Romman’s exit leaves few women running for Georgia’s top offices
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Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Test your knowledge with our news quiz.
- House bill would require rounding prices when paying with cash.
- Dale Murphy stops by the Georgia Capitol.
Why not women?
State Rep. Ruwa Romman’s exit from the governor’s race on Thursday highlights a hole in Georgia’s electoral history. Voters have never elected a woman to the state’s top three offices: governor, lieutenant governor or U.S. Senate.
Romman’s departure means there is just one viable woman running in either party for those offices: former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Some women have recently managed to erase the money deficit they once had compared to male candidates, but it hasn’t moved the needle.
In 2022, Democratic nominee for governor Stacey Abrams raised more than $100 million for her campaign against Gov. Brian Kemp, only to lose by 7 percentage points. Two years earlier, Republican billionaire Kelly Loeffler — Kemp’s appointee to the U.S. Senate — lost her 2021 runoff to Democrat Raphael Warnock.
Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has decried what she calls the “boys club” of the Republican Party. But Jeff Criswell, a Republican running to replace Greene in the 14th Congressional District, sees no problem with the numbers.
”Generally speaking, men should lead and I believe many, if not most, women would agree,” he wrote on X in a post related to the dearth of female candidates.
But Romman noted Georgia isn’t more conservative than Alabama or Arizona, both of which have had female governors.
“While I understand the trepidation, women continue to outperform in races up and down the ballot,” she said. “It’s a shame more women aren’t running for higher office, and I hope more do in the future.”
Friday news quiz
State lawmakers are off today. They’ll be back on Monday for some committee work. Crossover Day is one week from today. In the meantime, take our news quiz about politics in Georgia and beyond. You’ll find the answers at the end of this newsletter.
State lawmakers honored the “Original 33” this week. Who were they?
- A) The people who signed Georgia’s first state Constitution.
- B) The first donors to what would eventually become the University of Georgia.
- C) The first Black men elected to the state Legislature after the Civil War.
- D) The settlers of Georgia’s first European colony.
Two liberal lawyers announced they would challenge two justices on the Georgia Supreme Court. When was the last time an incumbent Supreme Court justice lost reelection?
- A) 2002
- B) 1922
- C) 1984
- D) Never
President Donald Trump agreed to settle a lawsuit this week over his use of what song during his 2024 campaign?
- A) “Hold on, I’m Coming”
- B) “Rocket Man”
- C) “We are the Champions”
- D) “Eye of the Tiger”
President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address broke the record for the longest speech before a joint session of Congress. Who held the record previously?
- A) Bill Clinton
- B) Ronald Reagan
- C) Jimmy Carter
- D) Donald Trump
Bottles for Burt
If you had stopped into the Jones Petroleum gas station in Jackson over the weekend, you would have seen something that caught our attention — bottles of water for sale that were co-branded “Burt Jones for Governor” on one side and “Jones Petroleum” on the other.
Jones Petroleum is, of course, the sprawling family business founded by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ father, Bill Jones. It is the source of Burt Jones’ personal fortune, which allowed him to loan $10 million to his leadership committee account last year.
We’re told the Jones campaign already filed paperwork to declare the water bottles an in-kind contribution from Jones Petroleum. The business will get whatever profit comes from the water bottle sales, which are priced at two for $2.79.
Evens out
The end of the penny could soon save you a few cents — or cost you a few more.
A bill moving through the state Legislature would require retailers to round prices to the nearest nickel when making change and calculating sales taxes. If the total ends in 1, 2, 6 or 7 cents, the price would be rounded down. Anything else would be rounded up.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Carter Barrett, is a reaction to the U.S. Mint ceasing production of new pennies. U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, a former Republican state senator, made that announcement last year.
Barrett, a Republican from Cumming, called it a “very very simple bill.” But he’s already had to amend it to clarify that retailers must accept exact change if people have it.
That should please House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, who told her colleagues about visiting a Dollar General store and was told she couldn’t get pennies back in change.
“If you keep everybody’s penny, somebody is making money,” she said.
Murphy’s visit
Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy fended off questions about his politics on Thursday about as deftly as he handled a bat during his 18-year career.
“I’m running for my life!” he joked when a reporter asked if he would ever run for office.
Murphy, one of the most popular players to ever play for the Braves, stopped by the Georgia Capitol for lawmakers to declare Thursday as “Dale Murphy Day.” Lawmakers also took the opportunity to advocate for Murphy’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“The Baseball Hall of Fame is a tough place to get into, as it should be,” Murphy said. “I didn’t sign that contract back in 1974 thinking I would be considered (for the Hall). So, to be able to be considered for a place where my baseball heroes are is just an incredible experience.”
While Murphy isn’t running for office, he’s already handling questions from the press like a pro by declining to endorse any of Georgia’s 2026 candidates.
“I love baseball. It’s a lot easier second-guessing the manager than being the manager, making those decisions,” Murphy said. “It’s a lot easier second-guessing all our good politicians than being them. I can’t imagine how hard it is. So, I’m grateful for those people that serve.”
Voting bills
Georgia already has a law requiring voters to show their IDs before casting ballots. But a group of Republican state senators — several of them running for lieutenant governor — say that isn’t enough.
Senate Resolution 838 would enshrine photo ID requirements in the Georgia Constitution. The amendment would leave it to lawmakers to determine which forms of ID are acceptable.
State Sen. Greg Dolezal, who is among the lieutenant governor candidates, pitched the amendment as Georgia’s version of the SAVE America Act, the federal bill backed by President Donald Trump.
“I know our friends in D.C. are trying to do this at the D.C. level, but we’ve really got to do this at the state level,” he said in a social media post.
The amendment is backed by his rivals in the Republican race for lieutenant governor, state Sens. Steve Gooch and Blake Tillery.
And it’s not the only MAGA-tinged election measure the trio is backing this year. Another measure would require Georgia to use hand-marked paper ballots counted by machines. It would also require hand-counted audits of every ballot cast and an end to jurisdiction-wide early voting.
If the measure gets a Senate Ethics Committee hearing, it’s certain to face pushback from county election officials and voting rights groups. But both proposals could have more to do with campaigning than changing how Georgians vote.
Listen up
There is no “Politically Georgia” podcast today. We’ll be back on Monday.
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.
Ad watch
The latest ad tracking numbers show the mysterious Georgians for Integrity group has now spent more than $17 million attacking Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. And that might be it.
Ad data shows the group is putting another $1.3 million on the air this week but no additional reservations are on the books for now.
Billionaire Rick Jackson, meanwhile, continues to flex his financial muscle. He’s already spent roughly $13 million on ads, with another $2 million this week and nearly $20 million more reserved in the coming weeks.
Jones is playing catch-up. He’s spent about $1.5 million so far, with another $7 million lined up in the future.
And Democrats? Barely a blip.
Aside from relatively small reservations from former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, the airwaves are dominated by the GOP slugfest.
Endorsement watch
The Southern Regional Council of Carpenters union endorsed Geoff Duncan this week in the Democratic primary for governor.
The Republican-turned-Democrat has been courting labor groups around the state, including the carpenters, since he announced his campaign last year.
Kevin E. Griffin, a leader with the union, said the group is confident Duncan “understands the importance of protecting workers’ rights and strengthening pathways to opportunity.”
Today in Washington
Highlights:
- President Donald Trump will speak about energy exports and affordability in Corpus Christi, Texas.
- The House and Senate are done for the week.
Election updates
The Floyd County Republican Party held a forum Thursday night for candidates seeking to replace former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. It appears the competition for the favored candidate is between former District Attorney Clay Fuller and former state Sen. Colton Moore.
Despite having President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Fuller was narrowly edged out by Moore in a straw poll at the end of the forum. Moore received 46 votes compared to Fuller’s 43. A distant third was Jim Tully, a former party leader who also worked for Greene. He received 15 votes.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthdays:
- State Rep. Buddy DeLoach, R-Townsend.
- State Rep. Matthew Gambill, R-Cartersville.
- State Rep. Vance Smith, R-Pine Mountain.
Upcoming birthdays
- State Sen. Gail Davenport, D-Jonesboro (Sunday).
- Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves (Sunday).
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
Answers to this week’s news quiz:
- C) The first Black men elected to the Georgia Legislature. White lawmakers expelled them after only a few months.
- B) 1922. Richard Russell Sr., father of the future U.S. Sen. Richard B. Russell Jr., defeated Chief Justice William Fish.
- A) “Hold on, I’m Coming.” The estate of Isaac Hayes, who co-wrote the song, had sued Trump for using it without permission.
- D) Donald Trump. The president set the previous record last year when he spoke for 1 hour and 39 minutes.
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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