Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis faces more challenges in moving forward with the election interference case against former President Donald Trump.

Last week, Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Willis could stay on the case, but only if special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom Willis had had a romantic relationship, was removed from her team.

On Wednesday, McAfee allowed Trump and several others to appeal his decision.

The defense has 10 days to file with the Court of Appeals. Atlanta Journal-Constitution colleague Dave Wickert adds, “The court has 45 days to decide if they want to take up the case.”

Then Kendra Cotton of the New Georgia Project weighs in on energizing voters of color in the 2024 presidential election.

Cotton is the CEO of the coalition founded by Stacey Abrams. She describes Georgia’s current political climate as “blue federally but ruby red all the way down.” She adds, “We have more work to do to show that everything down the ballot matters.”

Cotton also says that President Joe Biden’s administration has a messaging problem. But she encourages voters to consider the policy differences between Biden and Trump, who are each their parties’ presumptive nominees for president.

“We reject the notion that people have to be cheerleaders for their candidates. We believe that people need to bring the policies that they care about in (the voting booth) with them,” Cotton adds.

Under the Gold Dome, Republicans are pushing for a bill to place a statue of U.S. Justice Clarence Thomas at the Capitol.

Friday on “Politically Georgia”: Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan discusses why he didn’t choose to run as a third-party candidate for president under the No Labels ticket.

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com