Today’s newsletter highlights:

• Ousted CDC contractor launches campaign for state House seat.
• University of Georgia predicts the state’s economic growth will slow.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene pushes for extension of health insurance subsidies.

Standoff

Lt. Gen. Thomas Carden, a Georgia Army Guard officer, No. 2 position at the National Guard Bureau, according to the Senate Armed Services Committee. (AJC file photo)

Lt. Gen. Tom Carden has deployed to Bosnia and Iraq, led the Georgia National Guard and served as deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command. So when the Trump administration nominated him to become vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, state officials expected a quick confirmation.

Instead, his nomination has hit a political wall.

Carden is caught in a standoff between President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., over the administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities.

Padilla placed a hold on Carden’s nomination this summer, a powerful procedural tactic that has delayed his confirmation. Padilla said he won’t relent until the administration withdraws the National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles.

“My objection is about more than Lt. Gen. Carden. None of what we are seeing in Los Angeles through this militarization is business as usual,” Padilla said during a floor speech in July.

Now, Gov. Brian Kemp is turning up the pressure.

“In short, an American hero is being prevented from taking a critical, national security post because of your interference,” Kemp wrote in a letter to Padilla sent this morning.

Padilla’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment. But a federal judge this week ruled the Trump administration must stop deploying the California National Guard in Los Angeles and return control of the troops to the state.

The 100 or so California troops that remain in Los Angeles are guarding federal buildings or stationed at a nearby base, according to U.S. Northern Command.

Kemp said Carden’s nomination shouldn’t be a political football.

“I would also urge you to remember General Carden’s words: ‘It’s not about us, it’s about being a good teammate and making sure we make everything around us better.’”

Friday news quiz

State Rep. Sharon Henderson did not have a great week. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Good morning! You made it to the end of the week. Take a moment to celebrate by trying our news quiz. You’ll find the answers at the end of the newsletter.

State Rep. Sharon Henderson was arrested this week. What was she charged with?

• A) Driving under the influence
• B) Insider trading
• C) Unemployment fraud
• D) Perjury

Georgia Democrats flipped a state House seat during a special election on Tuesday. How many more seats do they need to win to secure a majority?

• A) 3
• B) 10
• C) 7
• D) 12

A state lawmaker resigned this week to focus on his campaign for lieutenant governor. Who was it?

• A) Steve Gooch
• B) John F. Kennedy
• C) Greg Dolezal
• D) Blake Tillery

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has threatened to sue Georgia because she said state officials are not complying with an information request. What does she want?

• A) Voter registration data
• B) Investigative files from the Fulton County election interference case
• C) Inmate medical records
• D) Foster care payment records

Campaign watch

Beth Fuller is a Democratic candidate for state House District 53 in 2026. (Courtesy photo)

One of the thousands of laid off workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is running for a seat in the state House of Representatives next year.

Beth Fuller, who lost her contract position at the CDC earlier this year, is challenging Republican state Rep. Deborah Silcox in House District 53. The north metro Atlanta district includes portions of Sandy Springs and will be one of the key swing districts for Democrats looking to make gains in 2026.

The CDC layoffs were a flashpoint in the first few months of President Donald Trump’s second term, prompting public protests and resignations of some top officials. Fuller said her layoff will be part of her campaign,

“Things are changing and the CDC is undermined. That matters to people,” she said. “I do think that will be part of the story. But another part of the story is just my commitment to health.”

Silcox won a close race over Democrat Susie Greenberg last year. Greenberg has endorsed Fuller’s campaign, calling her “the candidate to win this race.”

Economic outlook

Georgia’s economy will grow in 2026, but it likely won’t set any records, according to a closely watched economic forecast out this week from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.

“Growth will be slow because of uncertainty related to trade policies, a slowdown in population growth, decline in the size of the labor force, and slower overall growth in the U.S. economy,” Santanu Chatterjee, the college’s interim dean, said.

Chatterjee made a presentation at the Georgia Aquarium this week as part of the university’s annual Georgia Economic Outlook.

Here’s a few other highlights, as reported by the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman:

• Job growth has narrowed to only a few industries, such as health care.
• Georgia’s unemployment rate for 2026 will average to about 4.1%, compared to 3.6% this year.
• Business decisions in Georgia might be delayed until trade policies stabilize.
• Georgia will likely benefit from lower interest rates because of the state’s high dependence on real estate development.
• Georgia’s population will grow slower than it had immediately after the pandemic, but faster than the U.S. on average.
• Georgia manufacturing will outpace the nation and the number of manufacturing jobs will slightly increase next year.
• Georgia’s home prices are likely to decline more than U.S. home prices because the state’s housing market was more overheated.

Gov. Brian Kemp, ahead of his last legislative session in office, spoke via video message highlighting his “conservative budget that has returned billions of tax dollars back to the people of Georgia.”

“In the days ahead, we’ll keep working to put more money in the pockets of hard-working Georgians and maintain the strong growth we’ve enjoyed statewide,” he said.

Backup

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for reelection, held a rally in Savannah in July. (Sarah Peacock for the AJC)

Defend the Vote, a political action committee focused on voting rights, endorsed U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s reelection bid this morning. And the group could bring considerable firepower to his 2026 campaign.

Defend the Vote executive director Brian Lemek said the Democrat has “made it his mission to root out corruption so our government works for regular people, not powerful insiders.”

The organization recently unveiled a $14 million plan to boost pro-democracy candidates and issue advocacy heading into the 2026 cycle.

Listen up

There is no “Politically Georgia” podcast today. We’ll be back on Monday to 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.

MTG’s final act?

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke to reporters in Washington after attempting to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson in 2024. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s official last day in office is Jan. 5. But she is entering her final week in Congress as the House starts its winter recess on Dec. 19 and won’t return until Jan. 6.

The question now is, does the Rome Republican go out in a blaze of glory?

MS NOW heard from three people who said Greene is trying to drum up support for removing House Speaker Mike Johnson from his post. The Rome Republican knocked down the rumors reported by the cable network formerly known as MSNBC, saying it was “not true.”

Greene’s disdain for Johnson is well known, but other Republicans have grown increasingly critical of his leadership. Some are now trying to circumvent Johnson’s opposition to extending the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies by supporting discharge petitions to force a vote.

If Greene is contemplating ousting Johnson, she has likely learned it is a longshot. She tried to remove him last year and failed.

At least nine detractors would need to file a “motion to vacate,” and then a majority of House members would have to vote in favor of his removal. It is unlikely that such a vote would pass given the support Johnson still has among most members and President Donald Trump.

Health care drama

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (center) spoke with reporters after a closed door meeting with Republican colleagues in Washington this week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

The U.S. Senate on Thursday failed to pass a Democratic-backed bill that would have extended health insurance subsidies for millions of Americans. But that might not be the final word.

Over in the House, nearly a dozen Republicans are working to force a floor vote in their chamber on extending the subsidies that help people afford their monthly health insurance premiums. These GOP members, including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have signed a discharge petition that would force a vote on the issue before the subsidies expire at the end of this month.

Their plan could work if Democrats choose to join them. Greene employed similar tactics last month when she helped force a vote on releasing files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.

But Democrats have so far been reluctant to support the Republicans’ plan. Their proposal would extend the subsidies for one or two years accompanied by changes in eligibility. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that Republicans should consider backing the Democrats’ plan for a three-year extension. A discharge petition to that end is also on the table.

Today in Washington

Flanked by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (left) and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump displays his signed AI initiative in the Oval Office on Thursday. ( Alex Brandon/AP)

Happenings:

• President Donald Trump will participate in the swearing in of the chair of the Export-Import Bank and the chief executive of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. He will also sign legislation into law.
• The House will vote on an environmental regulations bill.
• The Senate is done for the week.

Shoutouts

Larry Hanson is the CEO and executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association. (Courtesy photo)

Today’s birthday:

• Larry Hanson, CEO and executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association.