Greg Bluestein

Warnock on the Shutdown and Georgia Leaders at CBC

At 7:47, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock explains why he and other Democrats won’t vote to end the shutdown until Republicans agree to extend health care subsidies. 🎧

open.spotify.com/episode/67f8...

Georgia Democrats test their 2026 messaging during fundraising dinner Party leaders used their speeches at the annual Carter-Lewis Dinner to attack President Donald Trump's administration and woo independent voters.

Plenty of Georgia Democrats want to take a tougher, more defiant line against President Donald Trump. They found the tone they were looking for at the state party’s sold-out gala over the weekend. #gapol
ajc.com/politics/202...

Georgia politicians court midterm voters amid shutdown blame game The federal government shutdown is the focus of both Republicans and Democrats, with obvious disagreement over who's to blame.

As the federal shutdown grinds on, Georgia Democrats are seizing the moment to highlight the thousands of federal workers sidelined and deep cuts to health care spending that triggered an ongoing budget impasse with far-reaching implications. #gapol
ajc.com/politics/202...

Have you been impacted by the shutdown, or do you have questions about its implications for Georgia? Or do you have your own story to share?

Call the Politically Georgia hotline at 770-810-5297 or email us at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com.

State expands investigation into First Liberty’s political contributions The State Ethics Commission expanded an investigation of political contributions that stemmed from the collapse of First Liberty Building & Loan, casting a fresh spotlight on an ultraconservative ...

The State Ethics Commission just expanded an investigation of political contributions that stemmed from the collapse of First Liberty Building & Loan, casting a new spotlight on an ultraconservative organization with close ties to the founder’s son. #gapol
ajc.com/politics/202...

Inside Georgia governor's response to federal raid at Hyundai battery plant As an unprecedented federal immigration raid descended on Georgia’s most prized economic project, Gov. Brian Kemp and his staff scrambled to get a handle on the crisis.

As an unprecedented federal immigration raid descended on Georgia’s most prized economic development project, Gov. Brian Kemp and his staff scrambled to get a handle on the unfolding crisis.

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

‘The city abandoned them’: Child’s murder trial sharpens focus on Bottoms’ tenure As the race for Georgia governor begins, Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms is facing scrutiny for her handling of the 2020 protests following Rayshard Brooks' death.

Conley’s murder trial put Bottoms’ mayoral record back in the spotlight, reviving scrutiny of one of the most tumultuous decisions of her tenure.
“The city abandoned them,” defense attorney Arnold Ragas told jurors in his closing argument. #gapol

www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

‘The city abandoned them’: Child’s murder trial sharpens focus on Bottoms’ tenure As the race for Georgia governor begins, Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms is facing scrutiny for her handling of the 2020 protests following Rayshard Brooks' death.

The killing of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in the summer of 2020 was one of the darkest moments of Keisha Lance Bottoms’ tenure as Atlanta’s mayor. As she campaigns for governor, her critics point to the murder as the clearest example of her failure to keep the city safe. www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Democrat state Rep. Ruwa Romman begins progressive run for Georgia governor The first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia Legislature positions herself as a voice for working-class families and younger progressives.

Democratic state Rep. Ruwa Romman is running for governor, aiming to carve out a progressive lane in a race for Georgia’s top job that’s already crowded with high-profile contenders. #gapol
ajc.com/politics/202...

After defying Trump, Raffensperger touts his policies in governor’s race Brad Raffensperger is touting his conservative credentials as he campaigns for governor amid a crowded GOP field dominated by supporters of President Donald Trump.

“My voters are conservative Republicans who are looking for someone who is honest, someone who has integrity and someone who’s going to tell them the truth — always, no matter how hard it is for them to hear it.” #gapol
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Georgia First Amendment lawyer says, “Our voices are our superpower” Georgia First Amendment lawyer Nora Benavidez discusses free speech with Politically Georgia.

An honor to have this urgent discussion about free speech with @ajc.com @bluestein.bsky.social: www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Mike Collins didn’t vote on Charlie Kirk measure — but still slammed Democrats The Republican congressman deleted a post criticizing Democrats for opposing a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk after people noted that he missed the vote himself.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins blasted Democrats as “shameful” for opposing a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk and condemning his assassin — but he didn’t vote on the bill himself. #gapol

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Geoff Duncan’s policy shifts shape his Dem race for governor In an exclusive interview, Geoff Duncan explains why, now as a Democrat, he is joining the race for governor of Georgia.

‘I got it wrong’: Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s policy shifts on abortion, guns, Medicaid and Trump shape his Democratic race for governor #gapol ajc.com/politics/202...

Kemp trip to Asia to include Korea stop, adds Hyundai meeting after ICE raid Gov. Brian Kemp is set to make his third trip to Korea since taking office, but this economic development mission will have a distinctly different tenor than previous visits.

Gov. Brian Kemp is set to make his third trip to South Korea since taking office, but this economic development mission will have a distinctly different tenor than previous visits. #gapol
www.ajc.com/business/202...

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to run for governor He was the Republican who told Donald Trump no. Now the secretary of state is telling Georgia voters he wants to be their next governor.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, best known for rejecting Donald Trump’s pressure to overturn Georgia’s 2020 results, just entered the governor’s race. His bid will test whether a Republican who crossed the president can still win over his party’s voters. #gapol
www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan enters Georgia governor’s race as Democrat Once a Republican, ex-Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan enters Georgia's race for governor as a Democrat.

Once a close ally of Gov. Kemp, Duncan helped shepherd GOP-backed measures such as abortion restrictions, gun expansions and other conservative priorities through the Legislature. Now he’s pledging to reverse some of the policies he helped pass. #gapol ajc.com/politics/202...

Geoff Duncan’s policy shifts shape his Dem race for governor In an exclusive interview, Geoff Duncan explains why, now as a Democrat, he is joining the race for governor of Georgia.

“The highest quality an effective leader can have is having the ability to say that they got something wrong. And I got it wrong.”
Former Republican Geoff Duncan’s policy shifts on abortion and other issues shape his Democratic bid for governor #gapol ajc.com/politics/202...

Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan enters Georgia governor’s race as Democrat Once a Republican, ex-Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan enters Georgia's race for governor as a Democrat.

Duncan’s decision to join a field already crowded with prominent Democrats raises a central question: Can a onetime conservative stalwart who championed GOP priorities win a Democratic primary likely dominated by liberals?

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Businessman Clark Dean preps GOP run for Georgia governor The business executive files paperwork to join a Republican field that includes several prominent candidates.

Just in: Republican business executive Clark Dean has filed paperwork to run for Georgia governor, setting the stage for an outsider-themed campaign against a field of GOP rivals with long experience in elected office. #gapol
www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Georgia Sen. Warnock: Political violence, hate speech could kill democracy U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock delivered a speech on the Senate floor condemning political violence one day after the death of Charlie Kirk.

“We must learn to disagree without becoming violently disagreeable,”
Sen. Warnock said. “Let me be clear: there is nothing more anti-democratic than political violence.”

ajc.com/politics/202...

Opening of Hyundai-LG EV battery plant to be delayed after ICE raid A top Hyundai official said an immigration raid on the HL-GA Battery plant under construction next to the Hyundai Metaplant will delay the facility's opening.

The opening of a Georgia EV battery plant will be delayed by at least two months after ICE raid of the sprawling Hyundai project, company executives say #gapol ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Many Koreans in Georgia feel Hyundai ICE raid marks a ‘betrayal’ Korean community advocate: `The trust that once linked Georgia and Korea … has been broken.’

“It’s ruined the whole image of Georgia being welcoming to Koreans and the trust that’s been built.” ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Ex-Democrat Mesha Mainor launches GOP bid for state school superintendent Mainor lost her reelection bid to the state House after switching parties. Now, she is challenging Richard Woods, who is also a Republican.

Former Democratic state Rep. Mesha Mainor, who switched parties after breaking with Democrats on private school vouchers, is running for state school superintendent as a Republican. #gapol
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Georgia Democrats embrace tax cuts in 2026 governor’s race Long a Republican rallying cry, the push for steep reductions is now being echoed by Democrats with their own proposals.

After another election dominated by the economy and inflation, Georgia Democrats are embracing tax-cut proposals to appeal to independents and swing voters who could decide next year’s race. It's a striking shift. #gapol ajc.com/politics/202...

How a raid turned Hyundai, Kemp’s biggest jobs push into a political thicket The fallout from the immigration raid is far from over — and it could turn Kemp’s biggest economic development win into a liability.

Georgia’s largest-ever jobs deal now faces questions that reach from Bryan County to Seoul — and to Kemp’s economic development legacy. #gapol ajc.com/politics/202...

Will Hyundai raid tarnish Brian Kemp’s biggest economic development win? Kemp has long defended the deal to build an electric vehicle plant in Georgia. Now the project is drawing more criticism from within the GOP.

Hyundai headwinds? A federal raid could turn Kemp’s biggest economic development win into a liability. #gapol
ajc.com/politics/202...

Georgia leaders, veterans split over Kemp deploying National Guard Critics question the strain on troops as the governor defends his alignment with Trump.

Beyond the politics: Veterans and military advocates also expressed worry about the deployment, concerned it could place a strain on the guardsmen, who are part-time soldiers with families and jobs.
www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Kemp sending 300 Georgia Guard troops to D.C. amid Trump’s federal intervention Gov. Brian Kemp orders 300 Georgia National Guard troops to join President Donald Trump's federal intervention in Washington D.C.

Just in: Gov. Brian Kemp is deploying more than 300 Georgia National Guard troops to Washington to aid President Donald Trump’s federal intervention in the nation’s capital amid a widening debate over the use of the military for local law enforcement.
ajc.com/politics/202...

475 arrested in unprecedent immigration raid at Georgia’s Hyundai EV site Federal officials announced Friday they detained 475 people at a construction site on the Hyundai Metaplant campus near Savannah.

Federal officials just announced they detained 475 people at a construction site on the Hyundai Metaplant campus near Savannah during a Thursday operation, the largest single immigration raid in the history of Homeland Security Investigations. #gapol www.ajc.com/business/202...