Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Republican resolution calls for harmony ahead of elections.
- Poll shows Georgians support extending health insurance subsidies.
- Chattahoochee Hills election focuses on future growth.
On second thought
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The Trump administration fired hundreds of top-level scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday night only to have federal health officials race to reverse the layoffs, sending the Atlanta-based agency into deeper disarray.
The New York Times reported that among the wrongly dismissed were leaders of the federal measles response team, a group of scientists working to contain the Ebola virus in Congo, epidemiologists specializing in combating outbreaks and the office that assembles the CDC’s weekly scientific journal.
It’s not the first time a wave of CDC layoffs were rescinded. In April, roughly one-third of the agency’s staffers were let go amid the Trump administration’s overhaul of the Health and Human Services agency. Many were rehired within weeks.
The timing only magnifies existing turmoil. In August, a gunman who authorities say was motivated by a distrust of the coronavirus vaccine unloaded hundreds of bullets into six buildings on the CDC’s campus, killing a police officer.
Days later, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. orchestrated the ouster of CDC director Susan Monarez, which led to a wave of other resignations from agency leaders.
“The Trump administration’s ‘oops’ moment of mistakenly firing top CDC disease outbreak specialists is yet another complete and total display of utter incompetence as they continue to attack Georgians’ health,” said Democratic Party of Georgia chair Charlie Bailey.
Abby Tighe of National Public Health Coalition, a group of fired CDC staffers and their allies, said more than 1,000 people were fired on Friday and about 600 remain so.
“While the direct human toll of these firings is infuriating,” she said, “it’s the forward looking impacts of these cuts that is hard to accept as the ‘new normal’ for the American people and our nation.”
Things to know
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Good morning. It’s day 13 of the federal government shutdown. Early voting starts tomorrow for the Nov. 4 elections for Public Service Commission and various local government throughout the state.
Here are three things to know for today:
- State Rep. Mandi Ballinger has died after a long battle with cancer, the AJC’s Caleb Groves and Michelle Baruchman report.
- The race for Atlanta City Council president highlights a yearslong debate over how best to bolster the city’s public safety, the AJC’s Riley Bunch reports.
- Republican incumbents on the Public Service Commission have accepted campaign contributions from executives of companies that benefited from some of the board’s decisions, the AJC’s David Wickert and Caleb Groves report.
Come together
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
A few months ago, Georgia GOP delegates passed a scathing resolution seeking to block Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from qualifying as a Republican, deeming him “repugnant” to the party’s brand.
Now, some Republicans are trying to walk it back as Raffensperger runs for Georgia’s top job.
The Georgia GOP’s State Committee will take up a resolution today that calls for “comity” within the party. It doesn’t mention Raffensperger or any other Republicans who have clashed with the MAGA wing. But it does call for a truce.
“The public attacking, embarrassing, and fighting between Georgia GOP members serves to tarnish the image of the GOP thus dissuading voters from voting,” the draft reads, adding that “disagreements within the party need to stay within the party.”
That may be wishful thinking. The far-right Georgia Republican Assembly, which spearheaded efforts to punish Raffensperger for rejecting President Donald Trump’s false election claims, blasted the resolution.
Over the weekend, GRA Chair Alex Johnson called the measure an attempt to push “Nazi-like restrictions on speech” to protect the establishment. Others are likely to recoil at the idea of “comity” ahead of a primary season that’s already turned vicious.
Still, the push underscores a broader divide inside the Georgia GOP — between those ready to move past years of internal warfare between the MAGA and mainstream and those still stoking those fires.
GOP ban?
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Georgia Republicans today will consider permanently banning activist David Cross and several of his allies from the party.
You might remember Cross as an election conspiracist who was the party’s second vice-chair before losing a lopsided challenge in June to Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon. He then accused the vote of being “rigged,” a claim that was rejected by the national GOP.
The Georgia GOP resolution accuses Cross of spearheading a push for aggrieved supporters to “fraudulently dispute or charge back valid charges” for the party’s Dalton convention, causing unspecified financial losses and “reputational harm” to the party.
Cross told us it was a desperate attempt to “limit the First Amendment rights of Republicans” and disputed the claims. He said he simply wrote an email to some attendees “letting them know what other people had done to receive their convention fees back.”
“I was simply reporting what had already happened,” he said. “Republicans don’t take instructions from me nor do I give people instructions or direct them what to do. I believe in the free will of each person to make their own choices.”
ACA polling
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Nearly three-quarters of Georgia voters support extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies at the center of the ongoing government shutdown fight, according to a new poll released this morning.
The poll by Peak Insights found bipartisan support among Georgia voters for extending the tax credits. It also offered a warning sign for Republican candidates who oppose it.
The survey was designed to measure how the congressional debate over the tax credits could shape Georgia’s 2026 U.S. Senate race. It found that a GOP candidate who backs the extension would likely gain ground, while one who lets the credits expire could face blowback.
Among the findings:
- 72% of Georgia voters back extending the tax credits when told that premiums could double and millions could lose coverage if they expire. That includes roughly half of Donald Trump voters and more than two-thirds of independents,
- 47% said they’re less likely to support a Republican who allows the credits to lapse when presented with that same language, while 36% said they’re more likely to back a GOP candidate who supports the extension.
Pollster Erik Iverson argued that support for the credits could help Republicans broaden their appeal.
“Key 2026 General Election voter blocs in Georgia will reward GOP candidates who embrace extending the credits — and punish those who do not,” he wrote.
Fulton frontier
Credit: Adam Beam/AJC
Credit: Adam Beam/AJC
Chattahoochee Hills represents the last swath of undeveloped land in Fulton County. And for some residents of this tucked away city, that’s a feature, not a bug.
The city’s original comprehensive plan laid out a strategy for making it “deliberately rural.” But as the metro Atlanta region continues to grow, development pressures are increasing.
Next month, voters will elect two new council members and a new mayor. It’s a pivotal decision for the city as it embarks on an update of its comprehensive plan next year.
Council member Richard “Richie” Schmidt questioned whether the city’s preservation plan is working during a forum on Sunday hosted by the League of Women Voters.
“How do we control that growth? First thing we do is give you back your rights. This is your property,” he said.
His opponent, Council member Camille Lowe, said the city’s preservation strategy is working, noting “we all agreed on these rules together.”
“The model is working,” she said. “We are making adjustments in the comprehensive plan process, and we will continue to do that.”
Early voting starts tomorrow.
Listen up
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Today on “Politically Georgia” we’re opening up the listener mailbag to answer your questions about what’s next in the Fulton County election interference case, how Georgia’s new U.S. treasurer could mint a “Trump coin,” and whether Gov. Brian Kemp’s political future depends on Derek Dooley’s Senate campaign.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free a 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
Credit: Oded Balilty/AP
Credit: Oded Balilty/AP
- President Donald Trump was in Israel today to mark the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas before heading to Egypt for a summit.
- The House is out again this week after Speaker Mike Johnson again canceled votes.
- The Senate is off for Columbus Day and will return Tuesday.
Shoutouts
Credit: AJC file photo
Credit: AJC file photo
Today’s birthdays:
- Tyler Boozer, creative and digital director for Fair Fight Action.
- Nate Easington, deputy press secretary for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Belated birthday:
- Amanda Seals, executive vice president of government affairs and advocacy for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce (was Sunday).
- State Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta (was Saturday).
Transitions:
- Falak Sabbak has joined Dentons as senior managing director in the Atlanta office. Sabbak is a former executive director of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, helping grow the party’s membership to its largest in two decades.
- Daniella Campos has joined the staff of U.S. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Campos has been U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s Washington based press secretary. Gillibrand is also chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which will play a crucial role in Ossoff’s 2026 reelection campaign.
- Mary Christina Riley of Newnan was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate as assistant secretary of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Education. Riley most recently was a staffer for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. She is also a former senior adviser in the Department of Education’s Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs.
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: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Early voting in Atlanta City Council races starts Tuesday. Use our tool to explore the city’s new districts, including population and demographics comparisons.
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.
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