Georgia could be on the verge of joining early-voting states in the 2024 election if President Joe Biden’s seismic push to shake-up the calendar comes to fruition.
The Washington Post reported Thursday night that Biden recommended to the Democratic National Committee that South Carolina be the nation’s first primary state, followed a week later by New Hampshire and Nevada. Next would come Georgia and Michigan — with Iowa squeezed out.
Credit: Charlie Neibergall / AP
Credit: Charlie Neibergall / AP
The proposed change comes after intense lobbying from Georgia officials, who have argued that the state’s size and diversity should cement a spot for them earlier in the mix.
“We must ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window,” Biden wrote in a letter to members of the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee.
Call it a win for the Southerners in Biden’s orbit, including Jaime Harrison, the South Carolina-based chair of the DNC, and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has a West Wing office thanks to her role as a senior adviser to the president. Bottoms is also seen as instrumental to Atlanta’s pending bid to host the Democratic National Convention in 2024.
While the nominating proposal could quickly win approval from party officials thanks to Biden’s endorsement, it won’t be without major pushback from the states that stand to lose out. An Iowa official called the president’s decision “a kick in the teeth.” New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan said it is “deeply misguided.”
In a twist, Biden needs the go-ahead in Georgia from Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp to move the state’s primary earlier — to a tentative date of Feb. 19.
A change would not necessarily coincide with a different GOP presidential nominating calendar, since the party’s 2024 plans have already been agreed to, with the traditional Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada order.
If Georgia does become an early primary state for Democrats, expect 2020-level attention on the state’s politics and politicians all year-round.
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
LISTEN UP. The Friday edition of the Politically Georgia podcast is in your podcast feeds now. We look at Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s CNN appearance, when he said he waited an hour to vote but couldn’t vote Herschel Walker or U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. We also talk about those long lines at the polls and the final, furious days of the Georgia Senate runoff.
Finally, we dig into the PG Listener Mail Bag and pick our winners and losers for the week. Who were yours?
Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher.
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BARACK BACK. Former President Barack Obama headlined a full-house, final week rally for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock at Pullman Yards in Atlanta last night. It was his second Georgia rally this campaign cycle for the senator.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The former president told the crowd to encourage their friends and neighbors to get to the polls “one more time” for Warnock, who is on a Georgia ballot for the fifth time in two years next week.
“I’m here to tell you, we can’t let up,” Obama said.
Obama also weighed in on the race between Warnock and Herschel Walker, taking a swipe at the GOP Senate nominee, our colleague Shannon McCaffrey reports.
“Since the last time I was here, Mr. Walker has been talking about issues that are of great importance to the people of Georgia like whether it’s better to be a vampire or a werewolf,” Obama said.
Obama said that was a debate he had as well. “I was seven.”
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Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC
Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC
WOMEN FOR WALKER. While Republican Herschel Walker was stumping in Columbus yesterday, former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler held a “Women for Herschel” event in Buckhead to pump up Walker’s campaign. Incoming U.S. Sen. Katie Britt also came over from Alabama, which she’ll represent in the Senate beginning in January, to join about two dozen women GOP on hand.
Loeffler held the Senate seat that Walker’s running for before U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock defeated her in their 2021 runoff election. She has spent much of her time since then building a grassroots turnout operation to help elect Republicans in the state. She’s also frequently mentioned as a potential statewide GOP candidate down the road.
“We’re united in our work to help Herschel Walker across the goal line to become Georgia’s next U.S. Senator,” she wrote on Twitter.
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WALKER’S PAST. Thursday also brought another headline from the Daily Beast about Herschel Walker’s violent personal past.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
The article from reporter Roger Sollenberger includes a lengthy interview with a Dallas woman who alleges that she endured “cheating, lying, violence, and multiple (Walker) personalities” during a years-long relationship with Walker in Texas.
Walker has said his past violence was the result of a personality disorder, which he sought treatment for and says he no longer requires. The woman in the article describes her experience participating in Walker’s treatment, but also her belief that he is not well.
A spokesman for Walker declined comment for the piece.
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SCARY. A man who was door knocking for one of the candidates in Georgia’s Senate runoff was shot in downtown Savannah on Thursday night.
News reports do not detail who the man was canvassing for, but WSAV-TV reported that U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock spoke about the shooting.
“I am saddened to learn about this incident,” he said. “I am praying for the victim and their family and wish them a full recovery.”
WSAV reports that the man’s injuries were not life-threatening and that the Savannah Police Department has a suspect identified.
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WHOOPS. Herschel Walker claimed in an appearance on the Breitbart News Daily Podcast that he built an $100 million business twice, continuing to exaggerate his business record at Renaissance Man Food Services.
He has earlier claimed the poultry firm’s revenue is roughly $70 million a year, but he’s also said under oath that three of his businesses have earned a combined $14 million over eight years.
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Credit: File photos
Credit: File photos
TODAY ON THE TRAIL:
- Herschel Walker holds rallies in Warner Robins and Valdosta, where he will be joined by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott from Florida.
- U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will hold campaign events in Savannah and Hinesville.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
WIN SOME, LOSE SOME. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath was elected by her colleagues to be secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday.
But a fellow Georgia Democrat, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, lost her bid to fill one of three co-chair positions for the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Entering her second term in office, Williams was among seven candidates vying for the slots. She lost out to three more senior lawmakers.
Meanwhile, McBath celebrated her new role in the House Democrats’ most powerful caucus.
“It is always necessary we continue to forge a path toward getting into Good Trouble, and do the work to make life better for American families,” she said in a statement. “Together, we must build a brighter, more just future for our communities, our caucus, and our country.”
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STRIKE OUT. The U.S. Senate approved the rail worker contract over the objection of some union leaders, avoiding a strike that could have crippled the nation’s supply chain.
President Joe Biden, who pushed for Congress to take action, is expected to sign the legislation quickly.
The contract language passed overwhelmingly, but a separate vote to add a week of paid sick leave to the agreement was shut down by Senate Republicans. All voting Democrats except one — West Virginia’s Joe Manchin — supported the sick leave language. All but six Republicans opposed it. But that was enough to kill the bill that required 60 votes to advance.
The new contract includes a 24% pay raise for rail workers, but just one guaranteed sick day per year.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock missed votes for the entire week, including the rail package, to stay home on the campaign trail. But he told Sirius XM’s Joe Madison he’d been in conversations with both rail workers and companies. “We don’t need a strike,” Warnock said. “That would be devastating.”
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- The House has votes scheduled; the Senate is adjourned until Monday.
- President Joe Biden will travel to Boston, where he will meet with the Prince William before attending a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
HOLIDAY CHEER. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens spread some early holiday cheer Thursday when he announced across-the-board pay increases for all City of Atlanta employees, with an extra boost for public safety personnel.
Dickens said he knows inflation, in particular, has caused challenges for workers. “I hope these pay increases confirm my appreciation for your hard work,” he said.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
