Politically Georgia

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...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy dig into the competing health care plans from Georgia’s two gubernatorial nominees with veteran health care reporter Ariel Hart. They examine Keisha Lance Bottoms’ push for full Medicaid expansion, Rick Jackson’s proposed “intelligent Medicaid expansion,” and the questions surrounding how either plan could work. Hart also weighs the strain on rural hospitals, the...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy dig into the contrasting strategies shaping Georgia’s Senate and governor’s races. Ossoff is stepping up attacks on Mike Collins while courting Republicans, as Collins continues to lean into his ties to Donald Trump. Greg and Patricia also dive into the intensifying fight between Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson over healthcare, state contracts and the rapid...

Greg Bluestein and Washington Bureau Chief Tia Mitchell answer listener questions about the Republican midterm convention in Dallas and what Mike Collins’ attacks on Jon Ossoff reveal about his campaign. They also dig into the level of national Republican investment in Georgia, the continued deployment of Georgia National Guard troops to Washington, uncertainty over mail-in voting rules, and the p...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy dig into the competing strategies shaping Georgia’s Republican ticket, with Mike Collins leaning into Donald Trump and Rick Jackson targeting voters who backed Brian Kemp and other Republicans in recent elections. They weigh what a strong Jon Ossoff showing could mean for Keisha Lance Bottoms and the rest of the Democratic ticket as Bottoms works to overcome Jack...

Greg Bluestein talks with Democratic state congressional nominee Tony Kozycki about immigration, including his call for secure borders alongside due process and changes to the legal immigration system. Kozycki explains how the Laken Riley act has impacted immigration enforcement, and how his experience as an immigration attorney shaped his campaign in a deeply Republican district. Then, Tia Mitche...

“Socialism” has become a major political talking point in Georgia, but what does the movement actually stand for? Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair Brayan Ramirez breaks down the organization’s goals, how it chooses candidates and why it operates independently of the Democratic Party. Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy also dig into where the DSA overlaps with mainstream Demo...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell tackle listener questions about Keisha Lance Bottoms’ strategy against Rick Jackson, the growing Democratic push into Georgia’s outer suburbs and the debate over Flock cameras. They also weigh how candidates shape their personal stories and size up the possibility of Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both considering presidential bids in 2028. Have a question or commen...

Greg Bluestein talks with longtime Democratic strategist Billy Linville about his decision to cross party lines and support Republican Rick Jackson for governor. Linville argues that Keisha Lance Bottoms’ record as Atlanta mayor makes her unfit to lead Georgia. He also explains his effort to organize Democrats and independents behind Jackson and why he believes metro Atlanta voters could be pivota...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy host Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, who defends her record as Atlanta mayor, responds to ethics attacks from Republican rival Rick Jackson, discusses the action she’d take on affordability and makes the case for a pause on new data center construction. She also weighs election security, Medicaid expansion, Flock cameras and how she would w...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy examine growing scrutiny of Republican Senate nominee Mike Collins over extremist views expressed by people in his orbit, including his son-in-law and former campaign associates. They also weigh how Collins has responded, what voters have learned from that response and why the issue is drawing particular attention from Jewish voters. Plus, Patricia details C...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions about why Burt Jones still isn't endorsing Rick Jackson and what it means for the Republican gubernatorial nominee to embrace the party establishment while calling himself an outsider. They also dig into what data centers could mean for local taxes, the cost of living and Georgia communities. Other questions cover Rick Jackson's comments ab...

Greg Bluestein talks with former Secretary of State Cathy Cox and former Republican state Rep. Scot Turner about the growing distrust in Georgia’s elections and the challenges facing the state’s next election officials. They dig into how election administration has changed, why skepticism now crosses party lines, and how Keep Our Republic is working to answer voters’ questions. Cox and Turner also...

Greg Bluestein talks with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson, a self-described conservative Republican who is backing Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff for reelection. Matheson explains how Ossoff’s work with the city of Valdosta, including hurricane recovery and federal funding, shaped his decision despite criticism from fellow Republicans. He also weighs the GOP’s focus on affordability, the future of...

Greg Bluestein, alongside Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell, digs into the increasingly personal race for governor after Keisha Lance Bottoms confronted Rick Jackson over attacks involving her husband. They size up Brian Kemp’s push to rally Republicans behind Jackson and the GOP’s broader concerns about enthusiasm heading into November. They also examine Mike Collins’ effort to win over Jewish vot...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions about Atlanta’s bid for the 2028 Democratic National Convention and why the city was left out of the final three. They also discuss how Democrats’ approach to gun safety is shaping up and how campaigns are spending millions on advertising and consultants. Tia digs into whether Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries could face leadership challeng...

Greg Bluestein is joined by AJC City Hall reporter Shaddi Abusaid to examine the growing backlash over Flock license plate readers, including concerns about police misuse, privacy and who has access to that data. AJC business and climate reporter Kristi Swartz joins Greg to weigh Georgia’s data center boom, the enormous demands on electricity and water, and the growing resistance in communities ac...

Tia Mitchell and UATL senior editor Ernie Suggs recap a newsmaking National Association of Black Journalists convention in Atlanta, including appearances by gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. They weigh Bottoms’ approach to the governor’s race and Raffensperger’s decision not to endorse Senate nominee Mike Collins. They also dig into NABJ’s decisi...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell dig into Jon Ossoff’s aggressive campaign strategy and his effort to turn Mike Collins’ controversies into a broader liability for Georgia Republicans. They break down Ossoff’s large weekend rally, his outreach to conservative voters and the potential down-ballot impact of a decisive win. They also examine Collins’ attempts to broaden his coalition, including outrea...

Greg Bluestein answers listener questions about Burt Jones’ refusal to endorse Rick Jackson, the long odds of Democrats taking back the Georgia House and the growing fight over data center development. He also weighs concerns about Georgia’s voting system overhaul, Flock cameras and a missed campaign finance deadline for Keisha Lance Bottoms. The mailbag also takes on how voters can spot political...