Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for April 29, 2026

George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America in New York City on April 30, 1789. From Washington’s inaugural address:

it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge.

In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either.

No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States.

On April 30, 1803, negotiators from France and the United States finished discussions of the Louisiana Purchase, which would double the size of the country.

By the middle of the 18th century, France controlled more of the modern United States than any other European power: from New Orleans northeast to the Great Lakes and northwest to modern-day Montana. In 1762, during the French and Indian War, France ceded its America territory west of the Mississippi River to Spain and in 1763 transferred nearly all of its remaining North American holdings to Great Britain. Spain, no longer a dominant European power, did little to develop Louisiana Territory during the next three decades. In 1796, Spain allied itself with France, leading Britain to use its powerful navy to cut off Spain from America.In 1801, Spain signed a secret treaty with France to return Louisiana Territory to France.

Reports of the retrocession caused considerable uneasiness in the United States. Since the late 1780s, Americans had been moving westward into the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys, and these settlers were highly dependent on free access to the Mississippi River and the strategic port of New Orleans. U.S. officials feared that France, resurgent under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte, would soon seek to dominate the Mississippi River and access to the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. envoys agreed to pay $11,250,000 and assumed claims of its citizens against France in the amount of $3,750,000. In exchange, the United States acquired the vast domain of Louisiana Territory, some 828,000 square miles of land. In October, Congress ratified the purchase, and in December 1803 France formally transferred authority over the region to the United States. The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory for the bargain price of less than three cents an acre was Thomas Jefferson’s most notable achievement as president.

On April 30, 1886, former Confederate President Jefferson Davis arrived in LaGrange, Georgia for the unveiling of a monument to Benjamin Hill. Earlier that day, he spoke in Newnan, Georgia.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt made his fourth trip to Georgia on April 29, 1926, closing on the purchase of property at Warm Springs, Ga.

Dachau concentration camp was liberated by American troops on April 29, 1945. At least 31,951 inmates died there, more than 30,000 survivors were found on liberation day, and more than 250,000 passed through the camp and its subcamps.

Dobbins Air Force Base was dedicated on April 29, 1950, named for in honor of the late Capt. Charles M. Dobbins and in memory of the other servicemen from Cobb County. Dobbins was shot down over Sicily in 1943 and his family attended the opening of the base.

Hank Aaron hit his first home run in Atlanta against the Houston Astros on April 29, 1966, providing the winning margin as the Braves won 4-3.

Atlanta was selected as the host city for the 1996 Summer Olympics on April 29, 1988.

On April 29, 1993, Barry White guest-starred on The Simpsons. I guess that makes today “Whacking Day.”

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

First day of early voting turnout was high, according to Atlanta News First via WTVM.

On Monday, a record number of Georgians headed to the polls to vote in the midterm primary early, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

During the first day of early voting, 35,352 Georgians cast their ballot in person. That’s a 29% increase compared to 2022’s number of 27,298 and 281% larger than 2018’s number of 9,266.

“This record-breaking turnout is proof that Georgians trust our election process,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement. “My office is in constant coordination with county election officials to ensure early voting continues to run smoothly.”

Mail-in voters have also made their voices heard, with 1,732 absentee ballots accepted on Monday.

The midterm primary election will decide which candidates will run in the general election on Nov. 3. Due to a series of term limits, that includes four of the state’s top positions: the governor, the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state and the attorney general.

Candidates for Attorney General met in a televised debate, according to Georgia Recorder.

Four candidates are pledging to bring a fighting spirit to the attorney general’s office in Georgia, although what they plan to fight for depends largely on which side of the aisle they fall.

On the Republican side are state Sen. Bill Cowsert of Athens and state Sen. Brian Strickland of McDonough, and the Democrats competing for their party’s nomination are state Rep. Tanya Miller of Atlanta and Bob Trammell, a former state House minority leader from Luthersville.

Both pairs squared off Tuesday as part of the Atlanta Press Club’s Loudermilk-Young Debate Series during the first week of early voting. The last day to vote is May 19, and the winner of each primary race will go on to face each other in November.

The candidates are battling it out for an open seat. Sitting Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, is running for governor after holding the seat since 2016.

The Republican matchup

The two Republicans used Tuesday’s debate to present their case for who would be more effective if elected as they both painted a vision for the office that would increase the focus on fighting crime, including election fraud.

Strickland, who chairs the Senate’s judiciary committee and who has been a state lawmaker for more than a decade, touted the dozens of endorsements he has racked up from sheriffs, district attorneys and solicitors.

“I’m proud to be law enforcement’s choice in this race,” Strickland said. “They trust me. They know my reputation.”

Strickland prodded Cowsert on his lack of endorsements from sheriffs.

“Unfortunately, part of the reason is that I didn’t ask for it,” Cowsert said. “I’ve been going to the voters, asking for their support, and perhaps I took for granted that the sheriffs and law enforcement would sort of collect with me as much as I fought for them over the years.”

Cowsert, who has served in the Senate for two decades, said there may be some “hurt feelings” among district attorneys as a result of his intense focus on investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is a Democrat. Cowsert chairs a special investigative committee that subpoenaed Willis to testify before the committee late last year.

He was asked Tuesday to address potential voter concerns that his actions amounted to political prosecution.

“No, I plan to call them out, whichever party they are. We deserve better than corrupt politicians at any level, particularly prosecutors,” Cowsert said.

Cowsert raised concerns about Strickland’s educational background, noting that Strickland’s for-profit law school, Florida Coastal School of Law, closed amid funding and accreditation problems. Cowsert went to law school at the University of Georgia.

“I have tried over 500 jury trials throughout the state of Georgia. There’s nobody who can match the experience, the understanding of the litigation process and the law. I think that’s important,” Cowsert said.

Strickland shrugged off the criticism after the debate.

“I guess he doesn’t think I’m smart enough to be a lawyer and be attorney general, but I think I turned out pretty good,” Strickland quipped to reporters.

While Cowsert has trained his sights on “rogue” prosecutors, Strickland focused his attacks on former President Joe Biden in his comments at Tuesday’s debate.

“Georgia is still feeling the impact of four years of the Joe Biden open border,” Strickland said. “What we need is someone in this office who will stand up and support the president, not only with securing the border, but deal with the impact that we now see from all these people in our state.”

The Democratic candidates

The two Democrats facing off in the primary election are both vowing to be a check on the Trump administration. What they mostly disagree on is who is best equipped to win in the November general election and put a Democrat in the office for the first time in nearly two decades.

Trammell, who is from a rural community in west Georgia, argues he is the one who is “battle-tested.” He lost his House seat in 2020 after national Republicans said they would spend $1 million to oust him from his office and therefore his leadership role. He questioned how Miller, who represents a deep blue House district, would handle Republican opposition.

“I appreciate your experience in court and your trial experience, but when it comes to the full combat general election experience of facing a Republican, I have been battle tested,” Trammell said. “You can either be battle tested or untested.”

Miller, who was elected to her House seat in 2022, pointed to the background as a former federal state prosecutor as what will help her appeal to a broad swath of voters in November.

“We are talking about 2026. We are living in a new time, and a new era,” Miller said. “Trump is deeply unpopular, and what we know about Democrats is that they do not want the same old Democratic playbook. They want someone who is a fighter. They want someone who will stand up to Donald Trump and someone who will stand up to corporate interests.”

Both Democrats have questioned the constitutionality of Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, which is currently being challenged in court, and they both said they would protect the state from the Trump administration policies that they say hurt Georgians.

“Haven’t we had enough of Donald Trump’s chaos?” Trammell said. “He’s attacking our voting rights, jacking up costs and even getting us into war. Enough is enough.”

Trammell said he would have immediately challenged the Justice Department in court after federal agents seized ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton County earlier this year. He said he would also make sure Georgia is on the “right side” of the fight over birthright citizenship, noting that Carr signed onto a brief supporting Trump’s attempts to end the policy.

Miller said Democratic attorneys general have been on the forefront pushing back on Trump administration policies, including fighting tariffs, cuts to food aid benefits and education funding and challenging what she called immigration enforcement “excesses and constitutional violations.”

“The question for me will be simple: Does it help Georgians? Does the law support it? And if it helps Georgians, if it helps our state and it supports the law, we will join a lawsuit, and we will bring a lawsuit, or we will defend ourselves.”

Candidates for Secretary of State also debated, according to the AJC.

Republicans and Democrats campaigning to become Georgia’s next chief election officer are arguably facing the toughest question ahead of the May 19 primary: How will Georgia count ballots in a state that has outlawed its vote-counting method with no plan to replace it?

The crisis could end up forcing Gov. Brian Kemp to call a special session of the state Legislature this summer. Meanwhile, the candidates for secretary of state must answer how they would fix the problem. Many Republicans pointed to using hand-marked paper ballots.

Republican candidate Tim Fleming, a state representative from Covington, chaired a special legislative committee last year aimed with updating Georgia’s election laws. But the Legislature did not act, and Fleming skipped Tuesday’s televised debate.

Fellow Republican Gabriel Sterling, a former top aide to outgoing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, argued the state could keep using its touchscreen voting machines. He said state officials could use optical character recognition technology to count votes by reading the printed text on the ballots instead of the QR codes.

The Democratic candidates, including former Fulton County State Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, focused on how the state should respond to doubts about Georgia’s elections and its voting machines. Many sought a system with an auditable paper trail.

“When you have no voter confidence, that undermines the very system,” Reynolds said. “I believe in printable, verifiable ballots. It’s the only way people can feel secure about the election.”

“I stand with those who believe that there was election fraud,” said Vernon Jones, a former Democrat who was CEO of DeKalb County and a state lawmaker before switching parties and endorsing Trump. He touted his attendance at a “stop the steal” rally after 2020.

One of the most explosive moments came when Jones targeted Kelvin King, a contractor and Air Force veteran. He criticized King for his construction company having lucrative state contracts.

“I bid on every single job I have,” King said.

In another exchange, Jones noted King’s wife, Janelle King, is also a member of the State Election Board. He said that poses a “conflict of interest” for the candidate. King denies there’s a conflict.

More on the GOP gubernatorial candidates debate, from the Capitol Beat News Service.

The only major debate between Republican candidates for Georgia governor brimmed with personal attacks and appeals to President Donald Trump’s followers and offered less to guide voters on policy directions.

The debate hosted by the Atlanta Press Club and aired by Georgia Public Broadcasting took place Monday as Georgians started heading to the polls for early voting ahead of the May 19 primary.

The two leading candidates, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson, pummeled each other over their campaign fundraising and personal ethics. Other candidates piled on.

Jones and Jackson praised Trump, as did Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

That left Attorney General Chris Carr to cut a trail toward the moderate voters that he said were a growing factor in elections. He pledged to promote literacy and affordable housing and spoke of mental health as a “root cause” of poverty, saying he would address it with a regional approach.

Jackson styled himself a self-made wealthy entrepreneur raised in a broken home, who went on to create a company worth billions that employs thousands. Jones introduced himself as a sixth generation Georgian and the only candidate on the sound set endorsed by Trump.

Raffensperger defended himself as several candidates raised concerns about the state’s voting system, which he oversees. He responded by blaming the Legislature and with disciplined pivots to attacks against Keisha Lance Bottoms, as if he had already won the primary and were debating her.

Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, is a leading gubernatorial contender on the Democratic side.

Four other lesser-known candidates struggled for airtime.

Clark Dean introduced himself as a Harvard-trained biomedical engineer and the only Eagle Scout on the set. He said he would use artificial intelligence to streamline Georgia government.

Gregg Kirkpatrick said he invented two dozen medical devices that generated jobs and profits while reducing the cost of health care. He said his business leadership had prepared him to govern.

Tom Williams said he worked 35 years at Robbins Air Force Base supporting the military with electronics and software.

And Ken Yasger said he enlisted in the Army Rangers, was deployed to Afghanistan, and was the only Republican gubernatorial candidate who had been shot at by the Taliban. Now a bartender on Tybee Island, he positioned himself as a man of the people, saying he chose to run for office after watching an elderly man with a walker come up short while trying to buy bread and a half dozen eggs.

Jones and Jackson have burned through millions of dollars lobbing attack advertisements at each other. Yasger asked Jones how he could possibly relate to normal people after spending that kind of money like that.

Jones responded that he would prefer not to have had to spend that money, saying he did not start the fight.

Late last year, a mysterious group paid for attack ads against Jones, before Jackson started firing off his own attacks.

When the moderator asked Jackson point blank if he had been behind the anonymous group, Jackson said “absolutely not.”

Jones and Jackson would spend much of the debate firing volleys at each other over the source of their money. At one point, Jackson enlisted Carr, who said he would have launched an investigation into Jones’ activities if he himself were not a candidate.

Jones attacked Jackson on immigration, trying to put distance between Jackson and Trump.

“You claim to be tough on illegal deportation, but you’ve got illegals working in your backyard as we speak right now,” Jones said.

Jackson responded that he would deport “criminal illegals” as governor.

Jones pressed him: “You don’t have any illegals working for you right now? Or in the past?”

Jackson’s answer: “I don’t know.” He said he had hired thousands of people and had obeyed the law.

Jones closed by reminding viewers that Trump had endorsed him, saying it was because the president knew him and trusted him.

Earlier, Raffensperger had praised the president’s strategy for “reshoring” jobs, saying that as governor he would help retrain the next generation for jobs in advanced manufacturing. He also took another jab at Bottoms, saying she had allowed crime to go unchecked in Atlanta.

Jackson said that he was too wealthy to be bought by special interests, that he was a philanthropist and that he wanted to be governor so he could help people, like another wealthy man who won office.

“President Trump’s business focus inspired me to run,” Jackson said. “Georgia needs business leadership, focus on results, not politics. I’ll be just like him, with a Southern tone.”

Carr appealed to moderate voters by saying that Democrats are not the enemy. They are merely an opponent to be defeated in November.

“And let me tell you who’s not going to win. It’s not going to be the candidate that raises his or her hand and says, ‘I got the most money or I got one endorsement’,” he said, adding that the winner will be the Republican who appeals “to the ever-growing independent voter in this state.”

And from the Democratic gubernatorial debate, from the Capitol Beat News Service:

Tax cuts coexisted with higher spending on education and health care when Democrats running for governor laid out their positions this week.

At a debate hosted by the Atlanta Press Club and aired by Georgia Public Broadcasting on Monday, as early voters headed to the polls, several candidates said they would address affordability by changing Georgia taxes. Nearly all said they would update the formula that funds public schools. And nearly all said they would expand Medicaid, a move rejected by Republicans as too expensive.

The leading candidates also faced attacks by their competitors.

Jason Esteves, a former state senator and Atlanta school board chairman, attacked Keisha Lance Bottoms over public safety when she was mayor of Atlanta. He blamed her for the shooting death of Secoriea Turner, 8, in 2020 amid protests.

State Rep. Derrick Jackson, D-Tyrone, assailed Esteves over his vote for pro-charter school legislation last year when he was in the Senate.

Olu Brown, a pastor, fired at Geoff Duncan, who switched from Republican to Democrat after serving as lieutenant governor, excoriating him for backing legislation against transgender people. Duncan also took withering attacks over his former position against abortion. He said he had pivoted on both issues as he transitioned away from the GOP.

Mike Thurmond, former state lawmaker and labor commissioner who also ran the DeKalb County school system and then the county government, railed against the state sales tax. He said he would cut it in half, calling it the most painful form of taxation for people with low incomes.

Bottoms defended her leadership of Atlanta by saying she had raised police and firefighter pay while balancing the budget and building affordable housing.

Duncan said he could win the general election in November by rallying independent voters and “disgusted” Republicans. He pledged to have the most diverse cabinet of any governor in state history.

Esteves said he favored a property tax cut and would make commercial property owners pay what they owe.

Jackson said he would work to raise the minimum wage.

And Amanda Duffy, a self-described low-income Georgian, said she would change the state income tax from a flat 5.19% rate to an income-based bracket system like the federal government uses. She said she wanted the wealthy to pay a larger proportion of their income. She also said she would not accept full governor’s pay if elected.

Governor Brian Kemp toured South Georgia wildfire damage yesterday, according to Atlanta News First via WTOC.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp toured scorched areas in southeast Georgia on Tuesday as firefighters continue to fight two massive wildfires.

Kemp said firefighters are focusing on saving as many homes from the wildfires as they can.

“I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart,” Kemp said.

Kemp said since Sunday, 80 additional fires have popped up.

“Just in the last 30 days, we’ve had 767 fires in Georgia,” Kemp said. “That’s 85% more than we would have on a five year average.”

Firefighters and emergency crews have battled several wildfires across the state, but the two largest Georgia wildfires — the Pineland Road fire and the Highway 82/Brantley County fire — have burned more than 53,000 acres and hundreds of homes.

The Pineland Road Fire in Clinch and Echols counties has grown to 32,541 acres with 23% containment, state forestry officials said.

The Highway 82 fire in Brantley County has burned more than 21,600 acres and is 32% contained.

A memorial service for the late U.S. Rep. David Scott (D) will be held at the Georgia State Capitol on Friday, according to the AJC.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the state Capitol on Friday. Afterward, Scott will lie in state in the rotunda until 5 p.m. The Capitol has just one public entrance, and it includes a security checkpoint. Scott’s congressional office urged people to arrive early to make sure they make it through the line in time.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order Monday calling for Scott to be honored at the Capitol. Before beginning the first of his 12 terms in the U.S. House, Scott served in the state House and Senate from 1975 to 2003.

“The family of Congressman Scott thanks Governor Kemp for extending this honor, and for the incredible outpouring of grief, love, and support from the countless friends, constituents, and elected officials who knew or were helped by the Congressman over his lifetime,” Scott’s congressional office said in a statement Tuesday.

Scott’s funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Elizabeth Baptist Church at 4245 Cascade Road Southwest in Atlanta.

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority recognized State Sen. Drew Echols (R-Gainesville) as their Legislative Champion of the Year, according to AccessWDUN.

Echols has been serving on the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee after his appointment in January. In that role, Echols has advocated for Georgia’s tourism and hospitality industry.

“Senator Echols understands the vital role our industry plays in Georgia’s economy and has been a tireless champion for its growth and success,” GWCCA CEO Kevin Duvall said. “We are grateful for his partnership and commitment, and we look forward to his continued leadership in the years ahead.”

Echols has advanced initiatives that strengthen Georgia’s standing as a premier destination for major events, including improvements of the Georgia World Congress Center and its surrounding campus.

“I am truly honored to receive the Legislative Champion of the Year Award from the Georgia World Congress Center Authority,” Echols said. “Georgia’s tourism and hospitality industry is powered by hardworking men and women who keep our state moving forward every day. It’s a privilege to represent the 49th District and to continue working alongside leaders and industry partners to support job creation, economic growth, and opportunities for communities across our state.”

The Columbia County Board of Education is considering an FY 2027 budget, according to WJBF.

The Columbia County Board of Education is considering final approval of its proposed budget for the 2026-2027 school year.

“A good way if you just are interested in the numbers of the budget, we put all of this information on our website,” said Dr. Steven Flynt, superintendent of Columbia County Schools. “You can also see the presentation, that we went through this morning. Or you could go back and, Restream, what we did live, we have that, held in a video on our website. So we’d love for people to look at that. If they have questions, we’d encourage them to reach out, either by email or they’re welcome to come to one of the public input sessions.”

A second public input session will be held Tuesday, May 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the BOE office. School leaders said the final approval will not be held until June, so the public still has time to voice their opinions.

Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson has proposed a $402 million dollar budget for FY 2027, according to WTVM.

The proposed budget represents a 2% increase from the current fiscal year’s $394 million adopted budget. Henderson said the plan relies on growing sales tax revenue and a modestly higher tax digest to fund operations.

The budget includes a 2% cost-of-living raise for full-time employees and a 1% increase for retirees, effective July 1. Henderson said employees are the city’s “most valuable asset.”

The city expects about $7.6 million more in general fund revenue than last year, driven by increases in sales taxes, insurance premium taxes and other fees. The property tax millage rate remains unchanged.

Henderson said the budget maintains reserves above the 60-day minimum recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association, with 74.44 days in reserve. The city’s internal goal is 90 days.

“With this budget, we do stay above our 60-day recommended policy minimum in reserve funds,” Henderson said. “We have 74.44 days in reserve and we’re going to bring some ideas to council to try to get that fund balance back up toward 90 days.”

Bulloch County District 2 Seat B Commissioner Toby Conner faces two challengers in the Republican Primary, according to WSAV.

Three Board of Commissioner seats are on the ballot, but only one race has competition this May. Three candidates, including incumbent Toby Conner, are vying to be the District 2 Seat B representative.

There is currently no Democratic candidate.

WSAV spoke with both challengers, Frank Bedell and Ted Redman, about their candidacy this week.

Tift County District 4 Commissioner Stanley Alan Stalnaker faces an opponent in the GOP Primary, according to WALB.

Incumbent Stanley Alan Stalnaker and challenger Jonathan Dennis Cassell have both shared their views through a candidate questionnaire covering key issues and priorities for the community.

Two Democrats are running for their party’s nomination in the Ninth Congressional District, according to AccessWDUN.

Georgia’s 9th Congressional District has two Democrats running in the primary on May 19, with early voting underway.

Retired banker Nick Alex and Suwanee resident Caitlyn Gegen will be on the ballot, with the winner advancing to November’s general election.