Frustration grows among Georgia Democrats ahead of midterm elections
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Legalized sports betting faces another hurdle.
- Democrats launch ads on power rates and health insurance.
- Georgia First Amendment Foundation honors a deported journalist.
Democrats’ discontent
As Georgia Democrats try to regroup ahead of the midterm elections, they’re facing a threat from within: a stubborn sense of frustration among their voters.
In May, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showed the party’s approval rating had fallen to a nine-year low among registered voters.
Now, the latest AJC poll reveals nearly one-quarter of likely Democratic primary voters say they don’t have a favorable impression of the Democratic Party.
Many of those voters want party leaders to take a more aggressive approach to counter President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape federal agencies, reorder foreign policy and rework major parts of the economy.
Others feel national Democrats haven’t delivered on promises to protect voting rights, expand abortion access or push back harder on conservative policy shifts at the state level.
“Everything the Democratic Party has been doing is just not working. We’ve got to shake things up,” said Stephanie Hobbs, an educator from north DeKalb County.
There’s far less internal doubt among Republicans, who hold a much sunnier view of their own party. About 83% of GOP primary voters have a favorable impression of Republicans, while only 14% say they view the party negatively.
So what’s going on here?
Once the loudest skeptics of the political establishment, Republicans are signaling renewed confidence in their party’s direction. And Democrats may be united over opposition to Trump, but they’re wrestling with their own uncertainty over their party’s future.
Things to know
Good morning! It’s Day 29 of the federal government shutdown. We’re only six days away from the Nov. 4 elections for the Public Service Commission and various local governments.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- Head Start, the federal early learning program, is getting an $8 million donation from an Atlanta nonprofit to stay open during the federal government shutdown, the AJC’s Cassidy Alexander reports.
- Senior Georgia Republican lawmakers say there’s no push to redraw Georgia’s congressional districts despite President Donald Trump’s similar push in other states, Greg Bluestein reports.
- More than a million Georgians are bracing to lose food stamps on Saturday because of the federal government shutdown. But many Georgians have been struggling to access the program for months following a cyberattack, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
Uphill battle
Convincing the Georgia Legislature to legalize sports gambling was always going to be a tough sell. It got even harder on Tuesday with the resignation of state Rep. Marcus Wiedower.
The Watkinsville Republican had taken up the mantle of sports betting in recent years, including carrying this year’s doomed effort. Wiedower resigned to spend more time on his real estate business.
It’s not clear who will replace him as the House’s chief betting proponent.
One candidate is Republican state Rep. Ron Stephens of Savannah, who carried previous bills before Wiedower and once floated the idea of a riverside casino.
In the state Senate, Sens. Clint Dixon, R-Buford, and Carden Summers, R-Cordele, have also advocated for sports betting.
Another factor to consider is the rapidly changing market. Kalshi, an exchange market based in New York, has let people wager on sports by trading contracts related to the games — a concept that allows it to skirt state gambling laws. The Atlantic reports the company is “Making a mockery of state gambling bans.”
Speak carefully
Political consultants often teach candidates to stick to talking points when doing media interviews. A new ad from the Democratic Party of Georgia shows why.
“If you’re unhappy with me, now is the time to get rid of me,” Republican Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols says at the end of the 30-second spot. That comes after a narrator notes Echols’ votes have led to electric bill increases averaging $516 per year.
Echols said this during an interview with WGXA-TV in Macon. Here’s the full quote:
“If you aren’t happy with me, then now is the time to get rid of me, but why would you get rid of a Georgia native? I’ve been married for 42 years, I have seven children. I have done so much for low-income people in Georgia.”
That last part won’t be seen by TV viewers in the days leading up to Tuesday’s election.
The Public Service Commission has five members, and all of them are Republican. Echols and Fitz Johnson — both incumbents — are on the ballot, facing Democratic challengers Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard.
Ad watch
The Democratic Party of Georgia is launching a new ad against two Republican U.S. Senate hopefuls that highlights the federal health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
The ad singles out Georgia U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins for being away from Washington for more than a month as House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to convene his chamber during the federal government shutdown.
Open enrollment for Georgia’s state-run health insurance marketplace is set to begin on Saturday. Customers will be hit with big increases if the subsidies are allowed to expire. The ad blames Republicans for not voting to extend the subsidies — a dispute that prompted the federal government shutdown.
Republicans, for their part, accuse Democrats of ducking responsibility for the stalemate and are urging U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and other Democrats to back a short-term funding measure.
Front Line Award
The Georgia First Amendment Foundation honored deported Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara last night with its inaugural Front Line Award for doing important work “on the front line of the public’s right to know.”
Guevara built a following in Atlanta for his firsthand accounts of federal immigration arrests across the region. He was arrested in June while covering protest in DeKalb County. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Guevara and deported him to his native El Salvador.
“It’s important, I think, for this award to bolster the reporting community’s courage to continue pushing,” said Nora Benavidez, an attorney and member of the foundation’s board of directors. “I want this award to help people who are doing their jobs on the front line to feel there is a community around them.”
Guevara didn’t participate in the ceremony, but his family was there to accept the award on this behalf.
Other honorees:
- Retired WSB-TV investigative reporter Richard Belcher received the Open Government Hero award.
- Charles Davis, dean of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism, received the Charles L. Weltner Freedom of Information Award.
- Richard T. Griffiths, a member of the foundation’s board, received the Founder’s Award for his “steadfast commitment to the organization and its mission.”
Politickin’
Irwin County isn’t exactly a hotbed of activity at this time of year. But last night a small South Georgia community there attracted the entire GOP field for next year’s U.S. Senate race, along with most of the candidates running for lieutenant governor.
They were all gathered for Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper’s 11th annual “Pig Pickin’ and Politickin’” fundraising event.
U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley — all U.S. Senate candidates — were on hand. And state Sens. Greg Dolezal, Steve Gooch and John F. Kennedy also attended. So did state Rep. Tim Fleming, a candidate for secretary of state.
They were also the first to hear Harper declare that he is officially a candidate for reelection in 2026.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we break down the latest AJC poll showing where Georgia voters stand heading into 2026. Plus, we’ll discuss why state lawmakers are holding off on redrawing congressional maps.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an 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.
Suing for SNAP
Democrats from 22 states and the District of Columbia asked a judge on Tuesday to force the Trump administration to keep paying food assistance benefits during the government shutdown.
The lawsuit says the White House is legally required to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program while money is available. It argues the government has billions of dollars in contingency funds that could cover SNAP benefits for more than 40 million Americans, including roughly 1.3 million Georgians.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a candidate for governor next year, did not join the lawsuit. Instead he and 18 other Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer telling him the best way to keep SNAP benefits funded is for Democrats to support the House-passed funding bill that would reopen the government.
“Congress can stop the threat right now by passing a clean continuing resolution that keeps essential services funded and protects those who rely on them,” the GOP letter said. “You have the power to prevent a crisis that is entirely avoidable.”
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump’s Asia trip continues in South Korea, where he met with President Lee Jae Myung and attended the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
- The House is in an indefinite recess during the shutdown.
- The Senate will consider land management legislation.
- Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will hold a news conference to discuss any decisions made by the board on interest rates.
Special election
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced dates for a special election to fill the seat held by state Rep. Mandi Ballinger, who died earlier this month.
The election for the Cherokee County-based seat will be held on Dec. 9, and a runoff, if needed, would be Jan. 6. Candidates must submit qualifying documents next week.
Ballinger, a Canton Republican who served in Georgia’s State House for more than a decade, died after a long battle with cancer.
Shoutouts
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Before you go
Gov. Brian Kemp and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis agree that former Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy should be in the baseball Hall of Fame.
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.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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