Ossoff, Warnock join push for Graham Platner to drop out of key Senate race

Today’s newsletter highlights:

• Raphael Warnock visits Columbus Technical College.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene is set for another appearance on “The View.”
• As Rick Jackson consolidates GOP support, one notable holdout remains: Burt Jones.

Calls to withdraw

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination last month in Blue Hill, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

Georgia’s two top Democrats joined the mounting calls for Graham Platner, the party’s Senate nominee from Maine, to end his campaign after a woman accused him of rape.

U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock told us Monday night that Platner should abandon his challenge against Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in a race both parties see as key to the battle for control of the Senate.

Warnock called the allegations “disturbing and sickening,” adding, “Moral character still matters. He should drop out of the race immediately.”

Ossoff, in a tough battle for reelection himself, said simply that Platner should withdraw.

In a video on social media, Platner called the account false but said he was taking time to “reflect” on his political path forward. He has until July 13 to withdraw from the race if he wants someone else to replace him on the ballot. The state Democratic Party would have until July 27 to pick a new nominee.

Things to know

Feral horses inhabit Cumberland Island, seen here in 2022. (Stephen B. Morton/AJC)

Good morning! Here are three things to know for today:

• The federal government wants to acquire family lands near Cumberland Island’s main public dock. In exchange, descendants of some prestigious families would get public property in out-of-the-way places, Adam Van Brimmer reports.
• The FBI is pressing ahead with its investigation of Fulton County’s 2020 election, setting a July 17 deadline to complete tens of thousands of record checks, Caleb Groves reports.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could vacate its regional hub in Atlanta’s largest federal office complex and lease a different — and much smaller — workspace elsewhere in the city, Zachary Hansen reports.

It’s complicated

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, seen here presiding over the state Senate during a special session last month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Rick Jackson has spent the first few weeks of his campaign for governor consolidating Republican support after a brutal primary. But he’s still missing one big piece: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

Jones still hasn’t backed Jackson’s campaign, even as his allies have rushed to line up behind the GOP nominee. In the state Senate, where Jones once wielded unparalleled influence, every Republican member signed a letter endorsing Jackson.

Jones has reasons not to quickly embrace his former rival. After all, Jackson spent more than $100 million flooding screens with ads, many of them targeting Jones.

But there could be more to the story. Jones has long blamed Jackson for a roughly $20 million ad blitz backed by a shadowy group that helped soften the ground for a challenge. Jackson has denied being behind it.

What’s more, Jackson and Jones are locked in a pair of dueling defamation lawsuits. Jackson sued Jones back in March, taking issue with his campaign ads alleging he profited by recruiting for Planned Parenthood. And Jones’ family business, Jones Petroleum, sued Jackson last month, saying his campaign falsely accused the company of operating illegal casinos.

Both sides could drop the lawsuits as a path to peace. If not, those lawsuits could drag on for years. A defamation lawsuit involving Bruce Thompson’s 2022 campaign for labor commissioner took years to resolve.

Jackson’s camp is moving on. He’s now been endorsed by all the other statewide constitutional officers, including two other rivals in the May primary: Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

A Jackson aide said the nominee welcomes Jones’ endorsement, but that the campaign knows Republicans are “already united behind Rick Jackson and defeating Keisha Lance Bottoms.”

Warnock the welder

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (center) poses with students and faculty at Columbus Technical College on Monday. (Greg Bluestein/AJC)

Warnock got hands-on when he visited Columbus Technical College on Monday to promote legislation to expand workforce training and help students earn while they learn.

The Democrat donned heavy-duty safety gear and fired up a welding torch before touting his “Pathways to Prosperity” proposal.

The measure would create paid work opportunities for technical college students as they train for high-demand careers.

“Every day I’m thinking about how do we create a path so that people who have ambition and intellect and skills connect to a job,” he said.

Listen up

Aaron Baker (left) and Jeremiah Olney are two Democratic Socialists who challenged sitting Democratic House members in the May primaries. Both lost. (Handout)

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we examine how Democratic socialist candidates performed in the primaries and what the results say about young voters, Democratic divisions and Republican attack lines.

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.

Today in Washington

• Trump is in Turkey where he will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other NATO leaders.
• The House and Senate are out this week.

MTG’s View

Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, seen here at a political rally in Rome in 2020. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will be appearing on the ABC talk show “The View” this morning.