5 things to watch for in Georgia politics this year
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Marjorie Taylor Greene stokes feud with Donald Trump as she exits Congress.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will be sworn in today for a second term.
- Dana Barrett is expected to run for secretary of state as a Democrat.
Looking ahead
Happy New Year! If you thought 2025 was a big year for politics, you might want to sit down when contemplating all that’s in store for 2026. The midterms will be the big news, especially as it portends to the future of the MAGA wing of the Republican Party. Georgia promises to be in the middle of it all, with high-stakes races for U.S. Senate and governor that are sure to attract campaign cash and hot takes in equal measure.
Here are five things to watch for in 2026:
1. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s next act.
The Rome Republican is leaving Congress today, ending one of the most polarizing political runs in Washington in recent memory. But we don’t expect Greene to go quietly (more on that below). The most tantalizing possibility is a run for statewide office, potentially shaking up Georgia’s Republican primary for governor. Greene has insisted she isn’t running in 2026. But there are countless examples of politicians changing their minds. Another equally interesting possibility is Greene entering the media world, where she could continue to frustrate President Donald Trump and his MAGA allies.
2. Donald Trump’s endorsement in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race
Republicans believe they can defeat Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in this year’s election. But first they have to agree who will be the candidate to run against him. No one has emerged as the runaway favorite so far among U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, and former football coach Derek Dooley. Trump’s endorsement could go a long way in settling things. But his blessing might not have as much power as it once did, especially in Georgia. Popular Gov. Brian Kemp has already made his choice by backing Dooley. If Trump picks someone else, will Republican primary voters follow?
3. Jon Burns vs. Burt Jones.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is locked in a contentious Republican primary for governor this year. But the most interesting battle, at least early on, could be between Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns over a proposal to eliminate the state income tax. Jones has made the policy the cornerstone of his campaign. But Burns, also a Republican, has indicated that he favors property tax relief instead. Jones angered Burns last year by adjourning the Senate early and leaving House Republican bills hanging. Could Burns get some revenge this year by torpedoing Jones’ income tax proposal?
4. Affordability as a campaign issue.
Georgia Democrats had great success in 2025 by focusing on affordability. Can they keep it going in 2026? Their best argument in 2025 was about electricity rates, which they successfully attributed to Republican votes on the Public Service Commission. Two more Republican-held seats on the commission are up for election this year. But unlike last year, the races will have to share billing with marquee contests for U.S. Senate and governor.
5. Brian Kemp’s last hurrah.
The two-term governor remains as popular as ever in Georgia. But his decision not to run for the U.S. Senate has relegated him to a support role in 2026. That doesn’t mean he’ll take it easy. Kemp is campaigning for U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley. Regardless of what happens in that race, it ensures Kemp’s vast network will stay engaged, potentially setting the stage for his next political act.
Things to know
Good morning! We’re a week away from the start of Georgia’s legislative session. The primary for U.S. Senate, governor and other races is in 134 days.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- A yearslong challenge to Georgia’s anti-abortion law and a case blaming Snapchat for a teenager’s reckless driving are among the cases to watch in state courts this year, the AJC’s Rosie Manins reports.
- Garland Favorito believes the U.S. government covered up the truth about the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Now, he’s become a leader among conservatives who say Georgia’s 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.
- A shadowy group has paid roughly $8 million for ads criticizing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ campaign for governor. Now, Jones is urging the Federal Communications Commission to step in, Greg Bluestein reports.
Last day
This is U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s final day as a member of Congress. She is not going quietly.
The Rome Republican is stoking her feud with President Donald Trump and his allies on the way out the door with attacks over MAGA foreign policy and a vow to spark a “national tax revolt” over GOP spending priorities in 2026.
She gave a scathing interview to The New York Times about her disillusionment with Trump and what she called the “sexualization” of some of his female loyalists.
And on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” she reiterated her criticism of Trump’s military operation in Venezuela, including the removal of its president, saying it was another example of Trump abandoning his “America First” platform.
“If this was really about narco-terrorists and about protecting Americans from cartels and drugs being brought into America, the Trump administration would be attacking the Mexican cartels,” she said Sunday.
It caps a congressional tenure that ended with a political earthquake no one saw coming. The lawmaker who once said the Republican Party “belonged” to Trump is leaving after a bitter feud with the president.
What’s next is anyone’s guess. She has ruled out runs for governor or Senate. She has also brushed aside talk of a White House bid. She said she won’t endorse in the race to succeed her, which is well underway. (Expect Gov. Brian Kemp to soon issue a special election date to fill Greene’s expiring term.)
She recently got engaged to journalist Brian Glenn, has a wedding to plan and even muses about doting over grandchildren someday soon.
But few believe she’s headed for a life out of the public eye. For a politician who thrives on confrontation, the fight may just be moving to a new arena.
Dickens’ second term
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will be sworn in today to start a new four-year term — and herald his strengthening hand at City Hall.
His allies now hold key leadership roles, including Marci Collier Overstreet, who emerged from a bitter campaign to become City Council president. Two new council members aligned with the administration also join the body today, cementing Dickens’ governing bloc heading into his second term.
Whether he can translate that leverage into action will define his next four years in office.
Dickens is expected to lean on those relationships as he pushes one of his biggest priorities yet: extending all of Atlanta’s tax allocation districts. He frames the proposal as essential to closing racial and economic disparities across neighborhoods. Critics say the proposal would take money from public schools and city services.
One of the defining battles of his first term — the political storm over the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center — has receded from the headlines, giving Dickens more room to set a broader agenda in term two.
Ossoff’s strategy
Democrats enter the new year growing more confident of U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s chances of being reelected. But the first-term lawmaker is campaigning like most other politicians in a tough battle: like he’s running from behind.
Ossoff’s campaign released a memo today highlighting the messy infighting among his three leading GOP rivals. And it highlighted his support for extending health insurance subsidies, which expired last week, and opposing President Donald Trump-ordered tariffs.
But his campaign noted in the four-page memo that the state’s political dynamics still make the race an uphill battle:
“Georgia remains a red state and Senator Ossoff is already facing millions of dollars of Republican spending against him. Yet, Republicans are entering the New Year defined by a messy primary and plagued by the disastrous policies of an increasingly unpopular incumbent president who has caused real life harm to Georgians.
“These factors combined point to a competitive Senate race that will continue to play out over the next 11 months. The Ossoff campaign will continue to build unstoppable momentum and work to earn every vote across the state of Georgia."
Campaign watch
Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett is expected to announce a bid to be Georgia’s top election official within days, joining a growing field of candidates seeking to replace Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is running for governor.
The Democrat already has staked a colorful record in Georgia politics. A former talk radio host, she ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2020 to oust Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk in a safely conservative seat.
Elected to the Fulton Commission in 2022, she’s pushed to address the county’s overcrowded jail and drew headlines last year for voting to refuse to appoint two GOP nominees to the local election board.
Voting rights advocate Adrian Consonery Jr. and former TV judge Penny Brown Reynolds, a Biden administration appointee, are among the other Democrats in the race. Republican contenders include Gabriel Sterling, a former Raffensperger deputy; former U.S. Senate contender Kelvin King; and state Rep. Tim Fleming, R-Covington.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast podcast we’re digging into the questions that will shape Georgia politics in 2026.
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
Happenings:
- President Donald Trump participates in a policy meeting at the White House.
- The full House is out for one more day.
- The House Ethics Committee is expected to announce an update on a complaint involving U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, and his top aide, Brandon Phillips. The committee disclosed in November that the complaint had been referred to its members on Oct. 7 and set a deadline for today to announce its course of action. The complaint wasn’t made public, and Collins’ office has called it a “desperate and baseless attack” by the U.S. Senate candidate’s political opponents.
- The Senate return for evening votes.
Shoutouts
Belated birthday
- Rebecca Yardley, executive director of America First Georgia (was Tuesday).
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
Former Harris County probate judge Allen Levi is finding success in a second act as a novelist. His self-published debut novel, “Theo of Golden,” has become a surprise bestseller.
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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