The Jolt: Poll shows strong state support for public safety training center
A new poll highlights the risks for Democrats with statewide political ambitions who oppose the Atlanta public safety training center, hinting at why so few prominent party leaders have argued against the $90 million project.
The 20-20 Insight poll found about 60% of likely Georgia voters said they back Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ support for the facility.
That’s compared to 12% who say they back the movement against the center when posed with a question that lifted phrases from the “Stop Cop City” website. The division was sharp among Democrats, with 43% in support and 20% opposed. But the gap turned into a 50-point-plus spread among Independents and Republicans.
The poll was conducted by Chris Huttman, a Democratic strategist who has done work for Dickens in the past. He said he decided to test if the training center was “good politics” after U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., recently voiced support for new public safety facilities without explicitly endorsing the Atlanta project.
The poll involved 646 likely Georgia voters surveyed between Sept. 25-28. The margin of error is 3.9 percentage points.
Without taking a position on the project, several top Democrats have expressed concerns about the city government’s handling of petitions seeking a voter referendum on the training center.
Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republicans supporters have called on Democrats to take a clear stand. This week, former Democratic U.S. House Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux penned a commentary calling the complex a “well-intentioned effort to improve police training in Atlanta.”
Bordeaux’s column brought stiff pushback from civil rights groups and other progressive activists. The Rev. James Woodall called it a “severe misunderstanding of nuance” that showed how a failure to engage voters authentically can “lead to drastic policy consequences.”
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MORE FINDINGS. A recent poll by Democratic strategist Chris Huttman into voter sentiment on the Atlanta public safety training center revealed other valuable findings:
- Georgia voters were almost evenly divided over Stacey Abrams, with 49% giving her an unfavorable rating compared to 47% who had a positive review. Gov. Brian Kemp earned a 51% favorable rating, compared to a 43% unfavorable.
- A slim majority of likely Democratic voters (52%) say Abrams “deserves a third chance” at the governor’s race after back-to-back defeats. Roughly one-third say it’s time to look for a new Democratic nominee for the state’s top job.
- U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, gearing up for a 2026 reelection bid, has a 44% favorable rating and 36% unfavorable. About one-fifth of respondents either have no opinion or haven’t heard of the first-term Democrat.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is a blank slate to many voters, with 22% favorable and 10% unfavorable marks. More than half of the statewide respondents hadn’t heard of him.
- Ditto for two Republicans likely to run for governor in three years: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr, who both had favorable ratings hovering in the teens. Jones had a 18-9 lead over Carr among likely GOP voters, though three-quarters were not sure.
- A plurality of voters (33%) say the economy and inflation are their top priorities, followed by “threats to democracy” (23%) and immigration (12%). Democrats ranked threats to democracy their top issue, while Republicans were more concerned about the economy.
- About 58% of likely Republican voters back former President Donald Trump’s comeback bid, echoing the most recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was a distant second with 16% support, while every other candidate was in the single digits. Only 6% were undecided.
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KEEP UP. This week saw little courtroom action in the Fulton County election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others, but the prosecutions continued to make news.
Our AJC colleagues filed these stories:
You can stay on top of the case via the “Trump Georgia Indictment” section on AJC.com and by signing up for the “The Trump 19″ weekly newsletter at ajc.com/newsletters.
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SUSPENDED. A few weeks ago, we asked whether Republican leaders in the Georgia Senate would punish state Sen. Colton Moore for declaring an open war on his GOP colleagues. On Thursday, we got our answer.
The Senate GOP Caucus voted to indefinitely suspend Moore after he accused his GOP colleagues of cowardice for not backing his politically impossible — and probably illegal — plan to impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for pursuing charges against former President Donald Trump.
The suspension is largely symbolic. Moore remains a member of the Senate and, for now, holds his committee seats. He won’t be able to take part in caucus meetings, but as a first-term senator he held little sway anyways.
Even so, the decision to sanction him didn’t come lightly. We’re told that several Republican lawmakers urged Senate GOP leaders Steve Gooch of Dahlonega and John Kennedy of Macon to avoid taking the step because it would only embolden Moore.
Indeed, Moore broke the news to his social media followers in a post that urged Trump backers to stroke checks to his campaign. We reached out to Moore to ask if he’s using any of that influx of cash to help Trump and his allies cover their legal fees in Georgia. We have yet to hear back.
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ONE DAY FROM SHUTDOWN. The U.S. House approved three appropriations bills on Thursday and held a failed vote on a fourth. But with a government funding deadline looming Saturday, a shutdown remains likely.
The House’s progress came as Republicans forged an agreement to remove Ukraine aid from the budget to appease hard-liners in the GOP ranks. The House held a separate vote on Ukraine assistance, and the measure passed with every Democrat and 101 Republicans in favor.
Six Georgia Republicans were among those voting no on Ukraine aid: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome, Buddy Carter of Pooler, Rick Allen of Augusta, Barry Loudermilk of Cassville, Andrew Clyde of Athens and Mike Collins of Jackson.
With the shutdown nearing, leaders in both the House and the Senate are now focused on temporary funding legislation to keep the government open. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. plans to introduce a 30-day continuing resolution today but is facing questions from the House Freedom Caucus about the eight spending bills that members have yet to vote on.
“We need a plan. We need a timeline. We need leadership,” wrote Georgia’s Clyde in a social media post.
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SHUTDOWN MESSAGING. With time running out to avoid a government shutdown, U.S. House members have filed bills in hopes of softening the blow.
One would ensure military service members’ pay during a shutdown, and another would withhold lawmaker paychecks. Neither measure is slated for a vote.
U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee, volunteered to forego his pay during a shutdown.
“As a Marine Officer I made sure my marines ate first … nothing has changed,” he wrote on social media.
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IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. Even Republican witnesses cast doubts on the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden during a U.S. House hearing Thursday.
“I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment,” said Jonathan Turley, a conservative legal scholar, although he said he supports the inquiry to determine whether such proof exists.
Democrats blasted Republicans for holding the hearing, accusing them of trying to deflect attention from former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles.
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DRESS CODE REDUX. On second thought, the U.S. Senate chamber is not a place for members to work in gym shorts and hoodies. Senators voted unanimously Thursday to adopt a formal dress code — at least for the men — that requires members to wear slacks, coat and tie when conducting business.
The resolution does not address wardrobe requirements for the Senate’s 25 women members.
Meanwhile, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu has republished her list of the best-dressed state lawmakers to remind Washington, D.C., how Georgians get it done.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a retirement celebration for Army Gen. Mark Milley, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They’ll also participate in a celebration for the incoming Joint Chiefs chairman, General Charles Brown, Jr.
- The U.S. Senate continues to revise a continuing resolution to extend government funding through Nov. 17, as well as some confirmations.
- The House begins work on its own stopgap funding proposal.
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PORT CALL. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen will tour the Port of Savannah today to tout federal investment in maritime trade though the Biden administration-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The legislation included funding for environmental monitoring of the Savannah River and money for pop-up container yards established in 2021 to help clear a backlog caused by a surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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HAPPY TRAILS. Longtime Atlanta broadcaster Jeff Hullinger announced Thursday he’s signing off from WXIA-TV 11Alive in Atlanta after 14 years at the station. His stint there followed 18 years at WAGA-TV. Although Oct. 1 is Hullinger’s last day at Channel 11, we have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of him around.
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DOG OF THE DAY. When the cat’s away, the mice will play. And the same goes for Freyja Ashe, the one-year-old St. Berdoodle who calls Allison Ashe her person.
As the CEO of Wellroot Family Services, Ashe is often at the state Capitol for meetings or hearings. That gives Freyja just enough time to raid the pantry. On Tuesday, as Ashe attended a study committee meeting, Freyja enjoyed a loaf of French bread. She’s now crossing her paws for a special session, which could give her enough pantry time for three meals a day.
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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.
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.
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.
