Democratic infighting could spell trouble ahead for Georgia U.S. senator

Today’s newsletter highlights include:

• FBI director could soon be out of a job.
• Gov. Brian Kemp asks for $12 billion in disaster aid.
• U.S. Senate confirms Atlanta-based appellate judge.

Newly elected state House Democratic Leader Carolyn Hugley didn’t waste any time this week making herself heard on the issue roiling the Democratic Party of Georgia, namely the increasingly divisive leadership of party chair, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams of Atlanta.

Asked about Williams’ leadership during a Tuesday appearance on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, Hugley went squarely after Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who has made it known privately that he does not want Williams leading the party while he is up for reelection in 2026. Ossoff contacted Williams directly to tell her so, and texts of her reaction to the call were obtained by the AJC.

“There is no excuse, in my opinion, for a U.S. senator to behave in this way and to challenge her the way that she has been challenged,” Hugley said.

She described Ossoff’s behind-the-scenes moves as an attempt “to try to demean and harass and embarrass someone who has done a good job in the capacity as chair of the party.” Hugley said she is “disappointed” in the senator’s actions.

“I think it is ill-timed and ill-advised for us to start another fight amongst ourselves,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams spoke to the Georgia delegation at the Democratic National Convention in August.

Any clash between two high-profile leaders in the days after an election is noteworthy. But Tuesday’s developments are especially relevant since the typically low-drama Ossoff is gearing up for a tough statewide reelection campaign in 2026. Considered one of the top targets for Republicans, Ossoff can hardly afford a breach with any portion of his Democratic base, particularly Black women like Hugley who are Georgia Democrats’ most reliable voters.

Hugley said she likes Ossoff, but alluded to his upcoming election. “I’m going to have to go back to my constituents and say to them why we should support him when he’s acting in this manner.”

Any drop-off in Black support could spell trouble for the freshman senator. Hugley predicted the dustup over Williams won’t cost Ossoff with Black voters in 2026, “If — if — we can work through this, and if he shows leadership, in terms of getting us over this situation that has been created.”

Ossoff declined to comment on Hugley’s statements.

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Former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler is a guest today on the "Politically Georgia" show.

GOOD MORNING! Don’t miss today’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast as former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler will join the show. She’ll talk about President-elect Donald Trump’s victory and his appointments. She’ll also discuss Trump’s inauguration, as she is co-chair of his inaugural committee.

Here are three things to know for today:

• Georgia avoided a wave of postelection litigation this year, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
• The Georgia Supreme Court temporarily suspended the law license of Christian Coomer, a former state lawmaker and former appeals court judge who was found to have misused campaign funds and admitted to taking financial advantage of an elderly client, the AJC’s Rosie Manins reports.
• The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners postponed a vote until Dec. 10 on whether to raise water and sewer rates, the AJC’s Alia Pharr reports.

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MAYDAY WRAY. Vice President-elect JD Vance let slip in a since-deleted tweet that he and President-elect Donald Trump spent part of their day Tuesday interviewing replacements for FBI director Christopher Wray.

Trump tapped Wray, a former Atlanta attorney with deep roots in the city, to a 10-year term as the agency’s head in 2017.

But he has long been critical of Wray’s performance in office. On social media over the summer, Trump posted that Wray should resign after the FBI director said he hadn’t noticed a decline in President Joe Biden’s mental fitness.

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Justin “Jutt” Howard was recently elected to the Georgia Legislature.

NICKNAMES THAT STICK. Growing up a preacher’s kid, Justin “Jutt” Howard was always mowing somebody’s lawn, painting somebody’s house or cleaning somebody’s gutters. He turned that work into a business, starting his own company as a teenager that was so successful he even hired a few employees.

Now Howard will have a new job to add to his resume: state representative. The Republican was one of 22 new members of the state Legislature elected in November.

“I’ve always been interested in politics, I loved debating politics throughout the years with friends,” he said. “I thought it would be a great experience and a great opportunity.”

Born in Auburn, Alabama, Howard said he moved to Carrollton, Georgia, with his family when he was just a few months old. He got his nickname, “Jutt,” because that’s how his older brother pronounced “Justin” as a kid.

“My brother named me early on,” he said.

Howard said he supports tax incentives for safe gun storage, a proposal that did not become law last year. And he said he is “adamant” about preventing transgender women from competing in women’s sports — an issue he’ll likely get to vote on during the session.

But mostly his focus will be on “learning as much as I can” about the legislative process.

“This really isn’t about me. I’m going to represent the district and the constituents of the district and help them solve the problems that they face,” he said. “That’s why I’m doing it. That’s what my goal is. I don’t have a personal ambition for anything.”

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AND THEY’RE OFF. Starting today, Georgia private schools can ask to join a program that would let some families use taxpayer money to cover a portion of their tuition.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law earlier this year that lets families use up to $6,500 in public money for education expenses. It was one of the most intensely debated bills of the session, and not everyone was happy about it.

State regulators approved guidelines for the program earlier this week, and our colleague Martha Dalton has all the details about which students, and which schools, could qualify.

One thing to keep in mind: only students zoned to attend schools in the bottom 25% of test scores are eligible for the program. The state says it will release that data by Dec. 1.

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LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler joins the show. Then, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman talks about the Georgia Court of Appeals canceling a hearing about the Fulton County election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.

Be sure to download the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. You can also listen live at 10 a.m. EDT on 90.1 FM WABE. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.

On Tuesday’s show, newly elected Georgia House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley talked about her new post. And Heath Garrett, former aide to the late U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, spoke about the importance of bipartisanship and civility.

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Dr. John W. "Rick" Richards Jr. is the creator of EagleAI.

ROLL CALL. Georgia uses the voter accuracy organization ERIC to monitor and clean its voter registration roll. But many conservative activists complain it doesn’t do enough. Instead, they like a company called EagleAI.

This week, the Georgia State Elections Board gave the floor to Dr. John W. “Rick” Richards Jr., EagleAI CEO, to discuss how his software could help the state clean its voter rolls.

“I haven’t seen the ERIC reports, but I’ve seen the registrations that are still on the rolls after there should have been an ERIC report and state action,” Richards said.

But State Election Board member Sara Tindall Ghazal, a Democrat appointee, criticized EagleAI, saying “ERIC is vastly superior” because it has access to personal voter information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers.

County election boards rejected a majority of voter eligibility challenges lodged by conservative activists who use EagleAI, citing a lack of sufficient evidence or the use of third-party data.

Richards said he would make EagleAI reports available to counties on a “regular basis” starting next year.

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DISASTER AID. President Joe Biden submitted his emergency request to Congress, outlining $98 billion he said is needed to help states dealing with recent natural disasters.

But given the needs detailed by Gov. Brian Kemp, Biden’s proposal may only be scratching the surface. Kemp, in a letter to Congress on Tuesday, says $12 billion is needed in Georgia alone, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.

Kemp said Hurricane Helene impacted 96 of the state’s 159 counties as it tore a path across the South in late September. He is asking for nearly $6.5 billion to help farmers and agricultural producers, $2.5 billion for housing recovery, $611 million for lost timber and $507 million for crisis counseling services.

“Hurricane Helene wrought unparalleled damage across our state, leaving thousands of families displaced, businesses shuttered and our farmers facing catastrophic losses,” Kemp wrote in his letter.

Various White House officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, will appear before the Senate Appropriations Committee this morning to talk about Biden’s disaster relief proposal.

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., will also testify to the committee about Georgia farmers’ and producers’ urgent recovery needs. “The numbers are staggering, but this isn’t about numbers, it’s about families and rural communities,” he plans to say. “Without our help, many of these family farms will fold.”

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., will also deliver a floor speech this afternoon urging the Senate to move quickly on Biden’s request.

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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

• The U.S. House has scheduled votes on bills related to foreign affairs.
• The Senate continues to focus on confirming Biden nominees and will take votes on legislation that would block certain U.S. military weapons from being sent to Israel.

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CONFIRMED. The U.S. Senate has confirmed President Joe Biden’s nominee to fill a seat on the Atlanta-based federal appeals court.