Lindsey Graham’s sudden death jolts Southern politics
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Turnout has been sparse so far in the special election for David Scott’s seat.
- MS NOW reports two Atlanta-based FBI analysts were fired last week.
- The housing legislation that was approved by Congress with bipartisan support became law Friday.
Senate shakeup
The sudden death of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has jolted South Carolina politics. It also puts an even brighter spotlight on a region already at the center of the battle for the U.S. Senate.
Let’s be clear: South Carolina is a Republican bastion, and the GOP will be heavily favored to keep Graham’s seat no matter who emerges from the lightning-fast special primary to replace him on the November ballot.
But the scramble adds a new layer of drama to a Southern Senate map already crowded with some of the nation’s most important races.
Here in Georgia, of course, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is defending one of the GOP’s top targets against Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is leading ex-Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in polls and fundraising. And in Texas, Democrat James Talarico is emerging as a national star in a race drawing enormous attention and money.
Now add South Carolina to the mix.
Graham had just secured the Republican nomination for a fifth Senate term, winning about 57% of the vote in the June primary. His death Saturday means GOP voters are set to return to the polls Aug. 11 to choose a replacement nominee.
The timetable is hectic. Candidates have just one week, from July 21 to July 28, to qualify. If no one wins an outright majority, a runoff follows on Aug. 25.
The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in November.
Again, hardly anyone expects South Carolina to turn blue. But an open seat and a compressed campaign will bring more donors and national attention to a race that was largely ignored.
In the meantime, Graham’s death and the hospitalization of Kentucky Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell narrows Republicans’ already slim Senate majority and calls into question how much they can get done on the floor for the next few weeks.
Things to know
Good morning! Here are three things to know for today:
- Keisha Lance Bottoms is trying to become the first Black woman to ever win a governor’s race in the U.S. Greg Bluestein writes she’s not emphasizing that in her campaign, however.
- In the past year, 56 people have filed wrongful conviction claims in Georgia. Tamar Hallerman reports more than 60% of them have been rejected. For those who succeeded, the results varied greatly.
- More children are landing in Georgia state custody because one or both parents were detained or deported by immigration authorities, according to data from the Georgia Department of Human Services, Lautaro Grinspan reports.
Turnout watch
Fewer than 1% of registered voters cast ballots during the first week of early voting for the special election to fulfill the unexpired term of the late U.S. Rep. David Scott.
The low turnout suggests the race hasn’t captured the attention of voters during peak summer vacation season. It doesn’t help that whoever wins the race will be a lame duck before they’re even sworn-in.
That’s because the winner of the special election will be in office only until January. After that, whoever wins the general election in November will take over. Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark is the strong favorite to win the general election. She is not running in the special election.
Tia Mitchell has a breakdown of who is on the ballot. The candidates include Marcye Scott, David Scott’s daughter, and former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair.
FBI firings
MS NOW reports two Atlanta-based FBI analysts were fired last week after expressing concerns about the Trump administration’s ongoing investigation of Georgia’s 2020 election.
The duo, a husband and wife, were among the FBI intelligence analysts who have been asked in recent weeks to look into Joe Biden’s narrow defeat of Donald Trump in Georgia that year. MS NOW first reported earlier this month that FBI Director Kash Patel has directed 260 analysts to prioritize the investigation.
MS NOW reported the husband and wife told colleagues they did not believe the probe was justified and that it ran afoul of Department of Justice policies.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, we discuss why Ossoff says he’s not interested in running for president in 2028, while U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has left the door open for a national campaign.
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.
New housing law
The housing legislation that was approved by Congress with bipartisan support became law Friday after the 10-day window passed without Trump either signing or vetoing it.
The action comes as Trump joined conservative Republicans in opposing the bill in protest of the Senate’s failure to act on a package of election laws known as the SAVE America Act.
Yet many Republican leaders in Congress urged Trump to allow the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to become law, noting his previous support of the legislation and its goal of increasing the availability of affordable housing.
Warnock, who helped draft some of its provisions, including language limiting large companies from buying up single-family homes, applauded what he called a “historic victory.”
“I hear from Georgians across the state who have been clamoring for action from Washington on the affordable housing crisis, and this legislation is proof that when we center the people instead of the politics, we can get good policy done,” Warnock, an Atlanta Democrat, said in a statement. “I’m proud to have contributed to increasing our nation’s housing supply and lowering costs for hardworking Georgia families.”
Today in Washington
- Trump will participate in an event previewing an IndyCar race in Washington and will meet with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.
- The House has evening votes scheduled.
- The Senate will vote on more Trump nominations.
- Warnock will hold a news conference with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to highlight passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthdays:
- State Rep. Steven Sainz, R-St. Marys
- Kaitlyn Brewster, housing and Small Business Administration liaison for U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson.
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
The Libertarian Party of Georgia said it failed to gather enough signatures for its candidates to appear on the ballot this fall. That means Georgia’s top races are less likely to be forced into a runoff.
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.