Georgia Democrats are shifting their stance on Israel, poll finds

Today’s newsletter highlights:

• Test your knowledge with our weekly news quiz.
• John Kasich talks about faith and politics.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene is set to visit TV talk shows.

Israel shift

People gathered in Tel Aviv to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages being released from Gaza earlier this month.

Only about one-third of likely Georgia Democratic primary voters believe supporting Israel is in the U.S. national interest. It’s the latest sign of a widening internal rift more than two years after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s latest poll showed younger, wealthier and more liberal voters were more likely to be among the 44% who say that supporting Israel should not be a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.

That’s a notable shift from the AJC’s 2023 survey, conducted shortly after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel triggered the devastating war. Back then, 54% of Georgia Democrats said supporting Israel was in the national interest.

The new numbers reflect a broader national reassessment of the decades-long U.S.–Israel alliance. A string of recent national polls shows support for Israel deteriorating among left-leaning voters amid the prolonged fighting in Gaza, where a ceasefire is now in effect.

But the trend is not universal. Among Georgia Republicans, support remains overwhelming and stable. About 85% say it’s essential that the U.S. back Israel, similar to the findings in 2023.

Friday news quiz

Hunger Action Center volunteers packed food at the Atlanta Community Food Bank Distribution Center on Wednesday.

Good morning! Today is your last chance to vote early in elections for the Public Service Commission and various local governments across the state. If you’re still in the mood to make choices, try our quiz on the week’s political news. You’ll find the answers at the end of this newsletter.

More than a million Georgians could lose access to the main federal food assistance program tomorrow because of the government shutdown. What other issue has been disrupting benefits?

• A) A backlog of applications, resulting in months of waiting to get approved for benefits.
• B) Fewer grocery stores are accepting EBT cards, making it difficult for people to use their benefits.
• C) A plastic shortage has made it difficult for the government to produce EBT cards.
• D) Blaming a cyberattack, Georgia officials closed a call center, which has made it difficult for beneficiaries to activate their EBT cards.

A new AJC poll shows more than one-third of likely Democratic primary voters say they lack confidence the 2026 election will be fair and accurate. Why?

• A) They believe President Donald Trump will rig the election results.
• B) They fear GOP efforts to rewrite election laws and redraw congressional districts.
• C) They don’t trust electronic voting machines.
• D) They fear violence at polling places.

Fulton County officials are eyeing a $10 million tax break for a large development project. Why are some people worried about it?

• A) The land for the project is contaminated by toxic waste.
• B) The company that wants to build it is close to going out of business.
• C) Neighbors who live near the project have vowed to shut it down.
• D) The project threatens the habitat of the Indiana bat, an endangered species.

Marcus Wiedower resigned from the state Legislature this week to focus on his real estate business. What legislative issue will be impacted by his absence?

• A) Legalizing sports betting.
• B) Abolishing the state income tax.
• C) Reining in electricity rates.
• D) Tax breaks for data centers.

Faith talk

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich will be speaking about his new book in Atlanta on Saturday.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich is coming to the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta tomorrow to talk about his new book, “Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future.”

Kasich, a Republican, spoke with us recently about faith and politics. Here are some excerpts from our conversation, edited for brevity and clarity.

PG: Do you think churches and faith communities are becoming more political these days?

KASICH: Some of it, yes. … Obviously, my faith informs my views on a lot of things. But I don’t go seeking solutions to my decisions by, you know, studying some line in the Scripture. And furthermore, I don’t believe that the faith community should be using government or legislative efforts to try to impose their values. I believe the faith communities are about influencing, not legislating.

PG: You said on “Morning Joe” that you believed this book was coming out at exactly the right time. What did you mean by that?

KASICH: I don’t think it came out at exactly the right time. I was under the view that people were really tired of all the fighting and they wanted to put their fists down. I’m not so sure that’s true. We’re still fighting like crazy. It’s a book that … I think it becomes more relevant every day as people look at how to fix this problem.

Too many people in the country look at somebody else’s political party or philosophy, and they see it as an existential threat to themselves, which is really bad news. There’s a long way to go on this. I’m optimistic, over time, we’ll fix this — particularly if we get better leaders.

PG: Of all the stories in your book, does any one stick out as particularly poignant or meaningful?

KASICH: What I didn’t want to do was to have these just absolutely amazing stories because that seems to scare people. They say, “Well, I’m just a regular ol’ person. I could never do that.” So I wanted to make sure that we had simple ones, too. The great works of others don’t start as great works. They start as little simple things and they grow into something that’s really pretty remarkable. So you never know what you start and where it can lead.

SNAP acts

Recipients of the main federal food assistance program are expected to lose access to benefits on Saturday due to the government shutdown.

Millions of people who rely on the main federal food assistance program are waiting to see if a judge will order the government to keep it funded.

The Trump administration says it will pause the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program tomorrow because of the government shutdown. On Thursday, a federal judge seemed skeptical of the administration’s arguments.

In the meantime, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office sent out a news release listing available food pantries. It also urged Georgians to contact Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and insist that they vote to reopen the federal government.

Here are how some other states are reacting:

• Louisiana: The state Legislature OK’d Gov. Jeff Landry using $150 million to support benefits for children and the elderly and disabled.
• New Mexico: Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state will temporarily backfill SNAP benefits with $30 million in state money.
• Vermont: The Democratic-controlled Legislature approved $6.3 million for Republican Gov. Phil Scott to use to cover 15 days worth of SNAP benefits.
• Virginia: Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared an emergency and is tapping the state’s budget reserves to keep benefits flowin

This morning, Georgia House and Senate Democrats sent sent a letter to the state’s GOP congressional delegation urging them to fund health care subsidies and end the shutdown.

Campaign notes

Buddy Carter Mike Collins and Derek Dooley

The latest:

• The latest AJC poll shows U.S. Rep. Mike Collins has an early advantage in the state’s Republican U.S. Senate primary with 30% of support among likely GOP voters. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter is second at 20%, followed by former football coach Derek Dooley at 12%. Many voters, 38%, are undecided.
• Aides to former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan say his fundraising kickoff raised roughly $150,000 for his Democratic campaign for governor.
• Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones rolled out the endorsements of more than 50 county sheriffs backing his gubernatorial bid.
• The America First Tea Party, which boasts roughly 19,000 members, formally endorsed former football coach Derek Dooley’s U.S. Senate bid.

Listen up

Must see TV

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is running for reelection in 2026.

Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will appear on tonight’s episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO Max. Then on Tuesday, she will join the hosts of “The View” on ABC.

“I don’t know how many things we agree on,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said. “But I know the one thing that she and I and all of us at this table agree on is this should not be affecting the American people.”

Greene has become more outspoken against fellow Republicans during the government shutdown. The Rome Republican pushed back on MAGA criticism questioning her decision to appear on shows hosted by people known for their left-leaning views.

“Here is my voting card and nothing has changed about me,” Greene wrote on X, sharing her A+ rating from a conservative organization. “I’m 1,000,000% America ONLY. Sorry I’m not sorry I don’t obey Republican men’s demands that I, as a woman, don’t remain seen but not heard.”

Today in Washington

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump handed candy to children dressed as the tooth fairy and Abraham Lincoln during a Halloween event at the White House on Thursday.

Happenings:

• President Donald Trump is headed to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
• The House is in an indefinite recess during the shutdown.
• The Senate is done for the week.

Condolences

Kathy (Gayle) Holt Register, district director for U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, has died. She was 70.

Johnson said Register’s death was “unexpected but peaceful.” Register had been Johnson’s district director for since he first took office in 2007. She was also best friends with Johnson’s wife, DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson.

“Under Kathy’s leadership, my district staff has helped tens of thousands of constituents solve seemingly intractable problems,” Johnson said. “She ran the office with professionalism and an eye for service. That is what she did every day for more than almost 19 years. She will be missed as our leader, but also as a dear and close friend.”

Shoutouts

State Rep. Deborah Silcox (left), R-Sandy Springs, helped to lead a Georgia initiative for Nikki Haley's presidential bid before Haley suspended her campaign.

Today’s birthdays

• State Rep. Deborah Silcox, R-Sandy Springs.
• Samuel Benjamin “Ben” Huggins.

Milestone

• Georgia WIN List celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend with a two-day event in Atlanta. The Georgia-based group focused on electing women who support abortion rights has trained more than 2,300 women how to campaign for office and elected more than 100 to the Georgia Legislature. Fifty-three members of the Legislature are Georgia WIN List candidates.

Before you go

Voting rights activists gathered outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington earlier this month.