John F. Kennedy resigns Senate seat to focus on lieutenant governor’s race
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- State Supreme Court considers Fani Willis’ subpoena.
- Burt Jones backs property tax limits.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump resume their sniping.
Stepping down
John F. Kennedy is resigning his seat in the Georgia Senate today to focus on his bid for lieutenant governor.
The Macon Republican said he’s stepping down because his constituents deserve a senator “who will be entirely focused on their needs and their priorities — not a statewide campaign.”
Left unsaid is another reason legislators often step aside when seeking higher office: state lawmakers and constitutional officers are barred from raising campaign money during the 40-day legislative session, which typically runs from January through March or early April. Every day spent at the Capitol is a day not spent raising money or meeting voters.
Kennedy’s move also means giving up one of the highest-profile platforms in state politics. During the session, ambitious politicians can command attention, promote their priorities and appear daily before TV cameras and statewide media.
He was until recently the president pro tempore of the Senate and one of the most powerful figures under the Gold Dome, shepherding major legislation like Gov. Brian Kemp’s overhaul of the civil litigation system.
Kennedy is one of six — yes, six — state lawmakers competing to succeed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor. But so far, Kennedy is the only one to step down. Republican state Sens. Greg Dolezal, Steve Gooch and Blake Tillery; Republican state Rep. David Clark and Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin are all staying put.
Staying put has been the prevailing trend in this round of the quadrennial game of should-I-stay-or-should-I-go.
Unlike past cycles, where ambitious legislators forfeit their seats to campaign full time, only one other lawmaker has so far resigned to wage a campaign for marquee office: former Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves, who is running for governor.
Things to know
Good morning! Republicans are expected to win big in a pair of special state House elections today. But it’s likely only one of the races will be decided. House District 23 in Cherokee County has six candidates running, meaning a runoff is likely.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- State Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, says he is running to succeed U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu and Tia Mitchell report.
- State Rep. Sharon Henderson, D-Covington, has been arrested and charged with unemployment fraud, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports. She may not be the last. U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg told WABE “there are more indictments that are likely to follow.”
- Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is challenging state laws that he says give Lt. Gov. Burt Jones an unfair advantage in the Republican race for governor, the AJC’s David Wickert and Greg Bluestein report.
Still going
Fulton County’s election interference case against Donald Trump may be dead, but the politics are alive and well.
Today, District Attorney Fani Willis will ask the Georgia Supreme Court to stop the Republican-controlled state Senate Committee on Investigations from forcing her to testify about the case.
Willis’ attorney, former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes, argues the committee is acting as a centerpiece of state Sen. Bill Cowsert’s Republican campaign for attorney general next year, citing reporting in this newsletter as evidence.
Cowsert, a Republican from Athens, responded by noting Georgia lawmakers from both parties have sought to “create additional oversight” of district attorneys. His prime example? Former House Minority Leader Bob Trammell’s push to create a Prosecuting Attorney’s Qualifications Commission in 2020. It just so happens that Trammell is also running for attorney general as a Democrat and could face Cowsert in the general election if both win their primaries next year.
The AJC’s Rosie Manins will be watching the arguments at 10 a.m. The crux of the case is whether the state Senate has the power to subpoena witnesses by itself or if it also needs the consent of the state House of Representatives.
Both ways
Cut the income tax or cap the property tax? Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is the latest GOP candidate for governor pushing for both.
In a Washington Examiner commentary, Jones wrote that eliminating the state income tax without also limiting property tax hikes would be “incomplete.”
“School boards and counties shouldn’t get a free ride on rising home values and should be transparent and responsible when they raise taxes on hardworking homeowners,” Jones wrote.
Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Jones’ two main Republican rivals, have issued similar calls. And House Speaker Jon Burns has made property tax cuts a priority ahead of the 2026 legislative session.
Of course, cutting taxes means the government would have to either replace the lost revenue or reduce spending to make the numbers balance.
The state’s personal income tax generates about $15.7 billion a year — by far the state’s largest source of income. The next-largest source of revenue is the sales tax, at $9.4 billion.
Lingering feud
The media world was buzzing on Monday after Paramount launched a hostile takeover attempt of Warner Bros. Discovery to usurp an acquisition by Netflix. Many assumed Paramount had the backing of President Donald Trump, especially since his son-in-law Jared Kushner is involved in the push.
But assuming things with Trump is never a good idea.
Trump took to his Truth Social account on Monday to blast Paramount for airing an interview with U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene during “60 Minutes” on Sunday. Trump has called Greene a traitor because she has defied him on multiple policy issues this year.
“My real problem with the show … it was that the new ownership of 60 Minutes, Paramount, would allow a show like this to air. THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP, who just paid me millions of Dollars for FAKE REPORTING about your favorite president, ME!”
Trump said the interview proved Greene “is NOT AMERICA FIRST or MAGA.” Greene responded on X, posting a graphic comparing how she has accepted no money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee while Trump has received contributions from them.
“I AM AMERICA FIRST,” she posted.
Georgia 13th
An internal poll suggests the race for U.S. Rep. David Scott’s seat is more competitive than many expected.
The most striking figure is the 42% of voters who say they’re undecided. Scott led with 25% among likely voters while his opponents clustered behind him in single-digits. The Atlanta Democrat is facing a wave of challengers amid concerns about his age and health.
The poll, conducted in late August by Rosetta Stone Communications for Heavenly Kimes’ campaign, is a few months old and, like any internal survey, should be taken with a grain of salt.
But it offers a snapshot of just how unsettled the contest is.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we’re looking ahead to the politics and policy battles on tap in the the fast-approaching 2026 Legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly.
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.
Farmer bailout
President Donald Trump on Monday announced a $12 billion plan to help farmers impacted by rising costs and the impact of his administration’s tariffs.
The Associated Press reports that $11 billion would be one-time payments to row crop farmers who produce corn, soybeans and Georgia’s famous peanuts. The remaining $1 billion will be reserved for specialty crops like sugar.
U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, was among the lawmakers who attended the roundtable at the White House where the bailout was announced. Scott, who is vice chair of the House Agriculture Committee, heaped praise on the president.
“A country that can’t feed itself doesn’t know what freedom is,” he said. “And so, thank you for making sure that our farmers have the tools they need so that we as a country can feed ourselves.”
Today in Washington
Happenings:
- President Donald Trump will attend a Christmas reception at Vice President JD Vance’s home. Then he’ll travel to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, to speak about the economy.
- The House has evening votes scheduled.
- The Senate will vote on more of Trump’s nominations.
Backup plan
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this week on whether to extend health insurance subsidies that lower the cost of monthly premiums. In Georgia, Democrats in the state Senate say they have a solution should the vote fail, as is expected.
Jason Esteves, a Democratic candidate for governor and former state senator, filed Senate Bill 192 earlier this year that would “fill in the gaps in coverage when federal benefits expire at the end of the month.”
In a news conference on Monday, Esteves said the state could use its $14 billion surplus to pay for a state program to reduce health care costs. The bill does not have a budgetary estimate, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports.
“The goal is to supplement what’s happening with the federal subsidies and provide direct subsidies to citizens of the state,” Esteves said.
Republicans have not publicly signaled much interest in Esteves’ plan.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthdays:
- Former state Rep. Shelly Hutchinson.
- Zach Pishock, communications associate with the Georgia Senate Press Office.
Belated birthday:
- Elizabeth Chandler, lobbyist for the Georgia Bankers Association (was Monday).
Noteworthy:
- Republican Jim Kingston, a contender for an open coastal Georgia U.S. House seat, nabbed the endorsement of Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan.
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
A recent feature on the AJC’s sometimes rocky relationship with state leaders featured the Capitol portrait of the late Gov. Lester Maddox. The famous painting includes a fish in the background wrapped in a copy of The Atlanta Constitution, whose reporters Maddox regularly battled. The artist was the late Bruce Hafley, who often included objects in his portraits that told a deeper story.
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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