On March 10, 1734, a group of German immigrants reached the mouth of the Savannah River, from where they would proceed on to Savannah. Today, the Georgia Salzburgers Society works to preserve the Salzburger heritage and traditions in Georgia.
On March 10, 1866, Governor Charles Jones Jenkins signed legislation allowing women to have bank accounts separate from their husbands as long as the balance was less than $2000; an earlier act set the limit at $1000.
On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the first speech over his new invention, the telephone.
Thomas B. Murphy was born on March 10, 1924 in Bremen, Georgia and would first be elected to office in the 1950s, winning a seat on the Bremen Board of Education. In 1960, Murphy ran for the State House facing no opposition and was sworn in in 1961. In 1973, he became Speaker Murphy and would hold the post until Bill Heath, a Republican, beat him in the November 2002 General Election.
Murphy held the top House seat for a longer consecutive term than anyone in any American state legislature. He died on December 17, 2007.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Today is election Day in the 14th Congressional District and 53d State Senate District, according to 13WMAZ.
Voters in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District will decide in a special election Tuesday who they want to send to Washington.
The U.S. House seat was vacated when Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned in January.
The 14th Congressional District, in the northwest corner of Georgia, borders Alabama and Tennessee. It spans 10 counties, with Paulding the most populous, followed by a portion of Cobb. It is home to the cities of Rome, Dalton, Acworth and parts of Kennesaw.
Twenty-two candidates initially filed to run for the vacant seat. Only a few dropped out of the race, so voters will decide among the 17 remaining hopefuls. All candidates, regardless of their political affiliation, will be on the same ballot.
Twelve Republicans and three Democrats are representing their political parties. Among the remaining two candidates, one is running as a Libertarian, and one is independent.
If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the top two will advance to a runoff election on April 7.
Polls for the special election will close at 7 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, March 10.
Republicans currently hold a small majority in the U.S. House, so the potential for a Democratic upset in this race would further narrow the GOP’s advantage.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, 7,384 ballots were cast during early voting in Floyd County.
That is a turnout of is a turnout of nearly 12 percent.
The polls are open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
State Senate, District 53, Ballot
Denise Pierce Burns – Republican
Blake Elsberry – Republican
Lanny Thomas – Republican
John Bentley “Jack” Zibluk – Democrat
Today is also Election Day in House District 94, vacated after former Rep. Karen Bennett was indicted then resigned, according to the AJC.
Four Democrats are locked in a race to fill a vacant General Assembly seat for the remainder of 2026 and the chance to immediately run for reelection as an incumbent in the district that spans parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
Candidates Kelly Kautz, Audrey Lux, Venola Mason and Ikenna Ugwumadu are on the ballot, but it is likely the vote will head to an April 7 runoff given the number of candidates and the majority support required to win outright.
The one buzzword across all the House District 94 candidates’ campaigns is “affordability.”
Voters in House District 130 go to the polls today in a Special Election, according to WJBF.
Voters will be heading to 12 polling sites in 16 precincts on March 10th for House District 130, which makes up one of the largest districts by area.
“It runs from the South Carolina line down the Savannah River, all the way down to the Burke County line. So, it’s a long district,” said Travis Doss, Augusta’s Elections Director.
Voters will be choosing between 6 candidates—2 Republicans and four Democrats—for the House District 130 seat that came open due to the resignation of Democratic Representative Lynn Hefner.
Hefner announced her resignation two months ago after her home took heavy damage from Hurricane Helene, creating a residency issue with her House seat.
“Any candidate must receive at least 50% of the vote, which is pretty hard when you have 6 candidates and low turnout, so there is the possibility of a runoff,” said Doss.
If the election were to go to a runoff, voter turnout would be even harder to come by as it’s set for Masters week.
“None of the polling sites are in the Masters area on Washington Road, so that shouldn’t be a problem because we won’t have to deal with traffic or things like that. But getting people to come back out because of Masters, Spring Break, or kids getting out of school, it’ll be a struggle fighting that either way,” Doss said.
The other challenge is extra costs.
The Elections Board voted to add the Henry Brigham Center as a second polling site with ongoing road work at the municipal building.
But with another site, the board will have to go before commissioners following the election to cover the extra non-budgeted costs.
“Personnel is our biggest cost. But, this election will probably cost about $60,000 with the advanced voting, the polling places, printing, absentee ballots, and delivery. Unfortunately, elections aren’t cheap,” Doss said.
He’s also reminding voters that just because you may live near a polling site, it doesn’t mean that district will hold voting.
“There’s two precincts that vote at May Park, but only one of them is actually in the 130 House District. So, just because your polling place is open, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re in the district. Make sure to check your registration, or check your precinct card if you have it,” he added.
Polling locations will open Tuesday, March 10th, from 7 am to 7 pm.
A runoff will be held April 7th if needed.
Four Democrats are on the ballot: Karen Gordon, LaFawn Pinkney-Mealing, Sha’Quanta Calles and Shelia Nelson. Republicans Thomas McAdams and David Carson are also running.
Under the Gold Dome Today
TBD Senate Rules: Upon Adj 450 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE SMALL BUS DEV 506 CLOB
8:00 AM Senate Econ Dev & Tourism 307 CLOB
9:00 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP
10:00 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD30) House Chamber
10:00 AM Senate Floor Session (LD 30) Senate Chamber
1:00 PM Senate Children & Families 450 CAP
1:00 PM Senate Retirement 310 CLOB
2:00 PM HOUSE RETIREMENT 406 CLOB
2:00 PM HOUSE PUBLIC & COMM HEALTH 606 CLOB
2:00 PM Senate Education & Youth 307 CLOB
3:00 PM Senate Higher Education 307 CLOB
3:00 PM Senate Insurance & Labor MEZZ 1
4:00 PM Senate Regulated Ind & Utilities 450 CAP
State Rep. Dexter Sharper (D-Valdosta) resigned his office after being indicted for alleged pandemic fraud, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.
Rep. Dexter Sharper, D-Valdosta, was charged in January with making false statements to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars in emergency payments from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
Prosecutors stated that Sharper received $13,825 in unemployment assistance benefits to which he was not entitled.
Federal prosecutors stated that Sharper applied for unemployment assistance benefits from April 2020 to May 2021. In his initial application, he allegedly said he had only one employer, Dexter Sharper Party Rental, which he said employed him 40 hours a week for more than seven years, but that he had not worked since March 13, 2020.
Prosecutors said that in 38 separate weekly certifications, Sharper claimed he had not worked or earned any wages, was actively seeking work and had not refused any work. But the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said he was working and earning money from two or three jobs a week.
“He received at least $325 every week from the Georgia General Assembly for his position as Georgia state representative,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Sharper’s party rental business was operating and generating up to $2,231 per week. And Sharper was also collecting up to an additional $275 per week for work as a musician.”
In his resignation letter, Sharper said, “It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve the people of Valdosta and Lowndes County in this role.”
The date of a special election to elect Sharper’s replacement has yet to be scheduled.
Will there really be a Special Election so close to the May 19 primaries? In any case, from the Valdosta Daily Times:
District 177 will be a highly contested seat, following the indictment of Rep. Dexter Sharper in a pandemic unemployment fraud case. Five Democrats are running for the seat, all from Lowndes County: Alvin Payton Jr., Blake Robinson, Elsie Napier, Valdosta City Councilman Eric Howard and Kristina McBride.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee shut down an effort to block the Trump defendants from seeking restitution from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.
The judge overseeing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ failed prosecution of Donald Trump is declining to intervene in her efforts to prevent the 47th president and other defendants from recouping their legal fees at her office’s expense.
On Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee denied a motion by Willis to intervene in President Trump’s effort to recoup more than $6 million in attorney’s fees related to her election interference case.
“Judge McAfee has properly denied Willis’ motion to intervene in POTUS’ action for reimbursement of attorney fees because her disqualification for improper conduct bars Willis and her office from any further participation in this dismissed, lawfare case,” said Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead Georgia attorney.
“We believe the decision is wrong, and we have already filed a notice of appeal,” Willis’ office said late Monday afternoon.
Willis’ case accused Trump of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Immediately after Trump filed his lawsuit in Fulton County, Willis said her office had ”no intention of allowing Fulton County taxpayers” to pay his legal fees, arguing paying the millions of dollars being sought by the president and the other defendants would strip her office of a “significant percentage (perhaps all) of its annual budget.”
Willis announced the indictment against Trump and 18 others in August 2023. She used the state’s anti-racketeering law to allege a wide-ranging conspiracy to try to illegally overturn Trump’s narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Defense attorneys sought Willis’ removal after the revelation in January 2024 that she had engaged in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired to lead the case. Attorneys said the relationship created a conflict of interest, alleging that Willis personally profited from the case when Wade used his earnings to pay for vacations the pair took.
McAfee rebuked Willis, saying in an order in March 2024 that her actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment.” But he said he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He ultimately ruled that Willis could remain on the case if Wade resigned, which the special prosecutor did hours later.
Defense attorneys appealed that ruling, and the Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis from the case in December 2024, citing an “appearance of impropriety.” The high court declined to hear Willis’ appeal, putting the case in the lap of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council.
The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council dropped all charges in the case in November 2025.
Senate Bill 224 was signed into law in May 2025, allowing defendants in felony cases where the prosecuting attorney is disqualified to file a motion for “reasonable attorney’s fees.”
Trump is seeking more than $6.2 million, and the total sought by him and others charged in the case is nearly $17 million, according to Pete Skandalakis, chairman of the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council.
McAfee granted Fulton County’s separate bid to intervene in the case, acknowledging it “provides the overwhelming source of funding for the daily functioning” of Willis’ office and doesn’t want it stripped of cash.
Willis told the judge in February that having to pay such a “preposterous sum” would wipe out her office’s annual budget.
“The financial buck appears likely in some form to eventually stop at the county’s desk,” McAfee said in his order. “One may safely assume it is in the county’s interest to have a functioning criminal justice system and prevent the effective shuttering of the office with sole prosecuting authority for all felonious conduct that occurs within its borders.”
Willis has already asked the judge for permission to immediately appeal the ruling and to stop the case from advancing while her appeal is considered.
In a January court filing, Skandalakis questioned the defendants’ eligibility to seek attorney fees under the new Georgia law, which he said was “probably unconstitutional.” He also doubted his authority to represent the interests of Willis or Fulton County in the “unprecedented and unusual” case.
When seeking to intervene in the case in January, Fulton County said it is not obligated under the new state law to cover any award against Willis’ office, which it said is an arm of the state and not the county.
The state pays the salary of district attorneys and certain staff within their offices.
“The county has a very strong interest in being heard on the issue of the proper interpretation of the statute,” the county said. “Moreover, the county has a very strong interest in the implications of any award against the DA’s office as it will inevitably affect future budgeting requests from such office.”
State legislators will address hot topics in the remainder of the session, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Statesboro Herald.
Georgia legislators are preparing for fierce debates on tax cuts, data centers, and voting during the final sprint of lawmaking this year.
After last week’s deadline for bills to pass either the House or Senate, the General Assembly’s priorities have come into focus.
The Republican majority’s surviving proposals include reducing Georgia’s income tax rate from 5.19% to 3.99% over time, along with a cap on annual property tax increases at 3% or the inflation rate.
Meanwhile, many other bills failed to advance this year, including proposals to eliminate all property taxes, legalize sports betting, allow breweries to sell beer in stores, and make lemon pepper wings Georgia’s official wing flavor.
House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, called the income tax cut that his chamber sent to the Senate on Friday a “historic effort by the General Assembly to deliver meaningful relief.”
“Tax dollars belong to the people, not the government. That’s why the Georgia House was proud to pass legislation to put more money back in the pockets of the people who earned it,” Burns said.
House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, said Republicans blocked bills focused on making life more affordable, such as proposals to expand health insurance, build more homes for people with low incomes, and subsidize child care.
“Georgia families are sitting at their kitchen tables tonight doing math that doesn’t add up: working more hours, falling further behind, choosing between prescriptions and groceries, wondering if they’ll ever be able to afford a home in the community where they grew up,” Hugley said.
Here’s a look at some of the key proposals remaining in this year’s legislative session, which ends April 2.
• Senators rejected a bill that would have prevented electric utilities from passing on the costs of data centers to other customers, instead opting to abolish tax exemptions for computer equipment and other technology used by data centers. The House passed a separate bill that aims to shield consumers from some costs incurred by new data centers. Critics say neither bill goes far enough to protect residents and businesses from rising power bills.
• Lawmakers are considering sending literacy coaches to elementary schools and banning cellphones in high schools, measures that they say will improve students’ academic outcomes.
• The way Georgians vote could change from touchscreens to paper ballots filled out by hand. State law already requires the end of computerized QR codes used by touchscreens by July 1. But legislators are still looking for an alternative. The Senate defeated a proposal for hand-marked paper ballots Friday amid warnings that a swift change would cause “chaos.” Legislators plan to continue working on the issue in the closing weeks of this year’s session.
• Abuses of artificial intelligence would be reigned in. The Senate passed a bill Friday that aims to protect minors from AI by limiting sexually explicit material and disclosing that online interactions aren’t with a real person. Another Senate bill would make “virtual peeping” a crime by prohibiting the use of AI to virtually undress people.
For any bill to pass, it must be approved by both the House and Senate before the end of this year’s legislative session.
Then Gov. Brian Kemp would decide whether to make those bills law or veto them.
The headline says “Georgia House and Senate Republicans on parallel course to reduce state income tax rate,” but here’s the thing: parallel lines never meet. From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Tifton Gazette:
One thing that Georgia’s House and Senate can agree on after finishing the first round of this year’s legislative session is that the state income tax rate should continue falling.
Friday was the deadline for lawmakers to vote out the bills they were most serious about, moving them from the House to the Senate and vice versa.
The Senate had already sent legislation to the House last month that would cut the income tax rate to 3.99%.
On Friday, the House kicked a bill to the Senate with the same tax rate reduction and with an increase to the standard deduction that was similar to what was in the Senate bill.
Rep. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, the architect of the House measure, said it would cost the state $600 million in the first full year of implementation.
Democrats ridiculed the Republican plan, asserting that two-thirds of the tax cut would go to the wealthiest fifth of the population while leaving less money for services, such as education. Most Georgians might see a few hundred dollars while the rich would get thousands, said Rep. Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, the House minority whip.
“We must stop these tax cuts for the rich if we want to lift all Georgians up.”
Republicans flipped the logic.
Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, said that if the top 20% would get two-thirds of the benefit, then they are paying that same proportion of the income tax now.
“The math goes both ways,” he said.
House Bill 880 then passed 102-69.
It would reduce the income tax rate a tenth of a percentage point per year, conditioned upon continued growth in state revenue, until the rate reached 3.99%.
The current income tax rate is 5.19%. But, last month, state representatives passed passed House Bill 1001, which would drop it to 4.99% retroactive to the start of this year. If the Senate embraces both, then it would take a decade to reach 3.99%.
HB 880 would simultaneously increase the standard deduction. It is $12,000 for a single filer now and would increase $600 a year until reaching $18,000 in a decade. These numbers would double for married couples filing jointly.
This approach differs only by degrees from Senate Bill 477 passed by senators early last month. Their approach would reduce the rate to 3.99% much sooner, by 2028. It would raise the standard deduction a little less, to $16,000 for individuals and $32,000 for married couples.
That 3.99% rate was the Senate’s second priority, the first being Senate Bill 476 to increase the standard deduction to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples.
To make both options palatable, the Senate handed the House what Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, the designer of the two Senate bills, described as an “olive branch.”
He scooped out the contents of two unrelated measures the House had sent the Senate last year and, like a baker filling a donut with custard, squeezed in the language from the two Senate bills. House Bill 463 mirrors SB 477, and House Bill 134 copies SB 476.
So, now the House has two bills that would reduce the income tax rate to 3.99% — one that just reached the Senate and another that just got lobbed back from there.
Either by chance or design (probably the latter), HB 463 — the bill the Senate gutted before tossing it back to the House filled with a 3.99% income tax rate— was originally authored by Blackmon. He is the same state representative who rallied House Republicans to send HB 880, for a 3.99% tax rate, to the Senate on Friday.
There are bragging rights on the campaign trail for getting bills passed, and all seats are up for election this year.
Tillery, when he was asked about HB 880 versus HB 463 outside the Capitol Monday, echoed a line that is often attributed to Harry S. Truman.
“There’s no limit on what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit,” said Tillery, who is running for lieutenant governor and has spoken quite a bit about the Senate Republicans’ tax cutting agenda. “I don’t care who gets the credit.”
Senate Bill 482 by State Rep. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough) passed the Senate and would attempt to inhibit “mugshot mills,” according to Atlanta News First via WALB.
A proposal moving through the Georgia legislature would add new steps to obtain booking photos and police videos, raising concerns among First Amendment advocates and news organizations about public access to law enforcement records.
Senate Bill 482 passed the Georgia Senate without a no vote.
The bill would require anyone seeking a booking photo or law enforcement video to:
• appear in person at the agency holding the record;
• identify each person in the image by first and last name; and
• submit a notarized statement promising not to misuse the material.Supporters say the bill is aimed at so-called “mugshot mill” websites that publish arrest photos and then charge people to remove them.
“We have people where cases have been dismissed, or they were found not guilty, yet their mugshot lives everywhere,” said Sen. Brian Strickland, a Republican sponsoring the bill. “It follows them forever.”
Under current law, many booking photos and some law enforcement videos can be requested electronically under Georgia’s open records statute. SB 482 would keep mugshots and body camera video public, but would change how people get them.
The Georgia First Amendment Foundation says those requirements amount to a significant new barrier.
“Putting up barriers that shut down access to this information will obviously lead to less oversight, and I think that will make people less safe,” said Sarah Brewerton-Palmer, an attorney and board member with the foundation.
Sheriffs and other law enforcement officials testified in favor of the bill at a past hearing, arguing that bulk requests from commercial websites consume staff time and taxpayer money.
“Monetization of someone else’s misery is not right. It’s 100% not right, and we’ve got to do something about this,” Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Henson told lawmakers.
Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman said some families are pressured to pay large sums after mugshots appear online.
“Families are scared, so what do they do? They do something they normally wouldn’t,” Freeman said. “They pay a scammer $1,000.”
Brewerton-Palmer said the bill as written would not just curb bad actors.
“Instead of directly regulating these ‘mugshot mills,’ this bill shuts down access where the public gets records,” she said. “You’re not just going after misuse, you’re going after everybody who might want this information.”
Transparency advocates warn the changes could make it harder for journalists and ordinary Georgians to obtain arrest records and body camera video needed to scrutinize police conduct, particularly in high-profile incidents.
SB 482 now heads to the Georgia House, where lawmakers could take it up in committee in the coming days. Media and open-government groups say they plan to continue pushing for changes before the measure reaches Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk.
Senate Bill 499 by State Rep. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) would allow Georgians to own firearm sound suppressors, presumably if they’ve got their ATF paperwork in order, according to WABE.
It’s already legal to own a silencer in the U.S. The National Firearms Act requires them to be regulated and registered with the federal government. Senate Bill 499 would repeal the prohibition on the devices, also called suppressors, in the Georgia state code.
Its sponsor, Republican state Sen. Frank Ginn, said his goal is to protect those who legally own the 270,000 silencers in Georgia. Ginn explained hunters and others who shoot recreationally have good reason to use them responsibly.
“I suffer from hearing loss because I was a competitive shooter in high school and college and didn’t wear the right hearing protection,” Ginn said.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, hearing loss can occur at 85 decibels or higher. A gunshot registers at around 140 decibels, making it unsafe for any period of time without hearing protection. A silencer generally lessens the sound of a gunshot by around 20 to 30 decibels.
Most experts recommend wearing protective gear, such as earmuffs or earplugs, when using firearms. But Ginn says hunters like him don’t use ear protection because they need to be aware of other hunters and animals in the field.
Before SB 499 passed Friday evening, Democratic state Rep. Michelle Au spoke across the halls of the State Capitol during the debate on the identical House Bill 1324.
“With a silencer, gunfire becomes harder to recognize, it’s harder to locate, it’s easier for someone with violent intent to use without immediate detection,” she said, “so for first responders, who we talked a lot about today, this delay can mean the difference between life and death.”
Ultimately, HB 1324 was just short of the yeas it needed after a handful of Republican lawmakers were excused from the vote.
When asked if the bill’s failure signaled a change in the attitude around guns, Republican House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration pushed back.
“The debate, unfortunately, was not about the true issue at hand, which is about the interplay between federal and state law, and shouldn’t be interpreted beyond what it was,” he said.
SB 499, on the other hand, now heads to the House. Ginn believes it has a good chance of passage.
Billionaire Rick Jackson filed a defamation lawsuit against Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.
The war between what is widely being seen as Georgia’s top two GOP gubernatorial contenders took has taken another nasty turn.
On Monday, Rick Jackson – the billionaire health care entrepreneur and CEO whose campaign has shaken Georgia’s political base to the core – filed another lawsuit against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was widely seen as the candidate to beat before Jackson’s entry.
The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court, accuses Jones of “acting intentionally and maliciously” after a report was published on a Savannah television news site about a new poll in the Georgia governor’s race.
When the poll’s results were published, the lawsuit said, “Jones and his Campaign published a statement to the official Burt Jones for Georgia account on X – tagging Rick Jackson by name, on a public forum viewable by millions – accusing Jackson of having ‘made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood’; and ‘helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.’”
“It is a lie,” the lawsuit said. “A disgusting lie. The accusations are knowingly false. Rick Jackson has no professional relationship with Planned Parenthood. Jackson has never ‘helped’ transgender procedures on minors.
“The accusations Jones and his Campaign published – that Jackson ‘made his wealth recruiting for Planned Parenthood’ and ‘helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors’ – are not matters of interpretation, emphasis, or political disagreement,“ the lawsuit said. ”They are specific, concrete, verifiable factual claims about Jackson’s professional conduct. Jones and his Campaign know the claims are false.”
The complaint does not specify a monetary damage.
“Rick Jackson’s thin skin is showing,” said Jones campaign spokesperson Kayla Lott. “Why is Rick so embarrassed to have received a billion dollars in state contracts, helped Planned Parenthood recruit, and staff a pediatric doctor’s office that serves ‘transgender patients.’ He should be proud Georgia knows how his company made its money.”
This is the second lawsuit filed against Jones in as many months by Jackson. The first filed in federal court aimed to prevent Jones from using funds in his leadership committee for his gubernatorial campaign.
Under the 2021 law, leadership committees can raise money year-round for a variety of election-related activities and candidates. The chairperson of those committees must be the governor, lieutenant governor, party nominees for those offices or legislative leaders, giving the people who occupy those spots a potential significant edge when running for office themselves.
After Jackson’s first lawsuit, a federal court has issued a temporary restraining order against Jones’ leadership committee, which has been the target of both Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who are also running for governor.
Jackson entered the race by staking $50 million of his own money, $40 million of which has gone to a statewide ad buy. His entry into the race immediately gained earned national attention, with former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich offering his support.
I think the ultimate result of this lawsuit and the others by Jackson will not be about winning or losing the court cases, but bleeding the other campaign out of time and money.
A new polls shows Rick Jackson leading the GOP field for Governor and U.S. Rep. Mike Collins at the top of the U.S. Senate race, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.
A poll conducted over the weekend of more than 500 likely GOP voters shows U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and health care executive Rick Jackson with sizeable leads in the GOP Senate and Georgia gubernatorial primaries, respectively.
The poll was conducted by the Louisiana-based JMC Analytics and Polling.
Jackson – who on Monday filed another lawsuit against Burt Jones, this one accusing the lieutenant governor of defamation – leads Jones 37% to 22%. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is polling at 11%; Attorney General Chris Carr is at 4%; and 25% are undecided.
“While he leads across most demographic groups, Jackson’s strongest numbers are among MAGA and evangelical Republicans,” the poll’s summary said. “Geographically, his strongest footprint is in the Atlanta suburbs/north/south Georgia, while Jones has a narrow plurality in central Georgia, and Raffensperger (whose approval rating is 43-40%) has a small lead in the core counties (Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton) of the Atlanta media market.”
As national Republicans aim to flip Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat held by Jon Ossoff this fall, Collins has a wide lead over former football coach (and Gov. Brian Kemp-endorsed) Derek Dooley by 31% to 13%; U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter is polling at 11%.
“Collins leads across most demographic groups, with his strongest numbers among MAGA and evangelical Republicans,” the poll’s analysis said. “He also leads across most of the state, except for South Georgia, which is Carter’s geographic base. A fairly high 43% are undecided.”
When asked about their most important issue, primary voters were statistically tied between inflation/the cost of living (27%) and border security/illegal immigration (25%).
Border security is most important to Trump/MAGA Republicans, while the cost of living is most important among almost every other type of Republican and/or independent who might vote in the Republican primary, the poll said.
Eight candidates qualified for Georgia Superintendent of Schools, according to the AJC.
Five Republicans and three Democrats have qualified to run in the May 19 primary election for state school superintendent.
Incumbent Richard Woods is vying for his fourth term in office. He’ll face Republican challengers Fred “Bubba” Longgrear, former state Rep. Mesha Mainor, Nelva Lee and Randell Trammell in the primary.
On the Democratic side, Otha Thornton is taking another shot at becoming the state’s top educator. Thornton, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, won the Democratic nomination in 2018 but lost to Woods in the general election. He’ll face Hancock County Schools Superintendent Anton Anthony and Lydia Powell, an assistant principal at Hampton High School in Henry County.
Democrat Marquese Averett is running for the House District 140 seat being vacated by State Rep. Teddy Reese, according to WTVM.
Averett, a Democrat, entered the race after current state Rep. Teddy Reese announced he would seek the senate seat held by Sen. Ed Harbison. Reese’s departure from the house race would have left District 140 unopposed. The seat now has two candidates: one Republican and one Democrat.
Averett said his plans for the district include expanding early childhood education and equitable investment in infrastructure. He said his goal is to continue the work of those who came before him while bringing fresh ideas to address current challenges.
“We cannot wait. We cannot sit on the sidelines. We have to get in the game. I’m looking forward to working for the people, and I’m looking forward to delivering for the citizens of House District 140,” Averett said.
Averett cited former representatives Teddy Reese and Dean Calvin Smyre as examples of the standard he intends to meet.
“People in House District 140 can count on me to be accountable, transparent, and honest. As it was represented by Teddy Reese and Dean Calvin Smyre as they both served with excellence,” Averett said.
When asked about specific legislation he would pursue if elected, Averett said he wanted to take things one step at a time.
“I’m not going to Atlanta to be a show horse. I’m going to be a workhorse. I wanted to put my head down and learn how it works around the building and come back with something tangible for the citizens of this great district,” Averett said.
The Republican candidate for House District 140 did not respond to a request for comment.
Lowndes County voters will decide local races this year, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Three Lowndes County commissioner spaces are up for election, Districts 2, 3 and 4. Each has an incumbent representative attempting to return to their positions.
In District 2, Scott Orenstein is unopposed and will return to the county seat. In District 3, Mark Wisenbaker will do the same. Both have run under the Republican Party.
In District 4, Demarcus Marshall will run to represent the district under the Democratic Party. However, he will run opposed by Kelley Saxon, another Democratic representative and a case worker and advocate in Lowndes County. One other local election is anticipated for 2026, with school board district seats 1, 2 and 3 up for election.
All three representatives will run unopposed; seat 2 represented by incumbent Fred Wetherington and 3 by incumbent Erin Price, and District 1 with newcomer Craig Pittman.
In the statewide election, Lowndes County will need to vote in four districts; 174, 175, 176 and 177. All districts but 177 will have an incumbent representative.
District 177 will be a highly contested seat, following the indictment of Rep. Dexter Sharper in a pandemic unemployment fraud case. Five Democrats are running for the seat, all from Lowndes County: Alvin Payton Jr., Blake Robinson, Elsie Napier, Valdosta City Councilman Eric Howard and Kristina McBride.
David Hall and incumbent Rep. John Corbett will run for District 174 as Democrat and Republican respectively. Anissa Wiseman will run for District 175 as a Democrat, contested by incumbent Rep. George Lahood IV, a Republican.
District 176 has two representatives in the running for the Republican nomination, the incumbent James Burchett and Michael Dockery. For the Democratic party, Marcus Ryan will run for the seat.
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