Cody Hall, the longtime spokesman for Gov. Brian Kemp, is joining Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign as a senior communications adviser, NBC reported Thursday.
Hall’s hire is a part of an overall reboot of the DeSantis campaign, which has been struggling to catch fire in early presidential states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Along with early, awkward interactions with voters, the Republican governor has also been largely walled off from media outside of the conservative ecosystem.
DeSantis’ team has signaled that strategy is about to change, with Hall’s addition part of the new order that will include smaller events, more retail politicking and more media access.
Hall, who will also stay on as an adviser to Kemp’s political operation, was widely credited with Kemp’s mostly positive relationship with the state Capitol press corps during his first term as governor.
He also oversaw press strategy for Kemp’s high-stakes 2022 reelection campaign, when the governor stood out in contrast to other statewide GOP candidates like Herschel Walker, who spoke only to conservative media outlets. Instead, Kemp conducted frequent open press conferences on the campaign trail and was widely available to local and national media outlets.
DeSantis will need results from his reboot quickly. The first GOP presidential debate is one month away, with the intense fall primary campaign season kicking into high gear after that.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for The AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for The AJC
LISTEN UP. The news that former President Donald Trump could face yet another indictment in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations meant fellow Republicans were scrambling this week to respond to Trump’s legal troubles yet again.
We look at the two-tiered answers from the GOP, along with how Georgia’s U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has suddenly become President Joe Biden’s best spokesperson.
And since it’s Friday, we’re answering your questions from the Political Georgia listener mailbag and, of course, naming our who’s up and who’s down.
Listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
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JOHN LEWIS FOREVER. Today marks the first day that the John Lewis commemorative “forever” stamp will be available for purchase.
To celebrate the milestone, a public ceremony honoring the late congressman and civil rights trailblazer is happening later today at Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, the AJC’s Davis Giangiulio reports.
While the focus of the event is the stamp, organizers say it is the first local public celebration of Lewis since his passing during the pandemic, which limited the ability to gather and honor his legacy and life. Monday was the third anniversary of Lewis’ death after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
The stamp was unveiled in a U.S. Capitol rotunda ceremony last month, featuring House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Today’s Atlanta event is free and open to the public.
The ceremony will feature speakers reflecting on his life’s work and live music. The U.S. Postal Service says more than 2300 community members have RSVP’d to the ceremony.
The Postal Service will provide a live stream of the event for those who can’t be there in person.
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Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
DELTA SETBACK. The U.S. House on Thursday approved legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration for five more years, after first defeating an amendment that would have allowed for additional long-distance flights from the airport nearest to downtown Washington.
The amendment, sponsored by Utah Republican Burgess Owens, would have allowed airlines like Delta to add new long distance round-trip flights from Reagan National Airport. This would have allowed companies to surpass flight limits put in place years ago to protect nearby Dulles International Airport and to limit further congestion at National.
Although Delta had lobbied intensely for the changes, the vote on Owens’ amendment late Wednesday was 209-225. Every member of Georgia’s delegation except for former flight attendant U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath voted in favor of the Delta-backed change.
The Marietta Democrat’s office tells us McBath voted that way by mistake and they filled out paperwork afterward to reflect that on the record.
Credit: Nathan Posner for The AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for The AJC
The House then took a final vote on the FAA legislation on Thursday, passing it in bipartisan fashion on a vote of 351-69. Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde (Athens) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Rome) and Democrat Hank Johnson were the delegation members who voted “no.”
Johnson then put out a news release highlighting provisions in the bill he said reflected his priorities.
“I’m pleased I was able to deliver measures in this bill for Georgians that helps create jobs, is good for aviation consumers and works toward decarbonizing the industry and tackles climate change,” the Lithonia Democrat said.
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
FIRST LADY FIRST. Earlier this week, we told you about the political implications of Gov. Brian Kemp’s trip to Capitol Hill to meet with top House and Senate Republicans, and the speculation it raised about his potential bid for U.S. Senate in 2026.
But we’re told the initial reason he scheduled the trip to Washington had nothing to do with his political aims. It was because first lady Marty Kemp was invited to participate in a human trafficking forum hosted by U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The first lady, who has made targeting the crime the centerpiece of her agenda, joined first lady Donna Edwards of Louisiana on the panel. Edwards’s husband is Gov. Jon Bel Edwards, a Democrat.
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
WINNERS. The Wall Street Journal has declared the “biggest winners in America’s climate law” to be foreign companies.
But the article says many of the benefits to those companies will remain stateside, including in Georgia.
Among the top beneficiaries of the Biden-backed law that the Journal lists: SK and Hyundai, which are planning a roughly $5 billion EV battery plant in Bartow County that’s expected to create more than 3,700 jobs.
The AJC’s Zachary Hansen has reported that the companies are also poised to receive more than $600 million in state and local tax breaks, too.
Gov. Brian Kemp, whose economic development team worked to bring large foreign firms to Georgia, has criticized the Biden-backed climate law for picking “winners and losers” in the private sector.
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Credit: Curtis Compton/AJC
Credit: Curtis Compton/AJC
APPOINTED. Tucked in Gov. Brian Kemp’s list of 77 appointments late Thursday were a few interesting names.
The governor tapped former U.S. Rep. Kwanza Hall, a Democrat who briefly served after John Lewis’ death, to the Board of Community Affairs. Hall, a Democrat, endorsed Kemp over Stacey Abrams days before the 2022 election.
Kemp also put Trey Kilpatrick, his top aide, on the board of the powerful Georgia Ports Authority.
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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
ASK ME LATER. Democrat-turned-Republican state Rep. Mesha Mainor appeared on CNN with Laura Coates last night to discuss the motivations behind her recent party switch.
While most of the conversation will be familiar to anyone who has followed Mainor’s story closely, Coates asked Mainor the one question all Republicans are getting now: Will she support Donald Trump for president?
Like many of her new fellow Republicans, Mainor dodged.
“I would say that there are 12 candidates. I have been in office for two seconds as a Republican. I have not looked at any of the candidates extensively. … So ask me again, invite me back in a few months if you want to ask that particular question.”
Thank you @CNN and Laura Coates. District 56 appreciates the opportunity to highlight policy issues facing urban minority communities that are often overlooked by most. We pray that more reporting will be done on the policy needs of people in marginalized communities 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/fIDTPqnEco
— Rep. Mesha Mainor (@MeshaMainor) July 20, 2023
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SCORECARD. The anti-tax Club for Growth Foundation, a conservative advocacy group that spent $150 million nationally the last two election cycles, released its scorecard for state legislators.
The group reviewed 16 votes in the Georgia House and 15 in the state Senate, grading legislators in the 2022 session based on their votes on budget and tax policies.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
In the Senate, Greg Dolezal came in as the highest-ranking Republican and Jen Jordan, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, scored highest in her party.
In the House, Republican Phil Singleton — who is now Rep. Rich McCormick’s top aide — and Democrat Wayne Howard scored top honors.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- The U.S. House and Senate have no more votes scheduled this week.
- The House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight will hold a hearing in Arizona on the mining of minerals; U.S. Rep. Mike Collins will attend.
- President Joe Biden will deliver remarks from the White House on artificial intelligence.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. Two is better than one when it comes to these two Cobb County pups, Zoe and Mimi Welday.
Zoey, a German shepherd-beagle mix, and Mimi, an Australian cattle dog-and-something-else mix call Vallory Welday their person. Along with romping in their Clarkdale backyard, a reliable source tells us all three read The Jolt, and especially the Dog of the Day, together every morning.
Now that you’re reading about yourselves, Zoey and Mimi, congrats! You’re both our Dogs of the Day.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
A programming note: The Dog of the Day is taking vacation! The Jolt will be a pet-free environment next week, but back to showcasing Georgia’s Very Important Pets July 31st.
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and cats on a cat-by-cat basis to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us on Twitter @MurphyAJC.
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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.
