Today’s newsletter highlights:
- U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, backs Charlie Kirk resolution.
- A Democrat joins the race for secretary of state.
- Retired judges raise concerns that the “the Constitution is under attack.”
Missing vote
Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC
Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins blasted Democrats as “shameful” for opposing a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk and condemning his assassin — but he didn’t vote on the bill himself.
The Senate candidate posted the broadside after Friday morning’s vote, only to delete it after journalists and others pointed out his own absence from the roll call.
A Collins aide told us the Jackson Republican mistakenly walked off the House floor believing he had cast his vote. “He owns it,” said the aide.
The lapse handed fresh ammunition to critics of Collins, who is one of three prominent Republicans competing to challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Derek Dooley, the former football coach turned Senate rival, delivered his sharpest direct attack yet on his rival, grouping him with Ossoff as a “D.C. politician.”
“It’s unbelievable. We’ve got a sitting congressman who goes on social media and just rails against the Democrats for voting against a resolution that condemns Charlie Kirk’s killer, and he doesn’t even show up to vote,” said Dooley. “He’s not even there. He’s just grandstanding.”
Things to know
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Good Morning! We’re one day away from a special election runoff in state Senate District 21. We’re 43 days away from a special election for the Public Service Commission and elections for local government seats across the state.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, campaigned for state Senate candidate Debra Shigley on Saturday in hopes of flipping the long-held Republican seat in District 21, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports.
- Gov. Brian Kemp is scheduled to make his third trip to South Korea since taking office. He and other Georgia officials finalized the long-planned economic development trip following the immigration raid at Hyundai’s factory site near Savannah, the AJC’s Zachary Hansen and Greg Bluestein report.
- Fort Gordon in Augusta is being renamed after a “Black Hawk Down” hero as part of a broader Trump administration rollback of U.S. military base name changes under President Joe Biden, the AJC’s Jeremy Redmon reports.
Kirk resolution divide
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Ninety-five Democrats — a little less than half of that caucus — voted with Republicans in support of the resolution honoring the life of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Among them was U.S. Rep. David Scott, who was the only Georgia Democrat to back the measure.
Scott could not be reached for a comment after the vote. But some of his Democratic opponents expressed disappointment in his vote, noting that Kirk had made statements characterized as racist and sexist.
State Rep. Jasmine Clark of Lilburn, among Scott’s primary challengers, posted on X that she opposes the violence that took Kirk’s life but didn’t support some of his views. She referenced statements he made in 2023 about affirmative action that included criticism targeting four prominent Black women.
“David Scott just voted to honor a man who said accomplished black women didn’t have ‘the brain power to get where they are’ and that the Civil Rights Act was a ‘huge mistake,’” Clark wrote. “I would NEVER!”
State office?
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Former Judge Penny Brown Reynolds is running for secretary of state, giving Democrats a high-profile recruit for Georgia’s top elections job.
A former Fulton County state court judge and Biden administration official, Brown Reynolds is probably best known for her stint as host of the daytime TV court series “Family Court with Judge Penny.”
“I didn’t come to have a job, I came to do a job,” Brown Reynolds said, adding that she’ll fight for a “Georgia where democracy works and leaders lead with integrity.”
Senior Democrats were getting antsy about landing a well-known contender for the race to succeed GOP incumbent Brad Raffensperger after several other potential contenders passed on a bid. (Raffensperger is running for governor.)
Brown Reynods joins a field that already includes a trio of Republicans: state Rep. Tim Fleming, former Senate candidate Kelvin King and Gabriel Sterling, a longtime Raffensperger deputy.
Democrat Adrian Consonery Jr., a voting rights advocate, is also running.
Gaines gains
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
An outside group headed by a northeast Georgia powerbroker said today it plans to spend at least $1 million to back Republican state Rep. Houston Gaines’ bid for Congress.
The group, called Gets It Done PAC, is chaired by Harold Reynolds, a banking executive. He’s also a close friend of Gov. Brian Kemp and former chair of the Board of Regents.
“Houston Gaines is a battle-tested conservative leader who has delivered real results — for his community and for conservatives across Georgia,” said Reynolds, who also called him a “trusted and valued” ally of President Donald Trump.
Gaines is trying to cement himself as the front-runner in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins of Jackson, who is running for Senate. The Athens legislator is the most prominent GOP contender yet for the deep-red seat, which stretches across parts of middle and northeast Georgia.
Constitutional concerns
Credit: Susan Walsh/AP
Credit: Susan Walsh/AP
Georgia native Beverly B. Martin had been out of the spotlight since leaving the federal appeals court in 2021. But now she’s back in the news as one of more than 40 retired judges who signed a letter declaring that “the Constitution is under attack.”
The letter, released Wednesday on the 238th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, says that “misinformation, disinformation and fiery rhetoric distort public understanding of the judiciary’s critical role in maintaining our democracy.”
“Put plainly, a judicial branch cowed by the political branches cannot safeguard the rights of all citizens,” the letter said.
The letter comes after a federal judge earlier this year accused the Trump administration of ignoring his orders.
Martin was born in Macon and graduated from the University of Georgia law school. President Bill Clinton appointed her U.S. Attorney in Macon and later nominated her as a U.S. district judge. Former President Barack Obama then nominated her for a seat on an appeals court in 2009.
Martin’s retirement in 2021 gave former President Joe Biden his first vacancy to fill on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Thorne responds
Credit: Jason Getz /AJC
Credit: Jason Getz /AJC
We told you last week about Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett filing an ethics complaint against her Republican colleague, accusing her of suggesting she could control members of the county election board.
Now that colleague — Commissioner Bridget Thorne — said Barrett’s complaint is “a deliberate mischaracterization” of her statement and “lacks any valid grounds for a legitimate complaint.”
The dispute stems from the commission’s fight over two Republican nominees to the county election board. The commission’s Democratic majority has refused to appoint them, defying a judge’s order.
Thorne said earlier this month that if the nominees — Jason Frazier and Julie Adams — did anything wrong, “I’d be the first person to correct them. And they would take that correction.”
Barrett said the comment “raises grave concerns” about improper influence over independent officials. Thorne said the complaint is “politically motivated.”
“These political attacks only spur political violence and that is what our county and nation do not need,” Thorne said.
Listen up
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., talks with Tia Mitchell about the strain Medicaid cuts are putting on rural hospitals, the fight to extend Obamacare subsidies and the rising threats of political violence.
Then Greg Bluestein answers listener questions on the fate of the Fulton County election case, MARTA expansion, new candidates in Georgia’s 2026 governor’s race and the fallout from the Hyundai raid.
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.
Shutdown countdown
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Congress adjourned on Friday with Senate Democrats refusing to help Republicans pass the stopgap government funding bill approved in the House. A second proposal, led by Democrats, also failed in the Senate.
There is no alternative plan on the table and both chambers are out this week because of the Jewish High Holidays. The House also canceled next week’s votes on Sept. 29 and 30, meaning members currently aren’t due back until Oct. 7, well after the shutdown in scheduled to begin.
Things could change and members of both chambers are on standby in case they are called back if a deal is reached. For now, however, there is an impasse between Republicans who back a bill that keeps government funding flat for roughly six weeks while also increasing spending on security for top government officials. Democrats want to add in language extending the Obamacare subsidies expiring at the end of the year.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have requested a meeting with President Donald Trump. Both said Democrats are firm and are willing to allow government agencies to shut down if there is not bipartisan negotiation.
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump is set to make an announcement about autism risks. He’ll also head to New York City for United Nations meetings.
- The U.S. House and Senate are out this week.
Campaign note
State Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. David Scott, landed the endorsements of 17 state House members.
Shoutouts
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Belated birthdays:
- State Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta (was Sunday).
- Hayley Gahlau, deputy chief of staff for House Speaker Jon Burns (was Friday).
- Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality (was Friday).
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: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Lobbyists spent at least $83,000 on trips for Georgia public officials from May to August, according to an AJC review of hundreds of state records. That amount includes lodging, meals and travel for trips to such locales as Amelia Island, Florida; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Boston.
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.
AJC reporter Caleb Groves contributed to this report.
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