On May 13, 1607, English settlers founded the first permanent English settlement in America, at Jamestown on the James River. This led to the first English-language politics in America:
Dispatched from England by the London Company, the colonists had sailed across the Atlantic aboard the Susan Constant,Godspeed, and Discovery. Upon landing at Jamestown, the first colonial council was held by seven settlers whose names had been chosen and placed in a sealed box by King James I. The council, which included Captain John Smith, an English adventurer, chose Edward Wingfield as its first president.
Lyman Hall arrived in Philadelphia as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress on May 13, 1775.
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention began assembling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 14, 1787, the designated starting day. Because a large number of delegates had not arrived the opening of the Convention was moved to May 25.
On May 14, 1791, George Washington addressed the Grand Lodge of Georgia Masons in Savannah.
On May 13, 1798, a Constitutional Convention adopted the Georgia Constitution of 1798.
On May 14, 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left St. Louis, Missouri to explore the Northwest United States from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
The United States declared war on Mexico on May 13, 1846.
Georgia Whigs, led by Governor George Crawford, Alexander Stephens, and Robert Toombs, criticized the war for raising divisive questions about slavery in the territories. Georgia Democrats, led by Howell Cobb and Herschel Johnson, staunchly supported the war and states’ rights afterward. Because Whigs, nationally, appeared to be antislavery, Georgia Whigs lost the governorship in 1847. The Compromise of 1850 temporarily settled the slavery question in the territories, but the moderating influence of Georgia’s Whigs dissolved in the heated rhetoric of states’ rights in the 1850s. The next war would find Americans fighting Americans.
The first fighting at Resaca, Georgia took place on May 13, 1864 and Union forces marched into Dalton. On May 13, 1864, 257 cadets from the Virginia Military Institute camped at Mt. Crawford near Harrisonburg.The next day they would continue their march to New Market, Virginia.
On May 14, 1864, the VMI Corps of Cadets marched 15 miles and camped overnight at Mt. Tabor, near New Market, Virginia. The next day they would march into history.
On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot at St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
On May 13, 2005, the Pentagon Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommended the closing of Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Fort Gillem in Forest Park, the Naval Air Station in Marietta, and the Naval Supply Corps School in Athens.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Early voting surpassed 600,000 yesterday, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
Democratic – 329,352 (54.25%)
Republican – 268,540 (44.23%)
Nonpartisan – 9,197 (1.51%)
TOTAL: 607,089
Friday is the last day of Early Voting, according to the Tifton Gazette.
With the primary election set for May 19, early voting is set to conclude May 15 at 5 p.m., requiring community voters who have not cast their ballot by then to have to do so the day of the election.
Local electoral races include the seats for Districts 1, 3, 4, and 6 on the Tift County Board of Commissioners, the seats of Districts 2, 4, 5, and 6 on the Tift County Schools Board of Education, State Court Judge, and Superior Court Judges for the Tifton Judicial Circuit.
Of these local races, only the District 1 and 4 commissioner seats will see a competition, with incumbents Donnie Hester and Stan Stalnaker facing off against Angela Haggins and Jonathan Cassell, respectively.
All other positions have seen only their incumbents run for the office, save for the District 4 Board of Education member seat, which has newcomer candidates Lashawn Benjamin Ealey, Democrat, and Richard Haring, Repubilcan.
Governor Brian Kemp signed the FY 2027 State Budget, according to a Press Release.
Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp and Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) Director Rick Dunn, today signed the state budget for Fiscal Year 2027. Below is an excerpt of the governor’s remarks which includes a link to the budget in full and any disregard or veto language included therein. You can also find links to the Fiscal Year 2027 and Amended Fiscal Year 2026 budgets on the OPB website here.
Excerpt of Governor Kemp’s Remarks
Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us as I prepare to put my name on the last budget I’ll sign while serving as your 83rd governor. I’m joined today by the nation’s best First Lady, Marty Kemp, and our great Office of Planning and Budget Director, Rick Dunn…
House Bill 974 delivers on the promise I made when I first ran for governor and the same promise we’ve kept for every budget since. It makes strategic investments to keep our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family – while also holding the line on government spending.
As I always say, our job is to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, because that’s the people’s money, not the government’s! That’s why we’ve saved or returned over $12 billion to the taxpayers, and why we’ll save them even more through the tax cuts I signed yesterday.
Like my earlier budgets, this document prioritizes education, behavioral health, community health, public safety, our agriculture and forestry industries, and much more.
Yet again, we’re fully funding our K-12 classrooms, funding growth in the HOPE Scholarship and Grant programs, fulfilling our prior commitment to increase the number of residency slots, and funding other key priorities that will grow our state’s healthcare workforce. With the launch of our Career Navigator System, those students will have an easier time connecting with opportunity once they’ve completed their academic careers.
This budget also supports Georgia’s mental health crisis system through the 9-8-8 hotline, something I know the First Lady appreciates the legislature’s support on. And it addresses the needs of the Out-of-Home Care program at the Division of Family and Children Services.
We’re shoring up the state’s public safety capabilities, from the State Patrol to the Department of Corrections and more. And we’re supporting the farmers and foresters as they continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, the devastating wildfires, and challenges unique to their industries.
My team will direct you to a more comprehensive list of investments, but it’s important to note that apart from formula growth and our fulfillment of prior commitments. The only significant, new ongoing commitment in this budget is for:
- The literacy measures championed by the Speaker and members of the legislature, and
- The enhanced retirement benefits for state law enforcement, which is something I believe is critical to the future safety and wellbeing of our state, and something our men and women in state law enforcement certainly deserve.
…Under this administration, we have put unprecedented funding toward our classrooms, toward mental health services, into local and state infrastructure projects, public and community health initiatives, and more. Those investments remain intact in this bill.
When I introduced my balanced budget recommendation in January, it was based on a general fund revenue estimate of $36.6 billion. With the tax cuts the General Assembly passed, and I signed into law yesterday, the state must now address a reduction in revenue for this coming fiscal year of nearly 1 billion dollars, and that’s assuming we don’t have an economic downturn.
That’s money that has to be accounted for in a balanced budget, because as long as I’m governor, Georgia will not follow in the steps of Washington, D.C. where too many politicians refuse to make the tough decisions necessary to keep spending in check.
I also want to be clear that I strongly support cutting taxes and giving hardworking Georgians more relief – which is exactly what we accomplished this legislative session working with the Speaker, Lt. Governor, and members of the House and Senate. But our job is to deliver on that relief, while at the same time protecting the future fiscal standing of our state.
Other states are dealing with budget shortfalls and thinking about raising taxes on their citizens. Here in Georgia, we’re giving money back to the taxpayers, and we’re only able to do that because we maintain fiscal discipline.
That’s what I did when I first came into office over seven years ago, and it’s what I’ve done every year since. And it’s what I’ll do today by directing state agencies to withhold more than $300 million in proposed new spending in HB 974.
Let me be clear: we’re talking about new spending; we aren’t making any cuts to or rolling back any parts of current programs. We’re preserving existing services while bringing total spending into alignment with projected revenues, just like every Georgia household has to do.
Even with these actions, the state may still need to rely on reserve funds to meet obligations in Fiscal Year 2027. As we move through the first half of the fiscal year, we’ll continue to evaluate the state’s financial position in preparation for the amended budget process.
But here again, I want to stress something I mentioned in my state of the state address back in January: reserves are a limited, one-time resource. As I’ve said before: you can’t spend one-time money on long-term liabilities. Every Georgia family or small business balancing their checkbook can tell you that.
As a former state senator, I have great respect for the legislative process and the constitutional authority the General Assembly has when it comes to appropriating the people’s hard-earned tax dollars and determining fiscal policy. And my office has enjoyed a strong working relationship with both chambers throughout my time serving as your governor.
As I’ve said many times, our state’s success has been a team effort – and I greatly appreciate that partnership with leaders and members both past and present. But those successes are not guaranteed in the future. Downturns and tough times will come. Reserves can be erased. Future budget decisions might be more painful than those we’re making today. And I have confidence that future governors and legislators will heed that advice. The directions I’m giving today will keep Georgia where it needs to be – on sound financial footing.
So, I want to thank the General Assembly for their careful consideration and understanding of the current financial situation, and for their partnership as we give hardworking Georgians the tax relief they deserve while holding the line on state government spending.
I also want to thank Director Dunn and his team at the Office of Planning and Budget. They spend countless hours on these budgets, and without them, we would not have been able to give so much relief to the people of our state.
From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News:
State lawmakers passed a budget that was about $1 billion larger than what Gov. Brian Kemp expects Georgia will collect in tax revenue next fiscal year, so he took a scalpel to their spending plan.
The fiscal year 2027 budget he signed on Tuesday trims $300 million from spending that the General Assembly had added.
“They may not be happy, but they also realize we’ve got a hole in the budget that we’ve got to fix,” Kemp said, before signing House Bill 974, which will govern spending starting in July.
The Legislature passed a $38.5 billion budget, but Kemp told reporters that revenue estimates for next year are only $36.6 billion. Part of the reason: income tax cuts that lawmakers passed in the waning hours of their legislative session and that Kemp signed into law Monday.
Richard Dunn, director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, said Georgia now has a $1.3 billion “structural deficit.”
He said Kemp’s cutbacks will address $300 million of the excess spending and that growth in revenue should take care of much of the rest. The state will likely have to dip into its surplus to fill whatever gap remains, he added.
That amount can change depending on the rate of economic growth.
“The state must now address a reduction in revenue for the coming fiscal year of nearly $1 billion,” Kemp said, “and that’s assuming we don’t have an economic downturn.”
The income tax cuts, which Kemp embraced, tipped his budget off balance.
On Monday, Kemp signed House Bill 463, which rolled back the income tax rate to 4.99% from 5.19% for the current year.
It also waived income tax on the first $1,750 of overtime pay and cash tips, retroactive to the beginning of the year, and it increased by $5,000 the amount of excluded retirement income for those 65 and older.
But that new law is designed to continue cutting the tax rate if state revenues remain strong, reducing the rate by another percentage point over eight years, to 3.99%. The rate is scheduled to fall 0.125 percentage points (an eighth of a point) next year.
HB 463 also increased the dependent and standard deductions by 25% this year and calls for gradually increasing both by that same amount over eight years, depending on the same revenue triggers as the tax rate cuts.
The standard deduction for single filers rose to $15,000 from $12,000 when Kemp signed HB 463. It is scheduled to go up another $375 next year, ultimately reaching $18,000. The amounts are doubled for couples filing jointly. The dependent deduction rose to $5,000 from $4,000 and would top out at $6,000 after eight years of steady increases.
“We’ve got a hole in the budget that we’ve got to fix,” Kemp said. “(State lawmakers) may not really like that so much, but for the members who get reelected, who come back next year, when they’re dealing with the ‘27 budget, they’ll be thanking us for doing this.”
At a news conference, Kemp emphasized what the budget still includes, not what is missing. The budget still includes $70.4 million for literacy coaches in every elementary school, $11.7 million for new school enrollment growth, $213.3 million for school construction and $44.7 million in additional lottery funds for HOPE scholarships.
The income tax bill Kemp signed will lower the tax rate, raise the standard deduction and exempt some overtime and tips income. Kemp supported the bill but acknowledged Tuesday it creates a structural deficit that must be addressed.
“(The budget) makes strategic investments to keep our state the best place to live, work and raise a family while holding the line on government spending,” Kemp said. “As I always say, our job is to be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars, because that’s the people’s money, not the government’s.”
Most of Kemp’s cuts are for new or expanded state programs. They include $30.7 million in new funding for student transportation, $5.9 million for outdoor recreation and $5.3 million for Medicaid dental care.
“Once again, middle class and working Georgians will pay for another GOP tax scam that makes the rich richer,” Senate Democratic Leader Harold Jones II said.
Governor Kemp signed House Bill 1045 by State Rep. Tangie Harding (D-Macon), the “You Are Not Alone Awareness Act,” according to 13WMAZ.
A new Georgia law aimed at expanding access to mental health resources for students will require public schools to print the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on student ID cards for middle and high schoolers statewide.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the “You Are Not Alone Awareness Act” into law Tuesday after it passed through the Georgia General Assembly earlier this year. The original bill was sponsored by Representative Tangie Herring (D).
The law comes as state leaders and mental health advocates continue raising concerns about youth mental health struggles across Georgia and the country.
“We are looking at a situation — well, not even a situation, a crisis that has been happening for decades,” Herring said.
Herring said the legislation was inspired in part by conversations with her daughter, who told her classmates were struggling with anxiety, depression and stress after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People have been silenced to talk about how they feel,” Herring said. “We are now getting into a position where people are now feeling more comfortable about talking about anxiety and depression and substance abuse.”
Under the new law, Georgia public schools will be required to place the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on student ID badges beginning next school year. The hotline connects callers and texters with trained crisis counselors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Licensed family therapist Bruce Conn said making mental health resources more visible and accessible could be especially important for young people who feel isolated.
“It’s specifically about Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat,” Conn said. “We’re at a time where kids have gotten really disconnected. And so finding ways to get connected to services is really beautiful.”
Most school systems around Central Georgia have already wrapped up the school year, but Herring said families can expect to see the hotline printed on student IDs in the coming months ahead of the next school year.
She hopes the law sends a message to students and families that support is available during moments of crisis.
“You are not alone. There is help, there are services,” Herring said. “That’s just one step to move forward, to give a child or family one more day, to seek help, to find more resources and to save a life.”
Governor Kemp signed House Bill 369, originally by now-former State Rep. Dexter Sharper (D-Valdosta), to convert some Metro Atlanta elections to nonpartisan, according to WABE.
House Bill 369 shifts races for district attorneys, county commissioners, tax commissioners and other local offices in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb and Clayton counties to nonpartisan elections beginning in 2028.
Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties are three of the largest Democratic strongholds in Georgia, while Cobb and Gwinnett have increasingly come under Democratic control since 2016.
The Georgia legislature passed the bill in the final days of this year’s legislative session.
Some Republicans joined Democratic calls for Kemp to veto the bill.
Stephen Aaron is the chairman of the 9th Congressional District Republican Party, which includes Gwinnett County.
“This is something that we’ve been fighting for the past 15+ years. It seems like every session, there is some new effort to make another local office nonpartisan,” Aaron told WABE last month. “This takes away accountability from the voters. It takes away voters’ ability to identify basic philosophy of who’s run when someone’s running for a certain office, and realistically it’s just bad policy.”
Aaron also believed that switching to nonpartisan elections would shift influence from political parties to special interests.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said that changing the district attorney election process would require a constitutional amendment. She and the other district attorneys from the affected counties said last month that they’re ready to file a lawsuit if Kemp signed the bill into law.
Tuesday was the final day for Kemp to sign or veto bills this year. It was his final regular legislative session as governor.
He also signed a slate of measures with more concrete effects for Georgians.
One would allow pharmacists to prescribe oral and injectable contraceptives. Another lets businesses round up or down when giving change to account for the U.S. Mint’s decision to stop making new pennies.
He also signed a bill to publicly disclose sexual harassment settlements involving lawmakers, an issue that has been an undercurrent in the heated GOP race for lieutenant governor.
The decision to sign the law targeting nonpartisan elections in some metro Atlanta counties could prove costly. Democratic district attorneys have promised to sue the state to block the law, which opponents say disproportionately affects Black elected leaders. All five counties covered by the law have Black Democratic women serving as district attorney.
Willis said it was “racist, sexist and clearly unconstitutional.” DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston called it a “blatant attempt to steal power” from elected metro Atlanta leaders, since it didn’t apply to all counties in Georgia.
Governor Kemp vetoed Senate Bill 204 by former State Sen. Colton Moore (R-Extreme NW GA), which would have overturned a Savannah gun law, according to WTOC.
Governor Brian Kemp has vetoed a senate bill that would overturn Savannah’s 2024 gun ordinance.
Under Mayor Van Johnson, the 2024 ordinance calls for a $1,000 fine and potential jail time for leaving guns in unlocked vehicles. The goal of the measure was to reduce gun thefts and crime.
Georgia Senate Bill 204 directly opposes Savannah’s ordinance. And it allows citizens to sue local governments over such rules if they are fined for a violation.
The measure passed the Georgia House and Senate earlier this year, but on Tuesday Governor Kemp decided not to sign the bill into law.
In his veto message, the governor says:
“Senate Bill 204 would strengthen the existing cause of action lawful gun owners may bring against a local government that attempts to impose limits on possession, ownership, transport, or purchase of firearms beyond state and federal requirements. In addition to increasing the statutory damages available, the bill would remove the existing requirement that such a lawsuit be brought against the county or municipal corporation that enacted the offending ordinance. This would open the door to lawsuits against law enforcement officers, including in their personal capacity, who do not have a say in enacting the ordinance in question. I wholeheartedly support increasing the monetary penalties for local governments that attempt to impede the rights of lawful weapon carriers; however, such penalties should be targeted towards the leaders who enact such ordinances, not the officers who are tasked with enforcing them. For the foregoing reasons, I VETO SENATE BILL 204.”
A few hours before Colton Moore resigned his state Senate seat to run for Congress, his former colleagues gave him a parting gift of sorts by voting to send his first and only bill to the governor’s desk.
Moore would lose the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress, and the seat is now occupied by U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller. Now, Moore has lost his bill, too. Kemp vetoed it on Tuesday, one of 12 measures the governor blocked from becoming law.
I can imagine former Senator Moore might consider having his legislation vetoed a victory of sorts.
More on vetoes by Governor Kemp, from Atlanta News First via WALB:
Kemp vetoed 12 bills that passed out of the 2026 legislative session.
Those bills are:
HB 14, which would have established a Georgia Music Office to promote the state’s music industry.
HB 376, which would have increased tax credits for historic properties.
HB 519, which would have created a tax credit that would have mirrored the federal work opportunity tax credit — if one were to pass at the federal level.
HB 1070 would have increased a tax credit for railroad track maintenance.
HB 1077 would have extended sunsetting tax exemptions for certain fine arts performances and museum exhibitions.
HB 1192 would require funds appropriated to the Department of Community Health and Department of Human Services for specific purposes to be maintained in separate accounts.
HB 1409 would have required the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to implement an online platform for getting reports of child abuse from mandatory reporters. Kemp said “undoubtedly, DFCS must improve on the present system and address the litany of complaints from mandatory reporters and other interested parties. House Bill 1409, however, would preclude DFCS from competitively procuring solutions because the operational requirements are so narrowly specified. While the General Assembly should, by statute, impose requirements on state agencies under a proper construction of the separation of powers, the implementation of those requirements is properly the domain of the executive branch.”
SB 23 would have allowed the state’s large public retirement systems, except the Employee Retirement System of Georgia and the Teacher’s Retirement System of Georgia, to invest up to 10% of their total fund assets in real estate. Kemp said in the last days of the 2026 session, “the underlying bill was amended to preclude investment in ‘any investment vehicle investing in, acquiring, purchasing, owning, renting, managing, or holding single-family homes or residences as a material component of such investment.’”
SB 59 would have increased the cap of the Reforestation Tax Credit by $50 million.
SB 204 would have strengthened the “existing cause of action lawful gun owners may bring against a local government that attempts to impose limits on possession, ownership, transport, or purchase of firearms beyond state and federal requirements,” Kemp’s office said. “In addition to increasing the statutory damages available, the bill would remove the existing requirement that such a lawsuit be brought against the county or municipal corporation that enacted the offending ordinance. This would open the door to lawsuits against law enforcement officers, including in their personal capacity, who do not have a say in enacting the ordinance in question. I wholeheartedly support increasing the monetary penalties for local governments that attempt to impede the rights of lawful weapon carriers; however, such penalties should be targeted towards the leaders who enact such ordinances, not the officers who are tasked with enforcing them,” Kemp said.
SB 478 would have increased the percentage of sales tax revenue from transactions involving outdoor recreation equipment for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund from 40 to 60%.
SB 569 would have revised certain rules for issuing red emergency light permits.
Democratic former candidate for Governor Stacey Abrams said she will testify before the Senate Special Committee on Investigations, according to the AJC.
Abrams, who ran for governor in 2018 and 2022 and lost to Kemp both times, said in a statement that she will testify but perhaps not on the timeline that the committee wants.
“Today, the Georgia State Senate delivered a subpoena for me to testify in a partisan, performative hearing designed to intimidate and disarm voting rights advocates across Georgia and the nation,” she said in a statement. “Despite the hollow, cynical intent, I will indeed do so on a mutually agreeable date.”
Georgia’s Secretary of State campaigned for Governor in Savannah, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Gubernatorial candidate and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger visited Savannah Tuesday at aviation facility Sheltair to meet with voters and the press as part of his “Standing for Georgia” tour ahead of Election Day.
The campaign touches six cities, including Macon, Valdosta and Atlanta. The tour is an effort to promote his run for Governor and sell his agenda to “make Georgia affordable and safe.”
Here are three key items on his agenda as he meets with voters before the General Primary May 19.
“We need to cap property taxes now,” said Raffensperger. “We can do that right away. Now, if you want to work on cutting the income tax in half, is it really going to take you seven years? It won’t take me seven years. Might take other people seven years, like Burt Jones, but I’ll get it done a whole lot quicker than that. But my focus right now is cutting property tax. And for seniors, eliminate all property tax except essential services. That makes a bigger difference in a person’s life.”
“We need to look at how do we make homes affordable,” said Raffensperger. “I think that’s a great place that local governments can play in that and if we have to have additional oversight at the state level, [then] we need to. There needs to be a cap of how long it takes to review a set of plans because as the builder has to sit there and wait to get his permit, the cost is going up. So what can we do to actually reduce all those bureaucratic hurdles that we have? That would be number one.”
Raffensperger spoke about lowering property taxes and cutting “red tape” when it comes to building homes to make that process cheaper.
He also praised the wage rates in the state and said that raising the minimum wage was not an option.
“We have great paying jobs,” he said. “I’ve been down the I-16 Corridor, they’re started people at $25, $30 an hour.”
He was described as a “Christian conservative businessman” in his tour press release. Raffensperger’s bid for governor has drawn criticism from some supporters of President Donald Trump who have accused the secretary of not being a Trump supporter after the 2020 Georgia election controversy.
Notably, he and his family have been the target of threats, including one prior to his stop in Macon Tuesday. His team reported that he faced an “active threat” after a K-9 alerted Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies to an object inside a vending machine at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport during a protective sweep prior to his speech.
Officials determined the object was not hazardous, but a GBI spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that the agency was aware of concerning statements made about a state official.
According to the New York Times, Raffensperger was targeted in a four-page manifesto that featured a photo with the word “Boom” written across his forehead.
He was asked about if the incident strengthened his resolve to continue his campaign during his Savannah stop at Sheltair Aviation. He said his resolve was already strong and to take a look at the last few years.
Raffensperger has maintained that he was only doing his job when rejecting Trump’s challenges to overturn Georgia’s results. The Johns Creek native has focused on bread-and-butter issues like taxes throughout his campaign, not election concerns.
A suspicious object inside a Middle Georgia Regional Airport vending machine caused a law enforcement response Tuesday morning ahead of a Brad Raffensperger’s campaign stop, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said.
The campaign confirmed that the “active threat” delayed the event, which was slated to begin at 10 a.m. The sheriff’s office says the situation closed the airport during investigation, but its since been reopened.
The Raffensperger campaign was set to hold a “Standing for Georgia” fly-around event with stops in Macon, Columbus, Valdosta. Savannah, Augusta and Atlanta.
During a sweep ahead of the event, a canine unit detected a potential suspicious object inside the vending machine, which was then examined by the bomb squad.
The examination determined there were “no hazardous devices” actually there, according to the release.
Beforehand, the campaign released a statement: “When you stand on principle, when you do the right thing, and when you put people ahead of politics, not everyone will like it. In fact, some people may try to intimidate you or do you harm. So yes, we are dealing with an active threat. And no, I will not back down.”
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says that there were no patrons inside the airport.
Raffensperger’s team says that the event has been delayed and they’re letting law enforcement do their work.
“We’ll allow law enforcement to do their job, and we’ll provide updates when appropriate,” Raffensperger said in a statement.
Raffensperger is running for governor in the Republican primary.
Georgia Secretary of State and candidate for governor, Brad Raffensperger, stopped in Augusta at the Daniel Field Airport on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Raffensperger spoke on a variety issues, including data centers and education.
“I think we need to have a way of rewarding teachers as they improve those scores over the year,” Raffensperger said. “But I think when teachers can participate in that improvement and actually be rewarded for it. That’s why for law enforcement, I’m talking about retention bonus signing bonuses and recruitment bonuses. I think we need to look at that with also with our teachers, because we got a lot of teachers that are doing great work.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves (Atlanta) spoke to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Esteves, a lawyer, was raised in south Columbus and attended Columbus High School. He owns the The Flying Biscuit Cafe franchises in Columbus and Macon with his wife, Ariel.
Economic opportunity and education are priorities in his campaign to become Georgia’s governor, a which could impact how the state’s districts are shaped in future elections after the latest Supreme Court ruling on gerrymandering.
[Q:] How would you address the push to cut or eliminate property taxes in Georgia?
“I know that Georgians are feeling the pinch when it comes to Trump’s economy, and I want to make sure that we provide as much tax relief as possible, whether it’s income tax or property taxes. I think we need to do that responsibly.
“What I did when I was in the state legislature was work with Atlanta Public Schools, as a state senator representing the city of Atlanta, to cut property taxes for seniors. I believe I can work with cities and counties across the state as governor to bring tax relief in a responsible way that provides relief for the hard-working people of the state and allows cities and counties to maintain the services they provide to residents.
“We can redirect a lot of the giveaways and handouts that are currently going to billionaires and special interests. For example, the data center tax credits that currently exist. We can redirect those billions of dollars into the pockets of hard-working people, and they can feel that relief.
“It’s just a matter of making sure that we’re prioritizing our families.”
Republican candidate for governor Clark Dean launched an AI tool on his website, according to WALB.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Clark Dean is turning to artificial intelligence in an effort to connect more directly with voters across the state.
Clark Dean has created the “Dean Machine,” an AI tool that allows voters to ask questions online and receive answers based on how Dean would respond.
“It also gives me an opportunity to see what they’re asking, to understand what they care about,” Dean said. “I have had so many heartfelt conversations with people through Dean Machine.”
Voters can go online and ask any questions they want. The machine provides answers based on Dean’s positions, allowing voters to get responses anytime.
Dean said the idea came from wanting to reach more people during his campaign.
“The best thing about the campaign is actually getting out and meeting real people,” Dean said. “What I realized is that I can’t be in every room. So this idea is how can we create something that would literally allow anybody to communicate with me both ways.”
Answers from the Dean Machine are being updated by Dean as voters ask different questions. He said he believes more politicians will use similar technology as AI evolves.
“I really believe it’s a powerful technology that I believe is going to allow this campaign, and certainly future campaigns, to connect with people at scale,” Dean said. “What I’m trying to do is say, ‘This is me, my authentic self. Let’s create a new level of transparency with people to let them see who am I really, what do I really think about all these things.’”
Eight democrats are running for the First Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-SSI), according to the Savannah Morning News.
Coastal Georgia’s U.S. House seat is up for grabs this year with current seat holder U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-St. Simons) vacating the post in a bid for U.S. Senate.
The Democratic primary drew a heap of candidates from different parts of the district, which covers Georgia’s entire coast. Candidates broadly agree that rising cost of living is a central issue facing the district, but they differ in their backgrounds and other policy ideas.
Tift County District Four Commissioner Stan Stalnaker faces challenger Jonathan Cassell, according to the Tifton Gazette.
The Statesboro Herald spoke to the candidates for Bulloch County Board of Education District 5.
Republican activist Brant Frost, IV pled guilty to federal charges related to an alleged Ponzi scheme, according to the AJC.
Brant Frost IV pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a wire fraud charge tied to the collapse of First Liberty Building & Loan, bringing a dramatic turn in a saga that upended a politically connected lending empire and has had ripple effects through Georgia GOP politics.
The guilty plea marks the first criminal conviction connected to the downfall of the Newnan-based firm, which federal regulators accused last year of operating a $140 million Ponzi scheme that targeted conservative and faith-based investors across Georgia and beyond.
Appearing before U.S. District Chief Judge Leigh Martin May in a courtroom in Newnan, Frost admitted to a single count of felony wire fraud tied to the misuse of investor funds.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, though prosecutors recommended a 14 year sentence. May will decide the ultimate punishment at an Aug. 14 hearing.
First Liberty and the Frost family were deeply embedded in Republican politics in Georgia and across the South. The company marketed itself aggressively to conservative audiences, framing its investments as part of a “patriot economy” and frequently sponsoring GOP events, conservative media personalities and faith-based gatherings.
The Georgia Republican Assembly PAC that Frost V led is accused of dozens of violations by the state ethics commission, which alleges the group illegally influenced elections with more than $220,000 in unreported expenditures.
Statesboro City Council’s draft FY 2027 budget includes a property tax millage rate increase, according to the Statesboro Herald.
Statesboro City Council received the first draft of the proposed fiscal year 2026-27 (FY27) budget, headlined by a proposed increase of property taxes for city residents.
The proposed budget includes a millage rate increase of 3.835 mills.
In an example given by the city, a homeowner whose house is valued at $250,000 could see an approximate $376 increase to their annual property tax bill.
“I want the public to really understand; I believe citizens think we like to raise taxes, but we don’t,” [Statesboro City Manager Charles] Penny said. I pay those property taxes as well, and we’d like to find any other way not to be able to do it, but as a city, we don’t have a lot of options.”
Penny said without increasing the millage rate, the city would be forced to cut positions.
“If we don’t do this, the only way I can balance that budget is I only have to cut 40 positions in city government,” he said. “We have 360 employees. The majority of them are in the police department and then the fire department.”
The proposal outlined that this increase would be a temporary one as the city is projected to receive approximately $3.5 million in revenue from the Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) that was passed by voters in November 2025.
Houston County Board of Education members voted to tentatively adopt an FY 2027 budget with no property tax millage rate increase, according to the Macon Telegraph.
The Houston County Board of Education on Monday tentatively approved a fiscal year 2027 budget totaling $654.5 million and voted to keep the school system’s property tax rate unchanged, following its first required public budget hearing.
Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme NW GA) sold her Rome home, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Once seen as the matriarchal head of the MAGA movement, Greene has only increased the fissure between herself and President Trump’s agenda as she continues to speak out against the handling of the Epstein files, the war in Iran, the affordability crisis and more on social media and publicly.
According to Floyd County property records, the home previously owned by Greene and her ex-husband, Perry, was put on the market earlier this year.
The property, located on Rome’s southwest side, sold for $1.1 million on March 19. The home is more than 5,000 square feet and sits on a 10.64 acre lot.
The home was built in 1964, and purchased by Greene and her then-husband in 2020 for $610,000. The front of the home has large, white columns, not dissimilar to the White House, and red brick leading down to a driveway. Images of the home’s interior were not available through the online listing.
Throughout her tenure in Congress, Greene said her home was “swatted” multiple times, including once on Christmas morning.
“Swatting” refers to a type of criminal hoax in which someone calls emergency services falsely claiming there is a threat of violence at a given location.
On May 11, conservative political personality and self-proclaimed investigative journalist Laura Loomer accused Greene of trying to flee the country after the sale of her Rome property.
Loomer went on to claim Greene now lives on a $5 million estate in Costa Rica.
“This is proof she was always planning to leave Congress. She just used President Trump as a scapegoat for abandoning her constituents and fleeing the country,” Loomer wrote on X. “Does this mean she’s now a foreigner?”
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