Politically Georgia

A new AJC poll shows Sen. Jon Ossoff with an eight-point lead over Republican Mike Collins, even as Georgia's governor's race remains deadlocked. Host Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy dig into what Ossoff's advantage could mean for down-ballot Republicans and what voters think about potential 2028 presidential bids from Georgia political figures. They also examine growing bipartisan concerns abo...

Georgia's next secretary of state will play a critical role in shaping how Georgians vote in 2028. Host Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy sit down with Democratic nominee Penny Brown Reynolds to discuss federal intervention in Georgia elections, voting security and her plans to restore public confidence. Republican nominee Tim Fleming declined an invitation to join, but Greg and Patricia examine...

In the latest installment of our Georgia’s Choice series, Greg Bluestein is joined by AJC political reporter Riley Bunch to examine the races further down the ballot that could reshape Georgia politics. They look at the contests for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general, along with other statewide offices that have a direct impact on voters’ lives. Plus, Democrats are target...

A new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll shows Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in a statistical tie, despite Jackson’s massive spending advantage. Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the numbers, including Democratic enthusiasm, undecided independent voters and President Donald Trump’s declining approval rating in Georgia. They also share their takeaways from Tru...

With early voting underway in Georgia, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy tackle questions from listeners about some of the biggest issues on the November ballot. They break down confusing constitutional amendments, proposed tax breaks for farmland and the debate over removing party labels from certain local elections. They also examine Rick Jackson’s past political donations, his evolving relatio...

Greg Bluestein is joined by Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark podcast, to unpack why Jon Ossoff is polling so far ahead of Republican Mike Collins while Georgia’s governor’s race remains competitive. Miller weighs the contrasting strategies of Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the role of Donald Trump and whether Ossoff could emerge as a presidential contender. They also dig into the possibilit...

Georgia's U.S. Senate race takes a sharply personal turn as Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins face off in a heated second debate. Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the attacks, Collins' answers on abortion and an ethics investigation, and Ossoff's pledge to serve a full six-year term if reelected. Plus, President Donald Trump's upcoming rally in Dalton puts Republican gubernatorial nominee R...

What can Georgia's next governor actually do about traffic, transit and the billions being spent on highway projects? Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy dig into the competing transportation priorities of Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson with AJC transportation reporter Sara Gregory. Tia Mitchell also shares highlights from her earlier interview with MARTA CEO Jonathan Hunt, who is making a r...

Georgia’s next attorney general will decide which legal fights to pursue and how to keep politics from shaping those decisions. Greg Bluestein, with Patricia Murphy, interviews Democratic Rep. Tanya Miller and Republican state Sen. Brian Strickland about their experience and priorities. Tanya emphasizes her prosecution record and consumer protection, while Brian points to his legal practice and le...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell break down the first Senate debate between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Mike Collins, including the personal attacks, disputes over immigration and Collins’ close alignment with Donald Trump. They size up Ossoff’s aggressive strategy, Collins’ defense of his record and what the debate could mean for the race. They also answer listener questions about a possibl...

Greg Bluestein sits down with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes to examine what Georgia’s closely watched midterm races could reveal about the country’s changing political landscape. Hayes makes the case that Jon Ossoff could emerge as a 2028 presidential contender and discusses how Ossoff has navigated one of the Democratic Party’s most difficult divides over Israel. They also explore Mike Collins’ strategy o...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the first and likely only gubernatorial debate between Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, including Jackson’s shift away from Donald Trump and repeated embrace of Gov. Brian Kemp. They examine the candidates’ clashes over data centers, election security and their records, along with Bottoms’ effort to make trust a central issue...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the first and likely only gubernatorial debate between Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, including Jackson’s shift away from Donald Trump and repeated embrace of Gov. Brian Kemp. They examine the candidates’ clashes over data centers, election security and their records, along with Bottoms’ effort to make trust a central issue...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy sit down with Eric Tanenblatt, former chief of staff to Gov. Sonny Perdue, for Georgia’s Choice, the AJC’s weekly election series. Tanenblatt explains how a governor’s power depends on relationships with lawmakers, control over appointments and the state budget, and the limits of executive orders. He also weighs the governing challenges facing Keisha Lance Bottom...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy are joined by Gov. Brian Kemp senior political adviser Cody Hall to assess the final stretch of Georgia’s midterm campaigns. Cody explains why he believes the governor’s debate could matter, what Rick Jackson needs to accomplish against Keisha Lance Bottoms and the challenge Mike Collins faces against Sen. Jon Ossoff. He also says Georgia Republicans are facing t...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell examine Rick Jackson’s limited interviews and debate participation, along with Mike Collins’ ads targeting Jon Ossoff and questions about his Social Security remarks. They discuss the dismissal of a federal lawsuit seeking Georgia’s sensitive voter data and a Senate hearing’s mix-up over the Atlanta Hawks and Iowa Hawkeyes. Greg and Tia also clarify Keisha Lance Bot...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy examine the political fallout over a Texas data center project linked to Georgia Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson, as residents raise concerns about transparency, environmental impacts and local control. They weigh the promised economic benefits against questions about community input and how the dispute is shaping Georgia’s governor’s race. Then, Ti...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy examine how Georgia’s next governor could shape immigration enforcement and public education with AJC reporters Lautaro Grinspan and Martha Dalton. Grinspan explains how state and local cooperation with ICE affects enforcement in Georgia, where Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms differ on immigration, and how detention policies could affect immigrant workers a...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy examine the growing influence of metro Atlanta on Georgia politics and what that could mean for rural communities and policy priorities. They also sit down with Atlanta News First political reporter Doug Reardon to preview the upcoming debates between Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson and between Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins. Reardon explains how the gubernato...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy tackle listener questions about the closely watched governor’s race, including the stark spending gap between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms and the possibility of split-ticket voting. They also dig into the Republican debate over whether to keep investing in Mike Collins’ Senate campaign as national groups shift resources elsewhere. Plus, they answer ques...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy sit down with Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson to discuss Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign for governor, including the debate over her record as Atlanta mayor and the Republican effort to draw split-ticket voters. Johnson also weighs the candidates’ competing approaches to data centers, Medicaid expansion and the governor’s relationship with a Republican-contro...

Georgia’s Choice examines the competing affordability plans in the governor’s race, from Rick Jackson’s push to cut state income and local property taxes to Keisha Lance Bottoms’ targeted tax breaks for teachers, groceries and other essentials. AJC budget reporter David Wickert breaks down how the proposals would affect state and local revenues and what trade-offs could be required to pay for them...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell dig into Tia’s interview with former gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter, who weighs Donald Trump’s role in Georgia’s midterm races and the challenges facing Keisha Lance Bottoms. They also examine Carter’s defense of Jon Ossoff and why he thinks that Ossoff is focused on the Senate race, not a presidential bid. Carter also discusses his wife Kate’s recovery and hi...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions about Georgia’s November ballot measures, the huge fundraising gap in the governor’s race and what the latest mail-in ballot rules mean for voters. With Producer ShaneyB, they dig into the candidates’ records on data centers, the ongoing fight over Brad Raffensperger’s place in the Georgia GOP and which congressional races are drawing atten...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy sit down with Attorney General Chris Carr to assess Georgia’s 2026 political landscape, including the Republican Party’s approach to independent voters and the governor’s and Senate races. Carr also weighs in on license plate readers, criminal justice reform and his work on a $17 billion settlement with Meta over social media and children. He discusses the need f...