Politically Georgia

Gov. Brian Kemp provides a temperature check on the Peach State with his State of the State address. On this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's “Politically Georgia” podcast, hosts Bill Nigut, Patricia Murphy and Greg Bluestein discuss what they expect to see in the governor's speech.       Then, the AJC's Adam Van Brimmer discusses the narrowing GOP field in the race for president. On...

New allegations against District Attorney Fani Willis energize critics of Fulton County's election-interference case against former President Donald Trump. On this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut and Greg Bluestein talk with professors Anthony Michael Kreis and Fred Smith about the latest legal headlines.      First up,...

Vice President Kamala Harris touches down in Atlanta today. On this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut and Greg Bluestein talk with Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration about GOP priorities this session.   Then, moving to the other side of the political aisle, the podcast welcomes Democratic strategist Justin Kir...

The Georgia legislature gavels in for 2024. On this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell cover the issues that are on lawmakers' plates this go-round, including expansion of Medicaid; a push to establish vouchers for private school education and an effort to pass the bill that would establish a definition for antisemitism.   ...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell talk with Georgia Democratic Congresswoman and Chair of the State Democratic Party Nikema Williams. Williams discusses her concerns that Republicans in the U.S. House don’t appear to have a plan for addressing key issues facing Congress in the weeks ahead. We also...

On today’s episode of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Bill Nigut narrow in on the legislative session.    Up first, a heated election year might bring more changes to Georgia voting laws. The AJC's Mark Niesse explains a long list of potential election measures could be debated in the Republican-run General Assembly.     The...

A federal judge has rejected a Democratic lawsuit claiming illegal efforts to suppress votes in 2022 Georgia election. In today’s episode of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hists Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell discuss the impact of the ruling by federal Judge Steve Jones, rejecting a lawsuit filed by Fair Fight Action against True the Vote accusing the group of illegal...

Political news did not take a break while you were ringing in the new year. On today’s episode of the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut cover the big political stories that broke over the holidays, including federal Judge Steve Jones’s approval of the newly drawn legislative and congressional maps in Georgia.   Also making headlines was a spate...

In today's episode of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut look at the top political moments of 2023 and share what they are looking for in 2024. From Peachtree Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, our hosts also look at Georgia’s important role in determining who wins the White House in 2024.   Listen and subs...

On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut look at the 2024 agenda from the perspectives of the right and the left. GOP Congressman Buddy Carter and Executive Director of Care in Action, Hillary Holley discuss the issues they’ll be focused on in the coming year.     Plus, Tia and Bill answer questions from the listener ma...

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger managed to avoid a formal investigation by the State Election Board into his actions during the 2020 election. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Greg Bluestein explain how the attempt is sounding alarm bells under the Gold Dome. Ed Lindsey who serves on the board joins, and voted yes to i...

In a historic decision, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that former President Donald Trump cannot hold office again and issued a ruling that his name be removed from the state’s Republican primary ballot. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell examine whether the Colorado ruling disqualifying trump could have imp...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas for state employees and educators here in Georgia. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein and Bill Nigut discuss the $1,000 bonus Governor Brian Kemp has approved for 308,000 state employees, teachers and school staff at the cost of about $330 million. AJC education reporter Martha Dalto...

Republican leadership in Georgia is looking at the possible expansion of Medicaid in Georgia. In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell look at the idea floated by Georgia Republicans of expanding Medicaid in exchange for rolling back Certificate of Need regulations. Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver and political strategist Brian...

In this special edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, we share with you this week’s live Politically Georgia launch party event at Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta. Hear AJC president and publisher Andrew Morse lay out plans to transform this storied newspaper into a major modern media company.  Morse introduces to the stage Politically Georgia hosts Greg Blustein, P...

The hosts start off with another exclusive from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. We found the apology letters written by two of the attorneys who struck plea agreements in the Fulton County election interference case are just one sentence long and handwritten on lined notebook paper.    Then, Georgia U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson will retire at the end of his term. As his seat is drawn now, his 3rd Dis...

The hosts start with news that broke just before they began the podcast: Republican U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson announced he won’t run for reelection after four terms in the U.S. House.  Then, Hallerman joins the podcast to discuss the revealing interview she and AJC reporter Bill Rankin conducted with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Will she run for higher office? Will she be in the cour...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politcially Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell discuss a wide-ranging interview Patricia Murphy and Greg Bluestein conducted with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.    Then, State Rep. Mesha Mainor talks about her support for another effort by GOP legislators to pass a school voucher bill during the 2024 s...

Today on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, The AJC Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut talk with former Governor Chris Christie as he continues his campaign for the GOP nomination for president. In comments related to Georgia, Christie says the road to the White House passes through our state.     Then, AJC health policy reporter Ariel Hart explains what ap...

On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell dive into a new poll from CNN, published overnight, that gives Donald Trump a five-point lead over President Biden in Georgia. Meanwhile, a new Wall Street Journal poll shows Donald Trump ahead of President Biden for the first time in the national race. What do these snapshots te...

First up on "Politically Georgia": We’ll dive deeper into Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign with South Carolina-based Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard.   Plus, Republican lawmakers made U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s reelection to the House more difficult. But what if they've actually made her a stronger candidate down the road?   Then, a federal jury will soon consider how much Rudy Giuliani shou...

First up: A look at an Atlanta Journal-Constitution exclusive: Tamar Hallerman joins the podcast to discuss the list of potential witnesses Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis may call in the election conspiracy case against Donald Trump. Former members of the Trump administration on the list obtained by the AJC include Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Bill Barr, plus state G...

First up: A brief look at a breaking story:  Dissension controls to roil GOP members of the U.S. House continues as Marjorie Taylor Greene accuses her Georgia colleague Rich McCormick of a “physically aggressive” confrontation with her. Greene has reported the incident to the Speaker of the House, who will investigate. McCormick says he touched Greene on the shoulders as a friendly gesture but apo...

First up: Jake Orvis, senior advisor to Congresswoman Lucy McBath talks about the complications that could emerge from the new congressional map drawn by GOP legislators under a federal court mandate to create a second Black majority congressional district. Orvis believes that since the new map doesn’t actually create a second majority-minority district, it may be rejected by the federal court. Bu...

On today's epsiode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, AJC Washington reporter Tia Mitchell describes why Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams became one of only two Democrats in the U.S. House to vote against expelling Rep. George Santos. And discusses the reasons five members of the GOP Georgia delegation voted to keep Santos in office.    We'll also explain how the new Ge...