Politically Georgia

The World Series is stage is so big, politics is also playing a role. In this week’s Politically Georgia Podcast, our AJC political insiders Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy discuss how Gov. Brian Kemp is using Atlanta’s World Series appearance to his advantage. Plus, why a major battle could be brewing for Gov. Kemp’s job next year and finally how Herschel Walker’s opponents are bringing up his past domestic abuse allegations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats fail to get a debate going on the voting rights bill in the Senate. Our political insiders Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell look at what that means going forward, how it will affect other legislature President Biden is trying to pass and will they remove the filibuster to do it. Plus, how Herschel Walker is going against Donald Trump for the first time and why it’s a risky move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a special edition of the Politically Georgia Podcast. AJC political insider Greg Bluestein is joined by city hall reporters Wilborn P. Nobles III and J.D. Capelouto to continue our in-depth coverage of the Race for City Hall. In this episode we look at what has really mattered from an onslaught of mayoral debates in the last week. Why Kasim Reed and Felicia Moore are starting to separate themselves and what to the other candidates need to do to pick off undecided voters. We also dig into what our journalists found asking residents of seven Atlanta neighborhoods what they want from the next mayor. Finally why this is considered silly season in the campaign.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AJC’s political insiders Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy have been around the state (and other states) this week to make sure you know what’s really going on. In this episode, we preview former President Donald Trump’s rally in Perry to support senate candidate Herschel Walker and others. Plus what Stacy Abrams is saying about her political future as she starts her nationwide tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the shock entry of billionaire Rick Jackson into Georgia’s race for governor and what it means for an already crowded Republican field. GOP strategist Stephen Lawson weighs in on how Jackson’s money, outsider message, and alignment with President Donald Trump could scramble the fight for the MAGA base and alter the strategies of rivals like Burt Jones, Chris Carr, and Brad Raffensperger. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein talks with AJC investigative reporter Dylan Jackson about the AJC’s sweeping investigation into PFAS contamination tied to northwest Georgia’s carpet industry. Dylan walks through how decades of chemical use moved through Dalton Utilities and into waterways, soil and residents’ blood, often with little public disclosure. They size up the political response at the Gold Dome, including stalled efforts to shield carpet companies from liability and Georgia’s reliance on federal regulators. The discussion also looks ahead to unresolved questions about cleanup costs, regulation and the long-term impact on communities downstream. Forever Stained: An AJC Investigative Series Contaminated: The Carpet Industry’s Toxic Legacy, a FRONTLINE documentary Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein hosts alongside Patricia Murphy for a look at the growing backlash against data centers under the Gold Dome. State Sen. Greg Dolezal makes the case for repealing tax incentives, arguing the projects drive up power and water costs while delivering limited public benefit. Public Service Commissioner Peter Hubbard weighs how data center growth affects electricity rates and what leverage regulators and lawmakers have as demand surges. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein is joined by Tia Mitchell for a look at how faith continues to shape politics in Georgia, from the U.S. Senate to a crowded congressional race in northwest Georgia. They begin with Sen. Raphael Warnock’s reflections on how his pastoral role informs his views on policy, power, and political responsibility, then turn to an interview with Pastor Tom Gray, a Republican candidate in the GA-14 race, who argues that conservative politics are rooted in biblical principles and should guide government decision-making. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's senior political reporter Greg Bluestein is joined by columnist Patricia Murphy, as the pair discuss what’s next in last week's FBI raid on a Fulton County election warehouse. Murphy and Bluestein discuss the possibility of criminal charges and whether President Donald Trump's allies will try to take over Fulton’s elections. Then, the duo talks about Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger breaking his silence on the raid. Raffensperger is a candidate for Georgia governor in 2026. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Atlanta Journal-Constitution senior political reporter Greg Bluestein and podcast executive producer Shane Backler drive to Georgia's 14th Congressional District in northwest Georgia to hear how voters are feeling about former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s sudden resignation. AJC senior columnist Patricia Murphy and Greg Bluestein discuss the wide range of candidates looking to fill the seat as nearly two dozen candidates are running in the special election. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at ⁠770-810-5297⁠. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at ⁠PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com⁠. Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein is joined by Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy to break down questions from across Georgia, starting with a bill that would shift securities regulation away from the Secretary of State’s office as the state investigates the collapse of First Liberty Banking and Loan. They also take up concerns over kindergarten enrollment rules in Gwinnett County, weigh how much stock to put in election betting markets versus polling, and assess early signs of tension and strategy in Georgia’s emerging governor’s race. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of Politically Georgia, host Greg Bluestein is joined by Patricia Murphy to break down the FBI’s raid on Fulton County’s election warehouse, where federal agents seized hundreds of boxes of 2020 election materials. The move marks a dramatic escalation tied to former President Donald Trump’s renewed claims about the election. Greg and Patricia unpack what the raid could mean for Georgia’s election system heading into 2026, including fears among Democrats that it could pave the way for a state takeover of Fulton County elections. They also share reaction from state lawmakers, revealing sharp partisan divides and deep concerns about what comes next for voting rights and election oversight in Georgia. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AJC Washington bureau chief Tia Mitchell examines how a deadly federal immigration enforcement shooting in Minneapolis is reverberating through Georgia politics, as Democratic senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock threaten to block a government funding bill unless new limits on ICE are included. She explains why a partial government shutdown appears increasingly likely and how Republican challengers are seizing on the issue in a heated election year. The episode then features a recorded roundtable hosted by AJC reporters Maya T. Prabhu and Michelle Baruchman with state Reps. Yasmin Neal and Clint Crowe, both former police detectives. The lawmakers offer sharply different views on the Minnesota shooting, the role of ICE in Georgia, and how immigration enforcement affects public trust, while also identifying areas where bipartisan cooperation on public safety could still emerge under the Gold Dome. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein sits down with state Rep. Akbar Ali, the 21-year-old freshman lawmaker who just became the youngest member of the Georgia General Assembly. Ali talks about his rapid rise from community organizing to the Gold Dome, his first bill aimed at protecting planning time for public school teachers, and why affordability, health care, and economic opportunity are driving his agenda. Later, Patricia Murphy joins Greg to put Ali’s win in context, looking at how generational change is reshaping Georgia politics, why younger candidates are finding new openings with voters, and what Ali’s early success could signal for the next wave of leaders at the Capitol. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the political fallout from a fatal federal immigration enforcement shooting in Minneapolis and why it’s sending ripples through Georgia politics. They explain how the incident has prompted rare pushback from some Republicans, unsettled longtime GOP allies like gun rights groups, and raised new concerns about civil liberties as immigration enforcement expands into U.S. cities. They also look at how immigration is shaping Georgia’s U.S. Senate race, with Sen. Jon Ossoff pressing Republican challengers to either defend or distance themselves from President Trump’s approach. Greg and Patricia walk through how candidates like Mike Collins and Buddy Carter are embracing the White House line, why Derek Dooley’s silence is drawing notice, and why immigration could become one of the most defining issues in a closely divided state heading into 2026. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions in this Monday mailbag episode of Politically Georgia. They start with whether Senate Republicans made a strategic mistake by voting against Affordable Care Act health care subsidies as costs rise for Georgians. They explain why Democrats forced those votes, how GOP candidates are defending them, and why the issue is likely to loom large in the U.S. Senate race. They also touch on a brewing fight over “academic redshirting” in Georgia schools, the state of the governor’s race, and growing scrutiny of mystery political ads targeting Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Greg and Tia break down what the law requires when it comes to disclosure, why the ads live in a legal gray area, and how dark money is already shaping Georgia’s 2026 elections. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein is joined by Patricia Murphy for an in-depth conversation with Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. Carr lays out an anti-corruption proposal that he says would be the toughest in the nation, and explains why cleaning up state and local government is a central plank of his campaign for governor. Greg and Patricia discuss how Carr’s pitch fits into a crowded GOP primary, the growing voter frustration with ethics and transparency, and how his record as attorney general shapes his case for higher office as the 2026 governor’s race begins to take shape. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Patricia Murphy devotes the episode to education policy as Georgia’s legislative session gets underway. She speaks with Rep. Scott Hilton about expanding Georgia’s cellphone ban from middle schools to high schools, the early results from existing restrictions, and why lawmakers say limiting screen time is improving student engagement and mental health. In the second segment, Patricia is joined by Rep. Stacey Evans to discuss Governor Brian Kemp’s proposal to create Georgia’s first need-based college scholarship program. Evans explains why the investment could be a game-changer for students priced out of higher education and how rare bipartisan momentum may shape education funding debates in the months ahead. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down Governor Brian Kemp’s State of the State address, where he dipped deeper into Georgia’s surplus while warning future leaders against draining the rainy day fund. They analyze the political message behind Kemp’s final budget, including tax rebates, a surprise push for need-based scholarships, and why he pushed back on sweeping income tax elimination plans. Then, Greg and Patricia turn to the escalating money wars shaping Georgia’s 2026 races. They examine Sen. Jon Ossoff’s massive fundraising haul and the mysterious, multimillion-dollar anonymous ad campaign hammering Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. They explain why the source of the spending remains hidden, how it exploits gaps in disclosure laws, and why it has rattled candidates across the political spectrum. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special Martin Luther King Jr. Day episode, host Greg Bluestein is joined by Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy for a look back at one of the most consequential civil rights battles in Georgia politics. Producer Natalie Mendenhall tells the story of Julian Bond, who was elected to the Georgia House in 1965 but blocked from taking office by fellow lawmakers, sparking protests, national outrage, and a landmark Supreme Court ruling. The episode also features Natalie’s interview with Michael Julian Bond, who reflects on his father’s legacy, the personal toll of that fight, and why Julian Bond’s stand for free speech and democratic representation still resonates as Georgia lawmakers return to the Capitol today. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices