As GOP derides ‘Communist crazies,’ Rick Jackson sticks to his script
Today’s newsletter highlights
- U.S. Supreme Court blocks Trump’s mail-in ballot plan.
- Brian Kemp formally endorses Mike Collins.
- Georgia Democrats launch downballot push.
Arm’s length
The Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual gathering is usually a red-meat feast. And for much of Monday night at the Cobb Galleria Center, it was.
Candidates up and down the ballot attacked Democrats, touted culture war fights and praised MAGA policies.
White House border czar Tom Homan defended President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins captured the mood when he framed the Senate race as “common sense versus Communist crazies.”
And Ralph Reed, the founder of the conservative grassroots advocacy group, accused Democrats of nominating “people who are unapologetic and open socialists, Marxists, Communists, anti-Semites, haters of Israel and even, sadly, haters of our own nation.”
“And if you listen to the press and the pundits and the pollsters, they will all tell you that we’re going to lose, and that we’re going to lose big,” he said. “And my message to you tonight is: Don’t you believe them, and don’t listen to them, and let’s go out and do our job.”
Then came Rick Jackson.
The billionaire Republican nominee for governor didn’t once mention Trump. He didn’t dwell on abortion, transgender policies or other culture war flashpoints, either.
Instead, Jackson delivered an intensely personal account of growing up in poverty, entering foster care and finding Christianity. Then he tied those experiences directly to the kind of governor he wants to be.
“After the runoff, I told my team, ‘We’re going to talk about the general (election), and let me tell you something: God did not send Jesus here to save Republicans or Democrats. He came here to save everybody.’”
The message echoed Jackson’s broader pivot away from the base-pleasing issues that defined much of the Republican primary. But the setting made it more striking.
Things to know
Good morning! Are you a Republican voter in Georgia? AJC reporter Sophia Eppley wants to talk to you. Click here to send her a note. Here are three things to know for today:
- Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson are clashing over data centers. But both candidates for governor have more complicated histories with the industry they are now promising to regulate, Greg Bluestein writes.
- Whatever Georgia’s next voting system will be, getting there was never going to be easy, writes Caleb Groves.
- Dr. Mehmet Oz, a prominent TV physician who now oversees the sprawling Medicaid and Medicare systems for the Trump administration, traveled to Atlanta on Monday to promote a federal program aimed at offering workers more health insurance options, David Wickert writes.
Trump blocked
The U.S. Supreme Court halted President Donald Trump’s extraordinary plan to restrict mail voting for the midterm elections, ending a flurry of litigation. The high court’s decision comes right on time. Georgia begins sending out military and overseas ballots today.
The majority’s unsigned, brief ruling blocks what could have significantly impacted mail voting procedures, allowing states to continue sending out mail ballots as planned. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the order.
Gabriel Sterling, the secretary of state’s director of special projects, applauded the ruling.
“This is a victory for voters and election administrators,” he wrote on social media late Monday. “Changing election processes at the 11th hour is always a recipe for chaos.”
The plan would have required states to use a uniform style of ballot envelopes and submit lists of eligible voters to a portal online. States not in compliance could have risked having the U.S. Postal Service refuse to deliver ballots.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and several other Republican secretaries of state urged the Supreme Court last week to reject the Trump administration’s plan for the pivotal midterms, saying it wasn’t reasonable to overhaul procedures in time for November.
Kemp backs Collins
Gov. Brian Kemp is formally backing Collins after spending the primary arguing the congressman was the wrong GOP pick to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Kemp had long said he would support the Republican nominee and backed the entire GOP ticket after the June runoff.
But Monday marked his first explicit endorsement of Collins, whom he campaigned against for months while trying to instead elect former football coach Derek Dooley.
“Jon Ossoff’s far-left agenda doesn’t represent Georgia values, and the future of our state and country demands a different direction,” Kemp said. “I’m proud to endorse Mike Collins for the U.S. Senate, and I know he’ll always put Georgia first.”
It’s a boost for Collins, but it’s still unclear whether Kemp will campaign for him or deploy what remains of his political operation to back him.
Ossoff’s campaign is all too eager to make sure voters remember Kemp’s warnings about Collins’ chances.
At a Sunday rally, Ossoff invoked Kemp’s efforts to stop Collins as part of a broader attack on the Republican nominee.
His campaign returned to the theme on Monday, calling Collins a “bigot” who is “only a congressman because his daddy was a congressman, is surrounded at work and at home by neo-Nazis and white nationalists.”
Data centers strike back
Democrats and Republicans are pumping the brakes on data centers amid voter skepticism of their benefits. But in Georgia, the industry is pushing back.
The Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance, an arm of the Georgia Chamber, launched a six-figure advertising campaign this week aimed at “educating Georgians about the benefits that responsible data center development can bring to communities across the state.”
The 30-second ad, dubbed “The Next Chapter,” compares data center development to construction of the Port of Savannah, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and interstate highways.
“Today, we’re writing the next chapter,” a narrator says. “Responsible investment in modern infrastructure, data centers and energy means a stronger tax base without burdening families.”
An AJC poll from earlier this year showed majorities of both likely Democrat and Republican primary voters opposed data centers in their communities. Recent polling from Cygnal found just 23% of Georgia voters have a favorable view of data centers. But 52% said they would support data centers in their community “with thoughtful accountability requirements in place.”
“We’re going on offense to educate Georgians about what responsible digital infrastructure can mean for our state and our communities,” said Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber.
Downballot push
Georgia Democrats are launching a new communications “war room” aimed at down-ticket races getting far less attention than marquee contests atop the ballot.
The Democratic Party of Georgia said Tuesday that “Project Downballot” will use rapid response, social media and messaging to target GOP candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general.
“Georgia Democrats are committed to flipping seats and electing fighters for the hardworking people of this state, not only at the top of the ticket, but all the way down,” Georgia Democratic Party Chair Charlie Bailey said.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy dig into the contrasting strategies shaping Georgia’s U.S. Senate and governor’s races.
You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, 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
- President Donald Trump will swear in a new ambassador.
- The House will vote on another Iran war powers resolution, a repeal of Biden-era environmental regulations and a retiring lawmaker’s resolution to impeach Trump.
- The Senate will vote on a Trump nomination and take a procedural vote on a bill to regulate the cryptocurrency industry.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthday:
- Atlanta City Council member Andrea Boone.
Belated birthday:
- Tucker Mayor Anne Lerner. (was Monday)
Transition:
- Amol Naik is joining Robbins Government Relations. Naik has spent time at Google, Atlanta City Hall and two global law firms. He’s also advised a string of Democratic campaigns and candidates in Georgia.
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
Ossoff leads Collins by about 6 percentage points in a new poll from the conservative-leaning Trafalgar Group.
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.