Politically Georgia

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the mounting pressure on Gov. Brian Kemp as election law changes left lawmakers with unfinished business and no easy path forward. They explain why a special session could collide with primary and runoff politics, and why letting the courts sort it out could create even more uncertainty. Greg and Patricia also look at the stack of major bills still awa...

Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell break down the Georgia runoff results, including a closer-than-expected margin in the 14th District. They examine what the numbers may signal about voter enthusiasm, shifting coalitions and the stakes for statewide races. Then Patricia and Tia turn to listener questions on the unsettled Republican field challenging Jon Ossoff, the role of Georgia’s runoff system an...

Patricia Murphy sits down with Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Stephen Lawson to assess how Georgia’s legislative session sets the stage for campaign season. They break down what Republicans and Democrats can claim as wins and where unresolved issues could spill into legal fights or a special session. The conversation turns to the GA-14 runoff, where a narrower-than-...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy sit down with House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones as she prepares to step down after more than two decades under the Gold Dome. Jones reflects on her rise through Republican leadership, her focus on education policy, and why she decided now was the time to leave office. She also discusses her approach to power behind the scenes and her role in shaping legislation and...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy answer listener questions about a late-session push to make some metro Atlanta elections nonpartisan and the legal fight likely to follow. They also unpack the strategy behind Rick Jackson’s ad using praise from Burt Jones and what it reveals about the governor’s race. Then Greg sits down with congressional candidate Rob Adkerson, a former top aide to Barry Loude...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy wrap up Georgia’s 2026 legislative session after a chaotic final night under the Gold Dome. They break down competing Republican tax priorities, a last-minute collapse over property tax limits and the broader push to frame the session around affordability. Greg and Patricia also examine the unresolved fight over voting systems, including the possibility of a spec...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy take listeners inside the final hours of Georgia’s legislative session as Sine Die unfolds at the Capitol. They break down a late-session breakthrough on a sweeping literacy bill and what it means for House Speaker Jon Burns’s agenda and legacy. Greg and Patricia also examine the lingering tensions beneath the surface, including fights over the state budget, elec...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the final days of the legislative session from the Capitol, starting with a push to expand Georgia’s school cellphone ban to high schools. Greg and Patricia speak with state Rep. Scott Hilton, who makes the case for the bell-to-bell ban and outlines how schools would phase it in. They also examine the broader education agenda, including a literacy over...

Greg Bluestein speaks with Democratic candidate Shawn Harris about the high-stakes runoff in Georgia’s 14th District and his pitch to voters in a deeply Republican seat. Harris discusses national security, rising costs and his criticism of Republican leadership as he tries to build a coalition of Democrats, independents and GOP voters. Then Greg turns to AJC contributor Meagan Hanson for a look at...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions on perks for members of Congress at Atlanta’s airport and the political fallout after Delta scaled them back. They also break down the latest in the TSA funding standoff, including Senator Jon Ossoff’s response as the shutdown drags on. Greg and Tia walk through the evolving debate over Georgia’s election bill and the push to delay changes...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the latest push to reshape Georgia’s voting system as lawmakers race toward the end of the legislative session. They talk with state Rep. Saira Draper about the fight over QR codes, a possible delay to major election changes, and the political pressures driving the debate. Then Greg and Patricia turn to a previously recorded interview with state Sen. S...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the high-stakes final stretch of Georgia’s legislative session, where election-year politics are shaping major decisions on taxes, data centers and voting rules. They outline where key proposals stand as lawmakers race toward adjournment and tensions build between the House and Senate. Then Greg and Patricia sit down with House Speaker Jon Burns to dis...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the political and real-world impact of massive TSA lines at Hartsfield-Jackson as the partial government shutdown drags on. They talk with the AJC’s Shaddi Abusaid from the airport, where travelers are facing hours-long waits and growing frustration, and examine how the standoff in Washington is spilling into Georgia’s Senate race. Then Greg and Patric...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions on the surge of anonymous attack ads targeting Burt Jones and the speculation surrounding who is funding them. They also break down the increasingly unpredictable lieutenant governor’s race, including Nabila Islam Parks’ late entry and the fallout inside Democratic circles. Greg and Tia examine the Democratic primary for governor, where Kei...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the rapidly intensifying Republican primary for Georgia governor, where billionaire Rick Jackson’s massive ad spending has triggered a bitter clash with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. They discuss how the attacks, lawsuits and legislative maneuvers are reshaping the GOP contest while sidelining other candidates such as Brad Raffensperger and Chris Carr. Then the...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell look at how national politics is playing out in Georgia. They start in northwest Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, where Democrats are testing whether a coalition candidate like Shawn Harris can compete in one of the reddest corners of the state after a rally featuring former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Then they turn to the partial federal governm...

Greg Bluestein presents an interview he and Patricia Murphy recorded with Republican Senate candidate Derek Dooley about his new “Georgia First” campaign contract. Dooley outlines proposals including term limits, a ban on congressional stock trading, and a pledge to forgo pay during government shutdowns. He also discusses Trump’s tariff strategy, the conflict with Iran, and his support for the SAV...

Greg Bluestein is joined by Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell to answer listener questions about Georgia politics. They explain the residency rules for candidates seeking office and why members of Congress do not have to live inside the districts they represent. Greg, Patricia and Tia also break down what Crossover Day really means at the Capitol and which proposals, including sports betting, appea...

Greg Bluestein hosts alongside Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell to break down the results of the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. Democrat Sean Harris and Republican Clay Fuller are headed to a runoff after a crowded field and a bitter fight inside the GOP helped sideline hard-right candidate Colton Moore. They explain why Republican lead...

Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell break down what survived Crossover Day at the Georgia Capitol and what likely died for the year. They discuss a scaled-back property tax proposal, a failed push to legalize sports betting and a controversial bill tied to billionaire Rick Jackson’s run for governor. Then Patricia turns to the growing role of corporate investors buying single-family h...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell break down the chaotic race to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in northwest Georgia, a contest that could require voters to cast ballots in as many as five separate elections this year. They revisit Greene’s abrupt resignation and the fallout from her split with Donald Trump, including the personal and political tensions that led to her exit. Gre...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions about Georgia’s crowded governor’s race, including why Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was still able to qualify despite a GOP resolution aimed at blocking him. They also explain how the growing number of Atlanta‑based candidates could shape the race and break down the differences between full Medicaid expansion and Georgia’s Pathways...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell break down how U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran are suddenly shaping Georgia’s biggest political contests. They examine how top Republicans are lining up behind President Donald Trump while Democrats like Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock push back and call for Congress to assert its authority over war powers. Greg and Tia also explain how the foreign policy fight is c...

Greg Bluestein reports from the Georgia Capitol as qualifying week gets underway, with candidates lining up to formally enter races for governor, Senate and down-ballot offices. He catches up with contenders on both sides of the aisle, from Jon Ossoff and Buddy Carter in the Senate race to Chris Carr and Keisha Lance Bottoms in the race for governor, capturing the early messages and emerging lines...

Greg Bluestein sits down with former state Sen. Jen Jordan and trial attorney Miracle Rankin, two Democratic-leaning attorneys mounting rare challenges to sitting Georgia Supreme Court justices. They argue the court has been shaped by gubernatorial appointments and say voters deserve a clearer choice in low-turnout May elections that have long protected incumbents. Jordan, who is running against J...