Georgia Democrats test their 2026 messaging during fundraising dinner

Today’s newsletter highlights:

Geoff Duncan hires veteran operatives for his campaign for governor.
Mike Dudgeon is expected to run for state Senate.
David Clark floats Charlie Kirk statue at University of Georgia.

Message test

Credit: Greg Bluestein/AJC

Credit: Greg Bluestein/AJC

Plenty of Georgia Democrats want to take a tougher, more defiant line against President Donald Trump. They found the tone they were looking for at the state party’s sold-out gala over the weekend.

The annual Carter-Lewis Dinner at the Hyatt Regency doubled as both a pep rally and a test of the Democrats’ strategy heading into the 2026 midterms: keep punching at the White House agenda to fire up the base and persuade the swing voters they’ll need next year.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told Democrats to lean in, especially on public safety, as Republicans sharpen a law-and-order message and Trump deploys National Guard troops to U.S. cities.

“They don’t want you to see the drop in crime and the rising graduation rates,” said Dickens. “So, here’s my charge to each of us here tonight. Don’t let them tell our stories. Our stories are unique, they’re beautiful and they’re diverse. And that’s what they are scared of.”

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock echoed the call in a video message to attendees, telling Georgians to stay focused during the shutdown fight as Democrats press to extend health care subsidies over GOP objections.

“They’re trying to weaponize despair and convince us that they’ve already won and there’s no need to fight,” Warnock, D-Ga., said of Trump and his allies. “But the people in this room know that they have not won — and that we’re not about to stop fighting.”

The sharpest words came from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a likely 2028 presidential candidate, who urged the crowd to sound the alarm on Trump’s “authoritarian regime.”

“If we reach inside ourselves, we can ignite the uniquely American fire that we all possess to meet the current moment. As disheartening and difficult as it is to face each day of the Trump presidency, this story has not yet been fully written,” he said.

Things to know

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Good morning! Today is the last day to register to vote for the Nov. 4 elections. At stake are two seats on the Public Service Commission and various other local government positions throughout the state, including the mayor of Atlanta.

Here are four other things to know for today:

It’s day six of the federal government shutdown. The lapse in federal funding has slowed operations at some Georgia parks. But that hasn’t stopped people from showing up, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, and former football coach Derek Dooley each raised nearly $2 million in the opening stretch of their U.S. Senate campaigns, Greg Bluestein reports.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will testify before a state Senate panel on Nov. 14, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman reports.

Notes and nuggets

Credit: AJC file photo

Other notes from the Georgia Democrats’ Carter-Lewis Dinner on Friday:

The exurbs showed up. More than 20 members of the Cherokee County Democrats attended — the largest showing in decades, organizers said. Forsyth County Democrats also had a strong showing.
Statewide hopefuls worked the room. Just about every Democratic candidate for higher office made the rounds, shaking hands with activists and donors who could fuel their campaigns next year. There were two notable exceptions: U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock dialed in remotely while still in Washington.
State Sen. Sonya Halpern, who has still not ruled out a lieutenant governor run, drew plenty of chatter in the packed ballroom. But some party insiders now say a bid for Georgia’s No. 2 job looks increasingly unlikely.
A newcomer to watch? LeMario Brown, a former Fort Valley City Council member, was described by several attendees as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor or agriculture commissioner.
Legislative contenders turned out, too. Candidates eyeing the special elections for the seats vacated by former state Rep. Shelly Hutchinson and former state Sen. Jason Esteves worked the crowd. So did hopefuls preparing to challenge GOP state Sen. Shawn Still, R-Johns Creek, and succeed Democratic state Rep. Dewey McClain, D-Lawrenceville, who has told colleagues he’s not seeking another term.

Duncan’s debut

Credit: Patricia Murphy/AJC

Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is surrounding himself with veteran Democratic operatives as he builds his campaign for governor.

His launch team includes Georgia native Michael Tyler, once a spokesperson for former Vice President Kamala Harris with deep ties to both state and national politics, and Josh Marcus-Blank, a veteran strategist who has worked on high-profile national races, including last year’s presidential campaign.

Duncan is also cranking up his fundraising. He told us he’s received more than 3,000 small-dollar donations since announcing his campaign two weeks ago — and he’s courting heavyweight donors, too.

His Oct. 30 kickoff fundraiser is co-hosted by billionaire health care entrepreneur Greg Benoit, philanthropist Stephanie Blank, criminal defense attorney Ed Garland, former Woodruff Arts Center CEO Virginia Hepner, and several members of the influential Seydel family.

Not so rogue

Georgia’s new Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission has received more than 120 complaints since launching about a year and a half ago. None have advanced to a hearing before the commission’s investigative panel.

That was the testimony of Ian Heap, the commission’s executive director who gave the Senate Special Committee on Investigations a peek into the operations of the secretive oversight council that lawmakers created to investigate complaints against “rogue” prosecutors.

The commission has been closely watched as it fielded complaints about Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. In June, it dismissed one open records-related complaint filed by a California-based newsletter author, media critic and internet talk-show host because it lacked sufficient evidence.

Heap said the commission’s confidentiality process barred him from disclosing whether the body has any pending investigations against Willis.

A former Savannah prosecutor, Heap said many complaints to the commission are from mothers or other relatives whose sons they believe were unfairly prosecuted, or victims of crimes who say prosecutors aren’t communicating with them enough about the perpetrators.

Heap said lawmakers could make his agency more effective by granting it subpoena power and the ability to issue search warrants for records.

Heads up

Former state Rep. Mike Dudgeon is expected to run for the open Georgia Senate seat being vacated by Republican Greg Dolezal, who is running for lieutenant governor.

Dudgeon, a Forsyth County tech executive and conservative Republican, represented a slice of the Senate district in the state House before working as policy director for then–Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

He has since distanced himself from Duncan, who is now running for governor as a Democrat.

Campaign watch

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Five Republican state lawmakers, including four Senators, are all vying for lieutenant governor in 2026. Today, state Sen. Blake Tillery is attempting to put some distance between himself and the crowded field.

Tillery rolled out a huge endorsement list, including more than 100 current or former elected officials. It includes 62 current sheriffs, about 60% of the Republican and independent sheriffs in Georgia. Tillery’s campaign says it now has chairs in all 159 counties.

Among the well-known names:

U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta.
Former Georgia U.S. Rep. Tom Price, who was briefly health and human services secretary during President Donald Trump’s first term.
State Senate Majority Caucus Vice Chair Matt Brass, R-Newnan.
State Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome.

“I’m humbled and honored to have the support and endorsement of so many respected leaders in our state,” Tillery said in a news release.

Campus tribute

Credit: Lindsey Wasson/AP

Republican state Rep. David Clark, a candidate for lieutenant governor, is launching a fundraising campaign to build a statue of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the University of Georgia campus.

Kirk was a major figure among conservatives on college campuses before being assassinated last month while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.

Clark said he could introduce legislation clearing the way for the monument.

“Charlie Kirk embodied the spirit of peaceful debate that used to — and should again — define political discourse in America,” Clark said. “A statue honoring him will remind young people of what is so special about the American experiment and the importance of peaceful debate to our democratic republic.”

Poll watch

Credit: Mariam Zuhai/AP

Democrats won’t vote to end the government shutdown unless Republicans agree to extend tax credits that help millions of people pay for their health insurance. A new poll shows why they’re so confident in the strategy.

A survey by KFF found 78% want Congress to extend the tax credits. That includes majorities of Republicans (59%) and voters who identify with President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement (57%).

But their support appears to have limits. Told that extending the tax credits would be expensive and taxpayers would have to pay for it, 63% said they would be concerned about it.

If the tax credits do expire, the poll found 39% would blame Trump while 37% would blame Republicans in Congress. Twenty-two percent would blame Democrats.

Listen up

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we’re answering listener questions on a range of topics, including Atlanta’s most competitive City Council race and whether Democrats need more rural voices on the ballot.

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

Have you been impacted by the federal government shutdown? We want to hear from you. Give us a call at 770-810-5297 or email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com

Today in Washington

Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Happenings:

President Donald Trump has no public events scheduled.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has canceled votes for a second week in a row.
The Senate will vote once again on competing legislation to temporarily fund the government. They will also vote on more of Trump’s nominees.

Correction

We told you on Friday that the U.S. Senate would vote to confirm Herschel Walker and Bill White to ambassadorships as part of a block of roughly 100 nominees.

But the vote on Friday was a procedural vote. There’s another procedural vote scheduled for today. The actual confirmation vote is likely on Tuesday.

Walker, a Georgia native and former football star, would be ambassador to the Bahamas. White, who led the unsuccessful Buckhead cityhood movement, would be the ambassador Belgium.

Shoutouts

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Today’s birthdays:

State Rep. Joe Campbell, R-Camilla.
State Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula.

Belated birthdays:

State Rep. Regina Lewis-Ward, D-McDonough (was Saturday).
State Rep. Angela Moore, D-Stonecrest (was Saturday).
State Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth (was Saturday).
Senate Press Office Director Evan Bergwall III (was Saturday).

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.