Are Georgia Republicans locked in a state of perpetual contradiction? How else to explain the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll that finds two GOP figures often at odds with each other are ascendant.
The first is former President Donald Trump, who has a 42-point lead over his closest Republican rival in the poll of likely Republican primary voters.
The second is Gov. Brian Kemp, the most popular GOP politician in the AJC poll. He has a nearly 80% approval rating, with only 15% of GOP voters disapproving of his job performance. Some 5% are undecided.
The poll was conducted by the University of Georgia in the week following the Fulton County indictment of the former president and 18 others on election interference charges. Pollsters surveyed 807 registered voters.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
A brief flashback on the Trump-Kemp dynamics: Once close allies, Trump began to sour on Kemp in 2019. Their relationship was in tatters by the end of the 2020 election, when the then-president blamed the Georgia governor for his defeat.
Trump’s attempt to exact revenge on Kemp last year was an epic fail. The former president now largely avoids mention of Kemp, while the governor is increasingly an outspoken Trump critic. Just last week, Kemp proclaimed Trump the “loser” of the GOP’s first presidential debate for his no-show.
How do rank-and-file Republican voters reconcile their support for both GOP leaders? Misty White of Rome attempted to explain.
She said she is firmly on the “Trump wagon” even if she cringes at some of his actions, including his infamous “find votes” call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. She bases her support for Trump on his stances on the economy and national security. She feels similarly about Kemp.
“I don’t worry about these divisions. Whoever the party supports at the end of the day is who voters like me will get behind,” she said. “I don’t think it will change the outcome of Kemp and Trump working together. They may not love each other, but they’ll be cordial.”
The AJC also polled on two potential candidates for Georgia governor in 2026. About 44% approve of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Trump-backed Republican who was elected last year to Georgia’s No. 2 spot. And 46% approve of Raffensperger, compared to one-third who somewhat or strongly disapprove of him.
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Credit: Michael Blackshire/AJC
Credit: Michael Blackshire/AJC
LISTEN UP. We’re getting into all the details of the AJC poll in our midweek edition of the Politically Georgia podcast, including the clues about why Donald Trump is so strong in Georgia, even as the state has been the backdrop for several of the former president’s recent defeats.
We’re also looking at the challenges ahead for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and efforts by GOP lawmakers looking to cut funding to her office.
Have a question for the show? Call our 24-hour Politically Georgia Hotline at 404-526-2527 and we’ll answer it on our Friday episode.
Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
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WALKER TALKER. After spending months out of the spotlight, failed U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker put his name on an opinion piece in the Daily Caller that painted a bleak picture of President Joe Biden’s agenda.
“We just need to make sure the people in charge are clear about the difference between right and wrong and stand on the side of right,” wrote Walker, who lost to U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., in a December 2022 runoff. “They must be held accountable.”
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Here’s where we remind you that, throughout his 2022 campaign, Walker repeatedly declined to answer even simple questions about his policy stances, his background and how he would vote if elected.
Since his defeat, Walker has refused to answer questions from the AJC about accusations that he directed more than half a million dollars in campaign donations to one of his own businesses.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
MOORE FIGHTING. Georgia Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch and other GOP officials are considering hearings to probe District Attorney Fani Willis’ use of taxpayer dollars to prosecute former President Donald Trump.
Gooch, R-Dahlonega, also offered scathing comments about state Sen. Colton Moore’s petition to force a special legislative session to oust Willis — a political non-starter that nonetheless has inflamed far-right Trump loyalists who have demanded action.
Gooch prefers that Willis’ critics instead leverage a newly created state panel that can sanction or oust wayward prosecutors once that commission starts taking complaints in October.
Credit: Michael Blackshire/AJC
Credit: Michael Blackshire/AJC
He pointedly noted that Moore, R-Trenton, was the only GOP member of the chamber to vote against the law to create the review board even as he promoted a viral social media post calling for the special session.
“At the end of his social media post, he had a tab where you can donate to his campaign,” Gooch said. “Some people feel like he’s using that opportunity to raise money off the people who are indicted. We want to make sure we calm down, we look at this stuff deliberately and we do it in a mature way.”
Moore called the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission, created earlier this year in Senate Bill 92, a “false hope” for Willis’ critics.
“I hope that Fani Willis is the first DA to be punished by that commission, but we are taking our authority as lawmakers and giving it away to unelected bureaucrats,” he said of the members of the panel, attorneys who are appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp and legislative leaders.
“I want lawmakers to do their jobs. They have a duty to represent their constituencies — not Gov. Kemp. And they don’t want their freedom of speech to be attacked like it is now.”
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
MORE THREATS: We told you yesterday about a GBI letter warning state lawmakers about “increased threat rhetoric that has been geared toward state and local officials.”
On Tuesday, state Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, revealed details about a letter he recently received. In a social media post, Burns said writing on the envelope “made it obvious” that the letter contained terrorist threats to local law enforcement.
“I have requested local law enforcement to work with the state authorities to open the letter, review its contents and take appropriate action against the sender and any other parties involved in this despicable act,” he wrote on social media.
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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
BLACK CONSERVATIVES. The Georgia General Assembly’s newest Republican, Rep. Mesha Mainor, and U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida will be the featured speakers at a dinner hosted by the Black Conservative Federation’s Georgia chapter. The event will be held in Buckhead next week.
The Black Conservative Federation is a political organization representing right-leaning Black voters, with chapters in several states. The group works with the Republican Party on outreach efforts, including a partnership with the Georgia GOP.
The Black Conservative Federation leadership has a pro-Trump tilt. The organization recently criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after the state implemented curriculum changes to how slavery is taught in schools.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on the ongoing recovery efforts after wildfires in Maui and the planned response to Hurricane Idalia. He will also meet with his Cabinet and agency heads to further discuss the federal response in Maui.
- The U.S. House and Senate remain at recess.
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Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
EYE ON IDALIA. Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Idalia barrels toward the Florida panhandle on its way to Georgia. The declaration makes local communities eligible for state aid in dealing with natural disasters.
Our AJC colleagues on hurricane duty report that the possibilities in south and coastal Georgia include high winds, heavy rain, flash flooding, widespread power outages and possibly even tornadoes. Idalia’s rain bands could reach metro Atlanta.
Idalia strengthened to a powerful Category 4 hurricane early Wednesday and will make landfall this morning. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves into Georgia. Dozens of Georgia counties are under severe weather alerts, ranging from hurricane warnings to tropical storm watches.
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STICKS AND STONES. Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan got personal in his latest critiques of former President Donald Trump. In an appearance on CNN’s “The Source with Kaitlan Collins,” Duncan compared Trump’s moral compass to that of an “ax murderer” and called him a “fake Republican.”
Duncan, a longtime Trump critic, made it clear he sees the former president as a threat to the Republican Party’s identity. He called the 2024 GOP primary “either our pivot point or last gasp as Republicans.”
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. The AJC’s Carrie Teegardin digs into some of the heaviest topics around as a part of her job as an investigative reporter. But can you imagine a better way to end a stressful day than coming home to this face?
Meet Captain Rex Teegardin, the golden retriever who calls Carrie his person. This handsome “love bug” is also celebrating a birthday this week, so happy birthday, Captain Rex! You’re our Dog of the 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.
