credit: Justin Taylor for The Current GA
It’s no secret that Gov. Brian Kemp is walking a fine line over the federal immigration raid of Hyundai’s Metaplant complex in Ellabell, the crown jewel of his economic agenda.
His office’s terse first statement — noting only that “all companies operating in Georgia must follow the law” — contrasted with the chorus of Republicans praising President Donald Trump for the crackdown.
As the arrests of 475 workers raised alarms in Seoul and threatened South Korea’s long-standing relationship with Georgia, Kemp followed up with a longer note.
“We are thankful they are reiterating their commitment to adhere to all state and federal laws, just as we remain committed to not allowing this unfortunate incident to undo the decades of mutually beneficial partnerships we’ve built together,” his office said.
The governor is trying to avoid souring ties with a country that has invested billions in Georgia while also staying firmly behind the GOP’s hard line on illegal immigration.
He’s also threading his own brand of conservatism: the same candidate who won in 2018 by boasting he’d round up “criminal illegals” in his pickup has made electric vehicle manufacturing the centerpiece of his economic legacy — with South Korea as a cornerstone partner.
Exhale
We think it’s finally safe to say this: the Public Service Commission elections in November will happen.
They’ve been canceled twice because of litigation. But things cleared somewhat on Wednesday when Georgia Conservation Voters withdrew their lawsuit saying the rescheduled elections were unconstitutional because they extended the six-year terms of the incumbents.
“My dismissal was very much rooted in not trusting the outcome even if we were legally right,” said Brionte McCorkle, the group’s executive director and lead plaintiff in the case. “If we won, what would happen? The races would get rescheduled once again. It’s not worth kicking the elections down the road and allowing them to escape accountability.”
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger applauded the decision, saying it would give Georgia voters “their long-overdue voice at the ballot box.”
“Election officials across the state now have certainty to prepare for November, ensuring a free, fair and fast election,” he said.
PSC elections were canceled in 2022 and 2024 stemming from a federal judge’s order in a separate lawsuit alleging that electing commissioners statewide — instead of by districts — discriminates against Black voters. That litigation is still pending.
Two PSC races are on the ballot in November.
Republican Tim Echols, who was last elected in 2016, faces Democrat Alicia Johnson. And Republican Fitz Johnson, who has never been elected after Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him in 2021, faces Democrat Peter Hubbard.
Timing is key
Credit: Jeff Amy/AP
Credit: Jeff Amy/AP
There was more to the timing of gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves’ decision to step down from the state Senate this week than simply giving Democrats a chance to fill his seat before the January session.
Gov. Brian Kemp will soon set the special election date for his deep-blue Atlanta-based seat, and it’s likely to coincide with the November vote for both Public Service Commission races.
Adding a safe Democratic Senate race to the ballot could give the party a turnout boost in a key statewide election.
For his part, Esteves said he resigned from the Legislature to focus on his campaign.
Turning the tables
Credit: AJC file photo
Credit: AJC file photo
As the minority party in the Georgia Legislature, it’s hard for Democrats to convene public hearings on issues that are important to them. But they’ve found the next best thing: roundtables.
Democrats have been booking space at the state Capitol for these informal events during the legislative off season. State Sen. Elena Parent held one a few weeks about the budget cuts to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, three Democratic lawmakers will host another one about the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.
These meetings don’t have the same heft as full committee hearings, which are supported by professional staff and issue official reports. But they give Democrats a chance to keep their issues in the news.
State Rep. David Wilkerson, D-Powder Springs, said these events are not part of a new strategy by Democrats to shame Republicans.
“I just see it as a complement versus something they are not doing on the other side,” he said.
Wilkerson is hosting today’s event with state Reps. Marvin Lim, D-Norcross, and Karen Lupton, D-Chamblee. He said their goal is to talk about what the state needs to do to make sure people have access to vaccines ahead of new federal guidelines expected to be released later this month.
Report surge
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Ordinarily, a nearly 1,000% increase in child sex trafficking reports would send lawmakers scrambling for a solution. But in this case, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia said it shows a new federal law is working as it should.
Ossoff teamed up with Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee last year to pass a law requiring social media companies to report any evidence a child being sexually enticed online.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says it received nearly 63,000 reports of child sex trafficking in the first six months of 2025. That’s compared to 6,000 reports during the first half of 2024.
“This confirms what we knew, which was that there was widespread sexual enticement of children on social media platforms, of which tech companies had evidence but which they were not reporting,” Ossoff said.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast Republican strategist Stephen Lawson joins the show to talk about Georgia’s 2026 races. Then Charlie Hayslett of the Trouble in God’s Country website discusses alarming population trends in rural Georgia.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia 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.
Defense policy
Credit: Rod Lamkey Jr./AP
Credit: Rod Lamkey Jr./AP
The U.S. House on Wednesday signed off on an annual defense policy bill after amending it to include restrictions on access to gender-affirming care and removing protections for transgender people in the military. That and other partisan language added to the bill caused the majority of Democrats to oppose it.
The House vote on the National Defense Authorization Act was 231-196. Seventeen Democrats voted with Republicans in favor of the bill. None was from Georgia.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome was among four Republicans who voted with most Democrats against the legislation. That came after bipartisan majorities voted down her amendments to restrict funding to Ukraine and to roll back other types of foreign aid.
The House version of the bill includes language streamlining the Department of Defense’s procurement process and authorizes over $800 billion in spending, including 3.8% raises for service members.
The Senate is still working on its version of the package, which authorizes a higher level of spending and does not have as much partisan language compared to the House bill.
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump will attend a ceremony at the Pentagon marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He’ll then travel to New York City to attend a Yankees game.
- The House will vote on a bill that would stiffen penalties for deportees who try to reenter the United States. They’ll also vote on a resolution to begin negotiations with the Senate on the second of 12 appropriations bills.
- The Senate is working on its version of the National Defense Authorization Act.
Shoutouts
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Today’s birthdays:
- State Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome.
- Former state Rep. Lauren Daniel.
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: Donald King/AP
Credit: Donald King/AP
Multiple events are scheduled across metro Atlanta to mark the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. They include the Buckhead Stair Climb at the Thompson Hotel and ceremonies at the state Capitol and the DeKalb County Public Safety Complex.
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.
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