Politically Georgia

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy unpack the backlash after Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson posed for a photo at a Black-owned Atlanta restaurant. They also discuss the growing presence of democratic socialists in Georgia politics, unresolved questions surrounding Coffee County and the 2020 election, and the shifting balance of power at the state Capitol. Plus, they respond to liste...

President Donald Trump came to Cobb County to promote a new savings program for children, but his appearance at Wheeler High School quickly took on the feel of a campaign rally. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down Trump’s attacks on U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, his enthusiastic support for Republican Senate no...

President Donald Trump’s return to Georgia puts his influence over the state Republican Party back in focus. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy speak with Republican strategist Stephen Lawson about how Rick Jackson and Mike Collins can appeal to swing voters without alienating Trump’s base. Lawson also assesses C...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy examine what President Donald Trump’s Cobb County visit could mean for gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson and Senate nominee Mike Collins. They also look at Jackson’s first rally since winning the runoff, where he emphasized affordability, education and his personal story without mentioning Trump. Plus, they discuss the lingering Republican divisions Jackson must...

Jon Ossoff’s first attack ad against Mike Collins tests whether Republican divisions over the Epstein files can shape Georgia’s U.S. Senate race. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy examine Ossoff’s financial advantage, the lingering fallout from Georgia’s 2020 election fight and the unresolved tensions between Bu...

President Donald Trump’s planned White House address is already reshaping Georgia politics before he delivers it. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell explain why Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are mounting a preemptive response and how renewed scrutiny of the 2020 election could complicate the campaigns of Mike Colli...

Political and economic power is increasingly moving toward the South as corporations relocate, populations grow and Southern leaders gain more influence in Washington. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy speak with Democratic strategist Howard Franklin about his new report, Accelerating South: Risks, Rewards and the...

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones speaks publicly for the first time since losing the Republican runoff for governor to Rick Jackson. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy ask Jones about the attacks that defined the campaign, Gov. Brian Kemp’s late endorsement and why he has not yet backed Jackson. Jones also discusses the chall...

Greg Bluestein hosts a listener-driven look at the political questions shaping Georgia’s summer. He weighs the FBI’s renewed scrutiny of Fulton County’s 2020 election handling, Jon Ossoff’s debate strategy against Mike Collins and why Raphael Warnock looks more likely than Ossoff to draw 2028 presidential speculation. Bluestein also digs into Rick Jackson’s unsettled GOP support and the split-tick...

Greg Bluestein hosts a look at Georgia’s lingering 2020 election fights with Tamar Hallerman, who explains the FBI’s review of Fulton County election records and the political questions it raises for Republicans heading into November. Greg also talks with Riley Bunch about new Georgia laws now in effect, including changes to school cell phone rules, literacy efforts, medical cannabis, paid materni...

Tia Mitchell looks at the unusual race to succeed the late U.S. Rep. David Scott in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. She speaks with state Rep. Jasmine Clark, who won the Democratic primary for the next full term, about why she did not enter the special election and how she is preparing for Congress. Tia also talks with Dr. Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, who are running in the special elect...

Democratic socialists won one major Georgia House race, came close in others and are now forcing a broader debate inside the state Democratic Party. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy look at how candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America performed in Georgia’s primaries and why younger voters are...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions about the prospect of another special session if Democrats win key statewide offices in November. They also break down Mike Collins’ continued embrace of Trump’s false 2020 election claims, the fight over Fulton County election board nominees and the stalled effort to replace Georgia’s QR code voting system. Greg and Tia close with a look a...

Greg Bluestein breaks down three Supreme Court rulings that could shape Georgia’s 2026 elections, including new campaign finance rules, the fight over birthright citizenship and laws banning transgender female athletes from girls and women’s sports. He explains how the campaign finance decision could help Mike Collins narrow Jon Ossoff’s fundraising advantage with support from the Republican Natio...

Tia Mitchell talks with social media influencer Qondi Ntini about how online fandom, humor and “thirst trap” politics became part of Georgia’s U.S. Senate campaigns. Qondi explains how her “Thirst for Democracy” brand grew from organic posts about Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock into fundraising, campaign access and a broader conversation about political influencers. She also weighs the tension bet...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy are joined by outgoing AJC president and publisher Andrew Morse on his final day in the office. Andrew discusses the AJC’s move away from print, the push to grow digital subscribers and the changes he helped lead across audio, video, live events and regional coverage. He also talks about the future of local news, the role of AI in journalism and what surprised hi...

Brian Kemp’s influence in Georgia Republican politics faces new questions after his preferred candidates lost major runoff contests. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions about what a Rick Jackson governorship could mean for state agencies, why statewide tickets do not always campaign together...

The Georgia Senate race is already turning personal as Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins move quickly to define each other for a high-stakes general election. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell break down the early ads, church appearances and campaign messages shaping the matchup. They also look at Ossoff’s push to energi...

The Republican ticket is set in Georgia, but the first days after the runoff show that party unity is still a work in progress. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy look at Rick Jackson’s absence from the Georgia GOP’s rodeo fundraiser and what it says about his relationship with party activists. They...

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy begin with the sad news that their friend and conservative commentator Martha Zoller died Monday after wrapping up her radio show last week. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, they reflect on Zoller’s legacy before turning to the special legislative session at the state Capitol. They break down how a session that...

Greg Bluestein hosts alongside Patricia Murphy for a listener-driven look at a turbulent week in Georgia politics. They discuss Rick Jackson’s costly victory in the Republican runoff for governor, Brian Kemp’s late endorsement of Burt Jones and what it says about Kemp’s influence inside the GOP. Greg and Patricia also examine the stalled push for a redistricting special session, MARTA funding and...

Greg Bluestein hosts alongside Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy for a special episode recorded as lawmakers returned to the Capitol after Georgia’s primary runoffs. They break down the abrupt decision by Republican legislative leaders to shelve redistricting during the special session, despite pressure from Gov. Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to move forward. The episode also looks at what the...

Greg Bluestein hosts a special edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast with Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy after Georgia’s primary runoff elections delivered two major Republican verdicts. Rick Jackson defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the GOP race for governor despite late support from Donald Trump and Brian Kemp, while Mike Collins beat Derek Dooley in the Senat...

Greg Bluestein, alongside Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell, takes on both sides of the Republican runoff as Georgia heads to the polls. The conversation centers on Brian Kemp's surprise endorsement of Bert Jones in the governor's race, a Sunday night move that caught even veteran operatives off guard, and what it means for Kemp's own political future if his picks don't deliver. Trump's 1 a.m. Trut...

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell take listener questions the day before Georgia's Republican runoff, sizing up what's at stake for both the governor's race and the Senate contest. They weigh how much of Brian Kemp's political legacy rides on Derek Dooley's performance, whether Trump's endorsement still carries the same force it did in 2018, and what the Democratic coalition actually needs from Kemp...