Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for September 30, 2025

Wyoming adopted the first state constitution to allow women to vote on September 30, 1889.

President Woodrow Wilson spoke in favor of Women’s Suffrage in an address to Congress on September 30, 1918. The bill to pass the 19th Amendment would die in the Senate that year after passing the House.

On September 30, 1927, Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run of the season.

On September 30, 1976, Democrat Jimmy Carter led the Harris Poll for President over President Gerald Ford by a 50-41 margin. In November 1976, the popular vote tallied 50.08% for Carter to 48.01% for Ford, with an Independent taking nearly a point.

The Carter Center in Atlanta was dedicated on October 1, 1986.

Mikhail Gorbachev named himself Chairman of the USSR’s Supreme Soviet on October 1, 1988.

President George H.W. Bush condemned Iraq’s takeover of Kuwait in a speech to the United Nations on October 1, 1990.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Dublin City Schools need a payday loan. From 13WMAZ:

Dublin City Schools says they need help – nearly one and a half million dollars worth – to make this month’s payroll, according to records received from the Georgia Department of Education.

The records show that Dublin City Schools asked the state Department of Education for an advance on state aid coming their way. State Superintendent Richard Woods’ response called the request “absolutely unprecedented.”

“I want to ensure you understand that this is an absolutely unprecedented request for our Department to make,” Woods wrote. “The position Dublin City Schools has placed its teachers, support staff, students, and families in is completely unacceptable and untenable hardworking teachers and staff members should never have to report to work wondering if they will be paid for their time, and students and families should never be uncertain whether their tax dollars will be managed responsibly enough to continue school operations month-to-month. As State School Superintendent, my responsibility is to these teachers, staff members, students, and families. That is the sole reason we are willing to consider this advance.”

His letter said the governor’s office would decide whether to approve the advance, but he went on to scold Dublin Superintendent Fred Williams.

Woods has been sounding the alarm for weeks about Dublin’s deficit unfunded benefits and unfinished audits.

The city school board is scheduled to have a called meeting tomorrow, Sept. 30, at 4:00 p.m.

Georgia will receive a $531 million dollar block grant for hurricane relief, according to Atlanta News First via WTVM.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that millions of dollars in federal funding will be given to Georgia for Hurricane Helene recovery.

On Tuesday, the USDA and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper announced that the state will receive about $531,236,000 through the Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program. The money will cover future economic, infrastructure and timber losses caused by the storm.

According to the USDA, the block grant funding is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief effort approved by the American Relief Act. The department is working with 14 different states to create block grants to address disaster recovery needs.

“Farmers and ranchers in Georgia have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during 2024,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said. “The Trump administration has our farmers’ backs and will ensure they have the resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable and most abundant food supply in the world.”

The USDA, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office and the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) are working to finalize a grant agreement that will cover future losses. Once that agreement is finalized, the GDA will provide more program information.

From the AJC:

The money will come to Georgia as a block grant, which state officials can distribute to individual, affected farms. The funding will cover future losses and infrastructure damage costs, and unlike with some other federal assistance programs, timberland owners are eligible for the aid.

Helene was likely the most destructive hurricane in Georgia history, causing an estimated $5.5 billion in direct and indirect losses to the state’s agriculture and forestry industries. An estimated 250 lives were lost in the storm and its aftermath nationwide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And the nearly $79 billion in total damage it triggered across the Southeast made it the U.S.’s seventh-costliest tropical storm on record.

In the year since the storm, some producers have tapped into existing USDA programs, plus roughly $300 million provided by the state to help them clean up and stay afloat. But the federal block grant is expected to provide the most significant boost yet to Georgia’s agriculture and timber sectors, which have been pinched by trade wars and rising costs, on top of storm losses.

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said the money will “provide much-needed relief” and thanked his federal counterpart, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, for the support.

“This funding is absolutely essential to help our farm families bounce back from Hurricane Helene, and our team invested hundreds of hours into the negotiation process to secure the maximum possible amount of federal funding for our state and our producers,” Harper said in a statement.

Gov. Brian Kemp called the announcement, “Great news for Georgia’s farming families and our No. 1 industry!” and praised Harper and the GDA’s work to secure the funds.

“This will cover as many Georgia farmers as possible, and I’m thankful for their tireless efforts as we continue to support hard-hit communities still recovering from Helene,” Kemp added in a statement.

Hall County voters will start early voting October 14, 2025 for the November 4 Special Election, according to AccessWDUN.

Early voting in Hall County will begin on Tuesday, Oct.14 and end on  Friday, Oct.31, 2025.

According to county officials, registered voters in Hall County will have four locations available for early voting ahead of the Nov.4  statewide, countywide, municipal special elections and municipal general elections.

“For early voting, we will have a single polling location for the majority of the month but will open three additional locations near the end of the month in an effort to accommodate the many citizens of Hall County,” Director of Elections Lori Wurtz said. “We know that people like to get ahead, and we hope these four locations will help citizens be able to do just that.”

The dates, locations and times for early voting in Hall County are as follows:

Phase 1: Single Location Early Voting
Location: Gainesville Civic Center – 830 Green Street NE, Gainesville
Dates and Times:

Tuesday, Oct. 14 – Friday, Oct. 17 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 20 – Friday, Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Phase 2: Four Locations Early Voting

Locations: 
Gainesville Civic Center – 830 Green Street NE, Gainesville
Lula City Hall – 6055 Main Street, Lula
Mulberry Creek Community Center – 4491 J M Turk Road, Flowery Branch
North Hall Community Center – 4175 Nopone Road, Gainesville

Dates and Times:
Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 27 – Friday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

What’s on the Ballot?
Statewide Special Election for Public Service Commissioner, District 2 and District 3
Countywide Special Election for the continuation of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST IX Program)
City of Gainesville Special Election Council Member Ward 2
City of Gainesville Special Election for Board of Education Member District 2
City of Lula General Election for Mayor and Council Member, District 2 and District 3
The County said that statewide and countywide special elections will be included on the ballots for all municipal voters, including those who reside in Unincorporated Hall County, Braselton, Buford, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Gillsville, Lula, Oakwood, Resthaven and Clermont.

To check your voter registration status, find your polling location, and view your voter registration card, representatives and sample ballot, visit the My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/.

The Georgia Supreme Court held in favor of Gullah Geechee residents of Sapelo Island in an appeal of a lower court ruling, according to the AJC.

The Georgia Supreme Court has sided with Gullah Geechee residents on Sapelo Island, ruling Tuesday a citizens’ referendum aimed at restricting development can move forward.

The justices rejected a lower-court ruling that halted voting in coastal Georgia’s McIntosh County last October.
The referendum seeks to repeal a county zoning ordinance allowing homes to more than double in size on Sapelo Island. The sparsely populated coastal barrier island is the longtime home of descendants of enslaved West Africans who worked Sapelo’s plantations before emancipation and the Civil War.

The justices rejected a lower-court ruling that halted voting in coastal Georgia’s McIntosh County last October.

The referendum seeks to repeal a county zoning ordinance allowing homes to more than double in size on Sapelo Island. The sparsely populated coastal barrier island is the longtime home of descendants of enslaved West Africans who worked Sapelo’s plantations before emancipation and the Civil War.

The decision marks the second time the state’s high court has ruled in favor of Georgia residents attempting to overturn a local government decision under the state constitution’s Home Rule provision.

The other came in 2022 and involved a real estate transaction tied to a proposed spaceport in Camden County. In that case, the vote to repeal that decision had already been completed. The rocket launch facility project on coastal Georgia has been abandoned since the ruling.

Tuesday’s Sapelo ruling clears the way for the resumption of the zoning ordinance referendum. The Sapelo residents behind the referendum, Gullah Geechee homeowners in the Hogg Hummock community, have vowed to restart the effort.

In Tuesday’s 33-page decision, the high court wrote that zoning matters fall under the Home Rule Provision of the state constitution allowing for referendums, and the Superior Court “erred” in halting the referendum last year. At the same time, it affirmed the lower court’s decision to halt the county’s zoning ordinance pending the outcome of the appeal.

Attorney General Chris Carr (R-Cobb County) campaigned in Statesboro, according to the Statesboro Herald.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr visited Statesboro last week in his campaign for governor. One thing that sets him apart from some other contenders is that he doesn’t propose eliminating the state income tax because, he argues, doing so would shift the burden to sales tax and other taxes.

Attorney general since November 2016, when he was appointed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal to fill an unexpired term, Carr has since won elections against challengers in 2018 and 2022. Previously, he was commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, appointed by Deal, 2013-2016, and before that chief of staff to the late Sen. Johnny Isakson for six years.

Carr talked to supporters and other interested citizens who showed up for a late-afternoon reception-style gathering Wednesday, Sept. 24, in a room at the Saucy Shrimp restaurant. In his remarks, he invoked the legacy of Deal and Isakson as having helped make Georgia a “model for the nation” in two areas where he said he works to continue that legacy.

“That’s why I’m running,” Carr said. “We’re the model for the nation as it relates to jobs and safety.”

When he asserted that “what Governor Kemp has done has really put all of that on steroids,” Carr also made clear that he isn’t running away from his history of working with the current governor.

“It’s nothing short of really remarkable, what he’s done to focus on those two issue areas, and I’m proud to have stood with him, and I’ll tell you, I’m the only candidate who’s going to be running for governor that is going to stand on the legacy that he has built on jobs and safety,” said Carr.

Work force issues
In context of “work force” issues, he said he would “focus on literacy from birth to 5 because you’ve got to be able to learn to read by the third grade so that you can read to learn after and ultimately get a good job.”

Carr also expressed support for restoring the status of vocational education – he called it “shop” – in high schools.

“I think everybody should go to (a university) that wants to, but by God, you can make a great living and you can do a great service for our nation and our state if you can weld, if you can be an electrician, a plumber, or whatever, a long-distance truck driver,” Carr said. “We’ve got a lot of needs.”

State Senator Greg Dolezal (R-Forsyth County) announced he is running for Lieutenant Governor, according to Atlanta News First via WTOC.

Georgia’s lieutenant governor’s race became more crowded on Tuesday when state Sen. Greg Dolezal officially launched his campaign to replace current incumbent Burt Jones, who is running for governor.

Dolezal, a Republican, was first elected to the state Senate in 2018. He represents the 27th district, which encompasses a large portion of Forsyth County.

Like the man he wants to replace as president of the state senate, Dolezal is touting his support of President Donald Trump, who has already endorsed Jones in his quest to become Georgia’s 84th governor.

Dolezal serves as the Senate majority chief deputy whip, chairs the Senate committee on transportation and is vice chairman of the Senate committee on appropriations.

Dolezal is also an entrepreneur, a business owner and a partner in Renewed Vision, a technology company based in Forsyth.

Dolezal joins state Sens. Blake Tillery, Steve Gooch, John Kennedy and state Rep. David Clark among Republicans seeking the lieutenant governor’s office. On the Democratic side, state Sen. Josh McLaurin from Sandy Springs was the first lieutenant gubernatorial candidate from either party to enter the race.

From the Capitol Beat News Service:

Dolezal will campaign to succeed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, the Trump-backed Republican running for governor.

Dolezal’s campaign announcement on YouTube Tuesday focused on his right wing credentials as the chief sponsor of the Riley Gaines Act, a new law that bans students born male from participating on female athletic teams in schools and colleges.

Dolezal also said he would crack down on extremists who riot and burn cities, as well as illegal immigration, diversity equity and inclusion programs, and “soft on crime” prosecutors.

“I’m running for lieutenant governor because we’re at a turning point as the radical left continues to threaten our public safety,” Dolezal’s advertisement says, as a siren wails in the background.

The chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee and vice chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee is up against political powerhouses.

Sen. John F. Kennedy, R-Macon, stepped aside as president pro tempore of the Senate — the highest office in that chamber below lieutenant governor — to run for lieutenant governor. Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, stepped down as majority leader — the next highest office — to run for lieutenant governor. And Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, who outranks Dolezal on Appropriations as chairman of that budget-writing committee, is also running for lieutenant governor.

Add Rep. David Clark, R-Buford, who served in Afghanistan with the Green Berets, and next year’s Republican primary is shaping up to be a rowdy contest as the candidates attempt to differentiate themselves.

Clark said in his campaign announcement that “a world on fire” needs warriors not politicians. His entry came one day after Tillery announced his candidacy, both hitting similar notes about tax cuts, illegal immigration and transgender issues. Kennedy and Gooch are also running on platforms aimed to appeal to President Donald Trump’s MAGA base.

They would all likely appreciate an endorsement from Trump, but Dolezal was the only member of the bunch who got to speak at Jones’ gubernatorial campaign opener for governor at Indian Springs State Park in Flovilla.

That was in late August, a couple weeks after Trump had already endorsed Jones for governor.

Dolezal railed against Republicans who were silent on Trump when he was down politically.

“This is what I call political opportunism,” Dolezal said. “These politicians want a ticket on the Trump train, but they never paid the price.”

At least one candidate for lieutenant governor wants nothing to do with Trump.

Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs, regular ridiculed the president on the Senate floor during this past legislative session. He is the only state lawmaker campaigning for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, the office that sets the agenda for the state Senate and controls the fate of legislation in that chamber.

From the AJC:

Dolezal leaned on his loyalty to Donald Trump in a 90-second opening ad, declaring he stood by the president “when it mattered most,” while highlighting his push to sanction Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for prosecuting him.

But the through-line of his opening pitch was a pledge to prioritize public safety. He blamed the “radical left” for failed assassination attempts on Trump last year and the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was gunned down at a Utah campus event.

“As lieutenant governor, I will crack down on these extremists and those who radicalize them,” said Dolezal, pointing to his legislation that created a special Senate committee to investigate Willis.

Dolezal is aiming to claim the MAGA lane in the race for Georgia’s No. 2 job, though it’s already crowded.

First elected to his Cumming-based district in 2018, Dolezal quickly emerged as one of the chamber’s most conservative voices and a close ally of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor.

He was a featured speaker at Jones’ kickoff rally, reminding the crowd he was among the Trump loyalists punished by then-Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan for pushing a special session to undo Trump’s 2020 defeat. And he mocked unnamed rivals for “political appropriation.”

“These politicians are MAGA today because it benefits them, but they weren’t willing to be MAGA when it might cost them,” he said to cheers from the crowd. “These politicians want a ticket on the Trump train, but they never paid the price.”

Dolezal’s entry was widely expected, and his opponents had already begun leveling shadowy attacks. But it further transforms a Senate full of ambitious lawmakers seeking to climb the political ladder.

Roughly one-third of its 56 members are either running for higher office or weighing bids. Former state Sen. Jason Esteves has already resigned to focus on his Democratic campaign for governor.

The House Study Committee on Gaming in the State of Georgia heard testimony in Savannah, according to WSAV.

The House Study Committee met in Savannah to discuss the idea of legalized gaming in the state of Georgia.

Georgia is one of the few states that have not legalized sports betting or gambling. The House Study Committee held public meetings to show the positives and negatives of bring gamin to the state.

“Georgians are currently traveling to other states because of the lack of opportunities on sports betting,” Professor of Economics Brad R. Humpherys said.

CEOs, state leaders and professors have spoken out at these meetings with data from states that allow gambling. Former Kentucky state leaders spoke specifically about horse betting. They believe it will not only bring money into the state but tourism as well.

“I think Georgia, with their population and your tremendous emphasis that you put on rural Georgia, that bringing any form of horse race betting to the Peach State is going to be out of the ballpark,” Former Kentucky State Senator Damon Thayer said. “I think the population and demography and geography and agricultural background would make this a huge state for horse racing and would be a huge benefit for your economy. The University of Kentucky published last year, and it calculated that the economic impact of the horse industry was actually $6.5 billion a year, with an estimated 16,500 jobs.”

Moms Against Gambling is an organization that represents mothers who are afraid their children might become addicted to gambling. Founder and President of Moms Against Gambling Jeanne Seaver spoke during the meeting and shared testimonies of people effect by a gambling addiction.

“The gambling industry is targeting our children,” Seaver said. “Gambling is harmful but sports betting is the most dangerous to our kids, and we see the least amount of revenue in our state. Gambling expansion will forever change Georgia and it something we can’t go back on it. ”

This meeting was just one of many planned as the Committee continues to study the economic and social effects of legalized gaming in Georgia.

United States Representative Buddy Carter (R-SSI) said he won’t vote to restore Medicaid cuts to avoid a government shutdown, according to the Macon Telegraph.

U.S. House Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) told The Telegraph in an exclusive interview Friday that he wouldn’t agree to Democrats’ demands to restore Medicaid funding to avoid a government shutdown.

Carter also advocated for the plan from President Donald Trump’s administration to consider cutting federal workers if there is a shutdown. He said a memo from the White House Office of Budget Management telling federal agencies to prepare to reduce their workforces in the event of a government shutdown will reduce wasteful spending.

Democrats are demanding that whatever funding bill is passed walk back cuts to Medicaid that were made in July as part of Trump’s spending and tax bill — colloquially known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” though Trump has attempted to rebrand it in recent weeks.

Congressional Democrats are also demanding an extension of billions of dollars of Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies, which are set to expire in December. According to reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia hospitals, doctors and other health care providers could stand to lose $3.7 billion in revenue next year if the subsidies aren’t renewed.

Carter — who is a part of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health — said he would not consider restoring health care money to earn Senate Democrats’ votes on the stopgap funding.

“What we did is, simply, save that program, stabilize that program,” Carter said. “It is a safety net program meant for the most vulnerable in our society.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut Medicaid spending by about 15% and placed more stringent work requirements on recipients, asking them to present proof of employment. It also makes it easier to lose benefits, and harder to re-enroll.

Carter said that the funding cuts were necessary in order to remove undocumented immigrants from the program. Carter claimed around 1.4 million undocumented immigrants were enrolled in Medicaid at the time of the One Big Beautiful Bill’s passage, citing statistics from the Congressional Budget Office.

According to numbers from the Congressional Research Service, in 2024, Georgia was home to more than 81,000 federal employees. In Georgia’s First District, about 5% of workers were federal employees.

Carter emphasized that there would be other work opportunities for laid off federal workers in his district.

“We need workers, and I don’t think they’ll have any trouble whatsoever finding jobs in the First District,” Carter said.

The City of Dalton named Haliyma Jones, a current employee, as the sole finalist for Director of Human Resources, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.

The Mayor and Council will consider a vote to promote Haliyma Jones, who currently serves as an HR generalist for the City, at their meeting on Oct. 20. If approved by the Mayor and Council, Jones will succeed HR Director Greg Batts, who is retiring from the position after nearly 30 years.

Jones was selected as the sole finalist for the position after a competitive election and interview process with more than a dozen applicants for the position. Batts’ last day before retirement will be Friday, Oct. 3.

The Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Community Affairs is developing a new Statewide Historic Preservation Plan, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

The National Park Service requires each State Historic Preservation Office to develop and implement a comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan. This plan is mandated by the National Historic Preservation Act.

The current Georgia Statewide Historic Preservation Plan 2022-2026 will expire on Dec. 31, 2026. The updated plan will cover a 10-year period from 2027 to 2036 and contain the following components:

— A planning process with broad-based appeal and a robust public engagement strategy.

— An assessment summary of current historic resource conditions, including identified issues, threats, and opportunities in the state.

— Goals and objectives that are responsive to resource needs and incorporate feedback from Georgia stakeholders and residents.

— Actionable items that are measurable and directly lead to the fulfillment of the plan’s objectives.

Five in-person, open-house public information events will be held this fall. The closest will be 5-7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Camilla Depot, 212 E. Broad St., Camilla. Others will be held Oct. 7 in Atlanta, Oct. 14 in Macon, Oct. 28 in Gainesville and Nov. 18 in Savannah.