PG A.M.: In TV ad, Kemp derides Georgia Supreme Court challenger Barrow
With an unpredictable race for Georgia Supreme Court that could hinge on abortion rights on the ballot next week, Gov. Brian Kemp wants to leave nothing to chance.
The Republican’s political network is airing a new 30-second spot in metro Atlanta backing Justice Andrew Pinson, who is facing a tough challenge from former Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow.
“Georgia is the best place to live, work and raise a family. But we need your help to keep it that way. We need judges who follow the law and uphold the constitution,” Kemp said in the TV ad unveiled today. “Not more partisan politicians in the courtroom.”
Kemp has much riding on Pinson, the only one of four justices on the ballot to face a challenger. The nonpartisan race has become a proxy battle over abortion rights, with Barrow pledging to “protect” reproductive freedom if he’s elected on May 21.
The TV ad is part of more than $500,000 in spending from Kemp’s political organization to back Pinson, who has steered clear of speaking publicly about his stance on abortion. Other conservative groups, including the Faith and Freedom Coalition and Frontline Policy Action, are also boosting Pinson.
But for Kemp, this is also personal. He and Barrow both call Athens home, and Barrow was on the county commission in 2002 when Kemp grew so frustrated with local politics that he decided to run for the state Senate. His upset victory launched his political career.
No incumbent Georgia Supreme Court justice has lost an election bid in a century, but Barrow senses an opening by trying to turn the race into a referendum on the state’s abortion restrictions — even if saying so could land him in legal hot water.
Barrow sued the state’s judicial watchdog agency last week after it threatened to discipline him for his campaign trail messaging. A federal judge didn’t immediately rule on the challenge on Monday after a hearing, but Barrow made clear he isn’t backing down.
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GEORGIA 2024. A New York Times/Siena College poll of battleground states released Monday is the latest illustrating President Joe Biden’s struggles in Georgia. But is he really trailing former President Donald Trump by double-digits in the state? Let’s take a closer look.
Many senior Democrats in Georgia privately acknowledge Biden is falling behind Trump, even with all the caveats about the reliability of polling six months ahead of the election.
Yet even many Republicans scoffed at crosstabs that showed Biden only pulling two-thirds of Black support in Georgia, along with his attracting hardly half of the voters in the Democratic strongholds of DeKalb and Fulton counties, and fewer than half of city-dwellers.
The takeaway from several savvy analysts from both parties: Biden is scuffling in Georgia, but he’s not plumbing the depths suggested in the poll, which pegged Trump with a 49-39 lead over the incumbent.
What’s more, Trump’s campaign has yet to build out its operation in Georgia, relying heavily on the Georgia GOP instead, while there are about a dozen Biden staffers on the ground here already and a calendar full of 2024 events.
Other tidbits from the poll:
- Only about one-third of voters approve of how Biden’s handling the job, compared to 61% who somewhat or strongly disapprove.
- A plurality of Georgians (28%) view the economy, jobs and inflation as the most important issue in the election, which is typical at this stage in the election.
- More surprising is the second-most cited issue: immigration, which burst into the forefront after the slaying of Laken Riley, a nursing student who was killed while on a jog on the University of Georgia’s campus.
- Fewer than 1% of respondents say that the Israel-Hamas war and the conflict in the Middle East is a top concern. More voters say they trust Trump (47%) over Biden (37%) to navigate the crisis.
- A majority of Georgians (55%) say abortion should be “always” or “mostly” legal, compared with about one-third who want the procedure restricted or banned.
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KING CONNECTION. If you’ve been reading about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign recently, you may have seen a familiar name in the mix on his team: Angela Stanton-King.
The Georgia-based anti-abortion activist once ran as a Republican against the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis for a 5th Congressional District seat. That came months after she was pardoned by then-President Donald Trump for a 2004 conviction on federal conspiracy charges for her role in a car theft ring.
After going on to work for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, she’s now serving as an adviser to the Kennedy campaign, which is threatening to pull votes from both Trump and President Joe Biden in November.
Her role in the Kennedy campaign so far has included organizing a criminal justice event for Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, as well as advising Kennedy on abortion policy.
After he recently told podcaster Sage Steele he supports a woman’s right to choose an abortion “even if it’s full term,” he walked his statement back after a social media post from Stanton-King, when she wrote, “To be perfectly transparent, this is the first time I’ve heard this perspective directly from Mr. Kennedy.” He later said he supports abortions rights “up to the point of fetal viability.”
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BUSINESS LICENSES. Top Georgia lawmakers created a committee Monday to look into difficulties facing businesses trying to renew and obtain licenses from the state.
The bipartisan committee will focus on eliminating “unnecessary hurdles” in the online license application, according to a letter from House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, R-Jackson.
The secretary of state’s office, which includes a professional licensing division, welcomed the effort, according to a spokesman. In a letter obtained by your insiders, Raffensperger also lamented that two licensure-related bills stalled this year in the Legislature.
“Again, I want to thank you for your commitment to improving licensure in the State of Georgia,” he wrote. “I look forward to working with the members of your blue ribbon committee to get solutions in place.”
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HBCU FUNDING. President Joe Biden plans to announce new investments in historically Black colleges and universities ahead of his commencement address at Morehouse College, Politico reports.
Georgia has 10 HBCUs, three of which are public institutions most reliant on government dollars: Albany State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State universities. Public funding of HBCUs, which at the federal level includes grants for various programs plus financial aid for students, has often lagged behind predominantly white institutions.
Starting under former President Donald Trump and continuing under Biden, the federal government has drastically increased money funneled to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions.
Biden will deliver the commencement address at Morehouse on Sunday and will receive an honorary doctorate. He could face protests from students and alumni angry over his continued support for Israel during its conflict with Hamas as concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza persist.
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LISTEN UP. Today on the “Politically Georgia” radio show, Republican Party of Georgia Chairman Josh McKoon talks about why the party recently ousted Vice Chairman Brian Pritchard and previews the upcoming state GOP convention.
Also, Morgan State University professor and MSNBC commentator Jason Johnson shares what he thinks about President Joe Biden’s upcoming speech at Morehouse College and the recent polling showing Biden struggling in Georgia.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org. You can also listen to Politically Georgia at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
If you missed Monday’s episode, DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond and former Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens gave their takes on the news of the day. Also, Democratic strategist Rick Dent provided his insight on how presidential candidates are attempting to reach Georgia voters on the airwaves.
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SMALL AGENCY, BIG ROLE. You’d be forgiven if you say you’ve never heard of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, a little-known state agency that’s played a role in the development of water, sewer and other environmental infrastructure systems across the state since 1986.
GEFA’s influence is growing exponentially these days, the AJC’s Meris Lutz writes in a story published Monday. At least $1 billion in federal taxpayer dollars are expected to flow to the state in the next five years and state leaders are increasing investments in infrastructure to support economic development goals.
The agency is led by Hunter Hill, a former Republican state senator and a 2018 gubernatorial candidate. GEFA currently has 39 employees and has also hired some outside consultants.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden delivers remarks from the White House on increasing tariffs on goods from China. Later, he gives a speech at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies’ annual gala.
- The House returns this evening and could vote on a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration for five years and another that would require ticket sellers to include fees and other costs when listing prices.
- The Senate has confirmation votes lined up.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson hosts a prayer vigil for fallen officers and a flag-laying ceremony in honor of National Police Week.
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FIRST LADY LEGACY. It’s been nearly six months since former first lady Rosalynn Carter died, but the Carter Center is continuing her focus on mental health with the 28th Annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum today.
Along with a video from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and remarks from Jason Carter, who now serves as chair of the Carter Center Board of Trustees, Georgia first lady Marty Kemp will participate as well.
Kemp will join Kevin Tanner, the Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, for a conversation about suicide prevention.
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SNAIL MAIL AND BALLOTS. The U.S. Postal Service’s delivery issues in Georgia have drawn consistent criticism from elected officials, particularly now that absentee voting in the May 21 primary is underway.
Muscogee County officials sounded the alarm Monday about the slow pace of mail-in ballot returns in the Columbus area. Muskogee’s elections director told WRBL-TV her office has received back only 15% of the ballots mailed out and that some voters have complained about not yet receiving ballots sent to them in late April.
The director, Nancy Boren, encouraged would-be absentee voters to use ballot drop boxes rather than the mail. Those still waiting on ballots should consider using early voting locations instead, she said. Early in-person voting continues through Friday.
AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
