‘No Kings’ protests give Georgia Democrats a venue to sharpen their message

Today’s newsletter highlights:

Mike Collins and Derek Dooley squabble over fundraising numbers.
Jason Aldean raises money for Burt Jones’ campaign for governor.
State lawmakers get a peek at 911 costs.

Democrats resist

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

The daylong “No Kings” demonstrations that swept across Georgia and the nation this weekend were a visceral rebuke of a president that many protesters see as acting like a despotic monarch.

But it was also an opportunity for Democratic leaders to sharpen their messages before thousands of energized activists — some longtime Donald Trump critics, others newly mobilized by recent immigration raids, mass layoffs and the deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities.

At the Atlanta Civic Center, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., told the crowd that voters are pleading with him to “keep fighting for us.”

“Well you have my promise. I am going to keep fighting for Georgia,” he said.

“You cannot outsource democracy to anybody. You cannot outsource citizenship. It is all of us,” he said. “That’s why they’re trying to divide us. Because when all of us stand together and raise our voices, we win.”

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Former gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams did not give any hints about whether she would run for governor a third time in 2026. But she sounded like the fiery candidate Georgians have known during her two previous campaigns when she warned that Trumpism marks a lasting shift in American politics.

“It used to be that we were all headed to the same destination. We just had different routes,” she said, adding: “On the other side, they decided that the route they wanted to take was not democracy, but authoritarianism.”

Republicans took their cues from the White House, which trolled protesters by posting photos of Trump and Vice President JD Vance wearing crowns.

“Donald Trump is President. Liberals are crying about it in the streets,” U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, who is also running for Senate, posted on X. “Life is good.”

Things to know

Good morning! It’s day 20 of the federal government shutdown. We’re just 15 days away from the Nov. 4 elections for Public Service Commission and various local government seats.

Here are four things to know for today:

Ashleigh Merchant says she feels vindicated now that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office has been disqualified from the 2020 election interference case, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman reports.
As an ex-Republican turned Democrat, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s biggest challenge as a gubernatorial candidate might not be money or organization. It’s trust, writes Greg Bluestein.
Georgia Tech officials say they will “significantly limit” spending if the federal government shutdown continues past Monday, the AJC’s Jason Armesto reports.
As the government shutdown drags on, caseworkers fielding constituent requests for members of Congress say the inquiries continue to pour in while they work without pay, Tia Mitchell reports.

Cash race

Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, said he raised more than $1.9 million for his Senate bid. His Federal Elections Commission report lists more than $1.7 million.

So what gives? Collins also raised roughly $156,000 in contributions and transfers to a leadership PAC — money he can’t use directly for his own campaign but can deploy to help other GOP allies.

A $65,000 contribution from the candidate also drew attention. Collins’ aides first said he hadn’t put in personal money, then described the payment as a wallet-to-wallet cryptocurrency exchange that effectively amounted to a gift from the candidate himself.

Former football coach Derek Dooley’s campaign cried foul.

“Mike Collins lied about his fundraising numbers because he knew the only political outsider in this race was going to raise more than him in a fraction of the time,” Dooley spokesman Connor Whitney said.

“This is another example of why Georgians are sick and tired of typical D.C. politicians like Mike Collins and [U.S. Sen.] Jon Ossoff,” Whitney added. “They’re cut from the same cloth and will say or do anything to stay in power.”

Collins’ campaign fired back.

“I guess we can’t blame the Never-Trump Dooley team for crying to reporters because they can’t understand simple math or federal campaign reports,” Collins spokesman Corbin Keown said. “If I were them and got outraised by Mike Collins while getting smoked in the polls and running a dumpster fire campaign, I’d be pretty upset too.”

Star power

Credit: Greg Bluestein/AJC

A Jason Aldean concert doubled as one of Georgia’s biggest political fundraisers so far this cycle — and a show of force for Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ campaign for governor.

About 1,000 people packed the Coca-Cola Roxy at The Battery Atlanta on Friday night to hear the country star — and a pep talk from Jones.

“We couldn’t do this without you,” Jones said. “And we’re going to do this again very soon.”

It wasn’t the first time Georgia politics has mixed with star power. In 2022, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock brought the Dave Matthews Band to the same venue during his reelection bid.

What made Friday’s event stand out was its timing, as the election is more than a year away. Aldean, who headlined a 2022 rally for Jones in Athens, told the crowd he was happy to help.

“He’s like me,” Aldean said of the lieutenant governor. “He doesn’t mind speaking his mind.”

Aldean added that he refused to let then-President Joe Biden’s campaign use his hit “Fly Over States” — but would gladly let Jones feature it for his run.

911 costs

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

It could cost up to $126 million over five years to upgrade and maintain Georgia’s 911 system – a figure that will test the state’s relationship with local governments.

State lawmakers want to upgrade a system that has been largely unchanged since it was first built in the 1960s. The new system would let people communicate with dispatchers via text message while also letting authorities track where calls are coming from in real time

Last week, Mission Critical Partners, a public safety consulting firm, laid out for lawmakers what they could expect to pay for the new system. But the cost isn’t the only obstacle.

Georgia has 156 emergency 911 call centers scattered throughout the state. Mission Critical Partners says about 13 counties don’t have the necessary broadband connection to make the new system work.

Counties could combine their resources to keep the costs down, something that a few places are considering.

“On the flip side, we’ve also had conversations with county commissioners saying it is very important to us we maintain our 911 center within our jurisdiction,” said Aleisha Rucker-Wright, deputy executive director of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority.

State Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, noted state and local governments have yet to decide how to pay for the new system. But he emphasized they would be seeking value.

“We want the champagne on the proverbial beer budget,” he said. We want it done right, but we want a good value.”

Cleared

Credit: Jason Getz /AJC

The Fulton County Board of Ethics ruled that Commissioner Bridget Thorne did nothing wrong when she said she would “correct” two GOP nominees to the local election board if they did anything illegal or harmful.

Thorne faced an ethics complaint from fellow Commissioner Dana Barrett, who said her comments amounted to improper influence. But the board ruled Thorne’s comments involved “upholding legal standards, not exerting undue pressure,” adding that “it reflected a hypothetical expectation of lawful conduct, not control or special treatment.”

“This decision reaffirms what I’ve said from the start — the complaint was baseless,” Throne said in a news release. “Public service should not be derailed by groundless accusations.”

Thorne’s comments came amid a dispute among Fulton County commissioners about whether to appoint two Republicans to the local election board. The Democratic-controlled board has so far refused to appoint the Republicans, despite a superior court judge ordering them to do so. That case is now pending before the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Crowded race

Another candidate is jumping into the race to succeed Republican state Rep. David Clark, the Gwinnett lawmaker running for lieutenant governor.

Denise Rumbaugh, a longtime community volunteer, announced her campaign this morning for the conservative-leaning district.

Rumbaugh said she was motivated by school safety, noting that “when problems are ignored in schools, they spill into neighborhoods — leaving law enforcement to deal with kids who were failed long before they reached the streets.”

At least two other candidates have launched bids for the seat: Josh Clark, a former state legislator and David Clark’s brother; and Edwin Duncan, a Navy veteran and entrepreneur.

Listen up

Credit: AJC

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast former state Sen. Jason Carter, grandson of the late President Jimmy Carter, joins the show to talk about why he endorsed Democrat Jason Esteves for governor. We’ll also answer questions from the listener mailbag.

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.

Today in Washington

President Donald Trump will meet at the White House with Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The House will not meet.
The Senate will vote again on the Republican bill to temporarily fund the federal government.

Norfolk Southern gift

Credit: Courtesy photo

Norfolk Southern’s potential merger with Union Pacific puts more than the company’s Atlanta headquarters at stake. It could also threaten one of the city’s biggest civic contributors.

But the company hasn’t left yet. I it recently announced a $2 million donation to the Atlanta Police Foundation’s Safest City campaign. Mark George, the company’s president and CEO, made the announcement during the foundation’s annual Crime is Toast breakfast.

George made it clear the gift is evidence of the company’s commitment to Atlanta.

“This gift builds on our longstanding partnership with the Atlanta Police Foundation and reflects our commitment to helping make Atlanta the safest large city in America,” George said in a news release.

The money will support the foundation’s @Promise Youth Centers, which aim to reduce crime by giving young people something to do.

Shoutout

Credit: Angelina Katsanis/AP

Today’s birthday:

Former Vice President Kamala Harris.

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

President Donald Trump has warned he might move 2026 World Cup matches from cities he says are unsafe. But Atlanta officials say they’re not worried about the threat.

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