US-Israeli strikes on Iran show partisan divide among Georgia candidates
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Rick Jackson accuses Burt Jones of violating a court order.
- Transgender chaplain makes history in the Georgia Senate.
- Court ruling could threaten an exemption for Tesla.
Dividing line
Add the Middle East to the growing list of fault lines in Georgia’s top races.
The ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran are sharpening contrasts between Republicans forcefully backing the attacks and Democrats like U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who warn against “another regime change war-of-choice.”
That divide was front and center at the Republican Jewish Committee’s gubernatorial forum on Sunday, where three leading GOP contenders leaned in.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger cast himself as a “peace through strength” Reagan Republican and said Iranians now have “an opportunity to rebuild their government and pursue freedom.”
Attorney General Chris Carr thanked U.S. service members and applauded strikes against the “single largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world.”
And billionaire Rick Jackson outlined proposals to expand state investment in Israel Bonds, deepen Georgia–Israel economic ties and create a faith-focused advisory structure by executive order.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones didn’t attend, citing a scheduling conflict.
While Middle East diplomacy is firmly a federal matter — and most of the leading Democratic contenders for governor steered clear of the debate over the weekend — Israel has long played an outsized role in Georgia politics.
Things to know
Good morning! Former Macon-Bibb Commissioner Seth Clark has suspended his short-lived campaign for lieutenant governor, citing a recent shift in “personal circumstances” and a desire to focus on his family. That leaves just one other Democrat in the race: state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- Candidate qualifying for the November general election starts today and ends Friday. Greg Bluestein expects a frenetic parade of candidates at the state Capitol as the ballot includes every constitutional state office, a U.S. Senate seat, 14 U.S. House districts and all 236 seats in the General Assembly.
- State Election Board member Janice Johnston has long accused Fulton County election workers with impropriety in the 2020 election. The AJC’s Caleb Groves writes about how her persistent criticism prepared the way for the Trump administration to investigate.
- A Georgia voting rights group and two labor unions have sued Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for refusing to hand over records related to a 2025 mass voter registration cancellation, Groves reports.
What’s next on Iran?
Members of Congress return to Capitol Hill facing the reality of President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran and their consequences, including risks to U.S. service members due to retaliation on American military bases and allies.
The partisan debates on whether the strikes were necessary are leading to discussion about what action if any Congress might take this week.
A majority of House Democrats are backing a war powers resolution limiting Trump’s abilities to continue the attack. Even if the resolution passes when it is brought to the floor later this week, it would be far short of the support needed to override a guaranteed Trump veto.
Republicans are renewing an effort to approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security to end the partial government shutdown that started on Feb. 15. Conservatives say the strikes in Iran created new urgency to ensure law enforcement agencies under DHS have full funding. But Democrats have not said whether they will back away from demands that immigration enforcement policies be addressed in the process.
Complicating these discussions is the fact that the House doesn’t have much floor time scheduled this week with votes expected only on Wednesday and Thursday.
Legal wrangling
Republican billionaire Rick Jackson’s campaign for governor is accusing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and his leadership committee of violating a court order.
A federal judge on Feb. 20th ordered WBJ Leadership to stop spending money on Jones’ campaign for governor. But Jackson’s campaign says the committee continued running digital ads and aired a TV spot in the Albany market on Feb. 24.
Jackson’s campaign has asked a federal judge to hold Jones and the committee in civil contempt.
“Given the audacity of the Jones Defendants positions, Jackson’s only choice was to move for contempt,” Jackson’s lawyers wrote in the motion.
Beyond a contempt finding, Jackson wants the court to order Jones to stop further spending by the leadership committee, cancel remaining ad contracts and certify under oath that he’s in compliance.
Jones’ campaign didn’t comment.
Memorable moment
Georgia marked a low-key but historic moment last week when the Rev. Kimble Sorrells became the first openly transgender “chaplain of the day” in the state Senate.
Invited by Democratic state Sen. Sally Harrell of Atlanta, Sorrells delivered the daily prayer without any mention from the well of the milestone.
Harrell simply noted that Sorrells, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, once taught her children at vacation Bible school.
The history-making nature of the moment only surfaced afterward, when Georgia House candidate Aaron Baker asked if Sorrells thought about using the moment to chastise the GOP-controlled chamber for passing transgender limits.
Sorrells kept it apolitical, summarizing the message this way: “I reminded them that our various faith traditions call us to treat each other as we would like to be treated. That’s kind of the closest thing we have to a universal ethic.”
Auto dealing
Georgia voters in 1992 agreed to change the Constitution in a way that has long been viewed as giving lawmakers broad authority to regulate the auto industry. But a recent Georgia Supreme Court ruling makes it clear there are limits to that power that could threaten a key advantage for Tesla.
Georgia law bans automakers from selling vehicles directly to consumers. But it makes an exception for Tesla. Lucid, a Tesla competitor, argued that isn’t fair.
The court didn’t decide that question. Instead, it ruled the Constitution does not give lawmakers power to do whatever they want with the auto industry. Instead, they said lawmakers can only pass laws “in order to prevent frauds, unfair businesses practices, unfair methods of competition, impositions, and other abuses.”
The justices ordered a lower court to reconsider Lucid’s lawsuit challenging Tesla’s exemption. Stay tuned.
Under the Gold Dome
The Legislature will not convene today to give lawmakers time to do their committee work. Crossover Day is Friday. Some happenings:
- 8 a.m.: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meets to consider House Bill 1436, which would strip state funding for local governments that limit cash bail options.
- 9 a.m.: House Motor Vehicles Committee meets to discuss House Bill 1465, which would repeal the requirement to display a revalidation decal as evidence of annual motor vehicle registration renewal.
- 10 a.m.: House Judiciary Committee meets to discuss House Bill 1223, which would exempt from disclosure recordings from police body cameras that depict a person’s death.
- 10 a.m.: The Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 577 and Senate Bill 538, both of which pertain to the regulation of PFAS chemicals.
- 2 p.m.: Senate Finance Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 410, which would repeal a sales and use tax exemption for data centers.
- 3 p.m.: House Governmental Affairs Committee meets to discuss House Bill 1260, which would stop paying salaries of county and municipal governing authorities who fail to certify completion of mandatory training.
Health concern
Georgia Supreme Court Presiding Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren was recently diagnosed with what the court called “a small, early-stage breast cancer.”
Warren will have outpatient surgery later this month. In a news release, the court said Warren’s doctors expect “a full recovery.”
Warren intends to continue working during her treatment, which also comes as she’ll be running for reelection. Last week, Jen Jordan — a Democratic trial lawyer who was the party’s nominee for attorney general in 2018 — announced she was challenging Warren for her seat.
The election is May 19.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we break down the online firestorm over California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s comments in Atlanta. We also dig into billionaire candidate for governor Rick Jackson’s health care empire and the long shot challenges to two Georgia Supreme Court justices.
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
Highlights:
- President Donald Trump will award the Medal of Honor to three U.S. army soldiers who served in World War II, the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan.
- The House has no votes scheduled until Wednesday.
- The Senate will take a procedural vote on affordable housing policies.
Shoutouts
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Before you go
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and other members of the African American Mayors Association are lowering flags to half-staff in their cities to honor the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., whose memorial services continue this week.
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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