Competing claims swirl as Kemp stays on sidelines of GOP governor’s race
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Keisha Lance Bottoms proposes a moratorium on new data centers.
- Why June could be one of the most pivotal months in Georgia politics.
- Many of the state’s congressional delegation members are choosing not to endorse runoff candidates.
Dueling narratives
Gov. Brian Kemp hasn’t picked sides in the GOP runoff for governor. But Rick Jackson’s latest ad might leave voters thinking otherwise.
The billionaire is airing a spot this week that lifts from Kemp’s interview with Politico’s Jonathan Martin, where the governor praised Jackson as a “great supporter” and adds that the “race is ripe for a political outsider, especially someone who can self-fund.”
What the ad doesn’t mention: Kemp praised Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the same interview, saying the two have a “great working relationship.”
Jones has also aired ads showcasing his ties to Kemp. But his campaign has been far more eager to highlight the Republican whose backing he actually has: President Donald Trump.
“I wouldn’t throw stones at anything that the governor has done, because you always know where he is on things,” Jones said in an interview. “That’s probably the best thing about his leadership. There’s no guessing, because once he makes a decision, he sticks with it. I’m very similar in that regard.”
Kemp, meanwhile, is making clear he’s not about to get off the sidelines in the race for his job.
“The only candidate the governor has endorsed in the runoff elections thus far is Derek Dooley, and any insinuation to the contrary is not true,” his aide, Garrison Douglas, said.
Things to know
Good morning! Here are three things to know for today:
- Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts is calling out Kemp for his appointments to a new transportation planning agency board, the AJC’s Sara Gregory reports.
- Private companies are angling for a lucrative statewide contract while state lawmakers are preparing for a special session to address Georgia’s voting system, the AJC’s Caleb Groves and Tamar Hallerman report.
- Democratic voters in the insurance commissioner race must choose between a former Atlanta City Council member in the middle of a campaign ethics probe and an industry veteran with no experience in public office, the AJC’s Riley Bunch reports.
Turnout boost?
Kemp might have just given Republicans a way to goose GOP turnout in November.
A new law lets voters raise sales taxes to offset some of their property taxes. But the move requires approval from both voters and lawmakers. Because the Legislature won’t convene in regular session until next year, it looked like 2027 would be the soonest referendums could make it to the ballot.
But Wednesday, Kemp updated his call for a special session later this month to include property taxes. That means lawmakers could pass laws putting these sales tax referendums on the ballot this November.
These new sales taxes would have no impact on school property taxes. But the Association County Commissioners of Georgia says it would be enough to completely eliminate county and city homestead property taxes in 110 of the state’s 159 counties.
Democratic and Republican voters both like tax cuts. But Republican officials might believe they can boost turnout among the party faithful by putting property taxes on the ballot.
Georgia’s June of political reckoning
We’re just days into what could be one of the most pivotal months in Georgia politics. Let us count the ways.
First comes the June 16 runoff, when Republicans will settle their marquee races for governor and U.S. Senate. The next day, lawmakers return to the Capitol for a special session that has quickly grown in scope.
The agenda now includes rewriting Georgia’s political maps for the 2028 cycle, overhauling voting rules and, as of Wednesday, tackling property taxes.
The timing matters. If Kemp’s preferred Senate candidate, former football coach Derek Dooley, falls to U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, do GOP lawmakers feel freer to challenge the governor’s approach to redistricting and voting changes?
If Jones loses the gubernatorial runoff to Jackson, how much appetite will he have to steer the Senate through a high-stakes session days after a bruising defeat?
And if both Kemp and Jones emerge weakened, who fills the vacuum?
Those are just a few of the questions shaping the month. The back-to-back runoff and special session will determine more than who survives until the November election. It could decide who has the leverage over state politics for the rest of the decade.
Staying neutral
Candidates in runoff races have been racking up endorsements from allies and former opponents. But many members of Georgia’s congressional delegation are choosing not to endorse, particularly when it come to a race involving one of their own.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter said immediately after placing third in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate race that he didn’t anticipate endorsing either Collins or Dooley in the runoff.
U.S. Reps. Andrew Clyde and Rich McCormick — two other GOP incumbents who are expected to coast to reelection in November — are also staying out of it.
McCormick, R-Suwanee, said he didn’t have a close relationship with either candidate to justify making an endorsement that is unlikely to move the needle and also carries political risks for him.
“Let’s say I endorse either one of the two, that means about half my constituency will probably be angry with me because it’s divided about 50-50,” he said.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we examine the high-stakes Republican U.S. Senate runoff between Collins and Dooley.
You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 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.
Data center clash
Kemp blasted Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms as “irresponsible” for proposing a moratorium on new data centers, sharpening a debate over economic development, energy and local control that is helping to shape the race to succeed him.
The Republican told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday at an energy conference in Las Vegas that Bottoms is pressing an “insane position” by pushing to pause development of the massive new facilities.
Bottoms argues the state needs to slow down and reassess the rapid expansion of data centers to “give us the opportunity to understand exactly where we are — are we on the right track or do we scale back?”
Kemp countered that he recently heard a very different message in Early County, one of Georgia’s poorest counties, where local officials greeted him almost as soon as he got out of the car with what he said was the same message: “Please help us with our data center. We want to build a data center here. We know that will provide good paying jobs.”
Kemp said he doesn’t want to push data centers in places where local officials don’t want them.
“But there are many places around the state where people do want it,” he added. “And that’s where we need to work with them.”
Today in Washington
- Trump will make an announcement regarding energy produced by coal.
- The House will vote on a resolution expressing support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, a war powers resolution pulling troops from Lebanon and one of 12 appropriations bills.
- The Senate will have a marathon session to vote on amendments ahead of passage of the reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement.
MARTA safety
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday he is launching an investigation of spending and security protocols at MARTA following a deadly stabbing on a train last weekend.
The Federal Transit Administration will review the money MARTA has spent on security, its safety protocols, and the risks riders and employees face on the network of trains. Duffy also pointed to a second nonfatal stabbing on May 24 at a MARTA station.
“Every American should be disturbed by the horrific crimes we have seen on MARTA in the last month,” Duffy said in a news release. “No one should be forced to fear for their safety simply because they choose to ride public transit.”
Atlanta resident Margaret Swan was killed while riding a MARTA train on May 30 in what officials said was a “completely random” attack.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthday
- State Rep. Phil Olaleye, D-Atlanta.
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
Heads up: I-285 will close between Cascade Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive this weekend. Plan accordingly.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider information 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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