Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Herschel Walker picked for ambassador to the Bahamas.
- State lawmaker criticizes Atlanta officials.
- Congress reveals plan to temporarily fund the government.
Insurance Commissioner John King isn’t yet a candidate for the U.S. Senate, and he might never be. But on Tuesday’s “Politically Georgia” podcast he laid out the case he would make if he entered the case.
“I’m a full supporter of Gov. Brian Kemp. If he chooses to run for the Senate, I think he would be the best candidate available,” King said. “But if he decides not to, I’m taking a hard look at it.”
The Republican’s comments confirm our AJC report last week that King is taking steps to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff if Kemp passes on a run.
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
King said he’s already had preliminary conversations with powerbrokers in Washington along with consultants in Atlanta. But he stressed that he’s “obviously making sure I don’t get ahead of Gov. Kemp.”
King said his record sets him apart from other potential Republican contenders, a list that could include Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as well as U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter of St. Simons Island and Mike Collins of Jackson.
A native of Mexico, King worked as an Atlanta beat cop and Doraville police chief before Kemp appointed him as insurance commissioner in 2019. King was elected in his own right in 2022, becoming the first Latino to win a statewide race in Georgia history. He recently retired from his post as a major general in the U.S. Army National Guard.
“I think I’m uniquely qualified not only to be able to deal with matters of great importance,” King said, “not only to our state, but also to our nation.”
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
GOOD MORNING! Georgia’s legislative session doesn’t start for another 26 days, but the Capitol was busy on Tuesday as Republican electors met to cast ballots for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon called the vote “one of the final chapters of the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America.”
Here are four things to know for today:
- A federal judge sentenced a Georgia man to five years in prison for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. It’s the longest sentence handed down yet to a Georgian charged in the riot, the AJC’s Chris Joyner reports.
- The five Republican members of the Georgia Public Service Commission have approved another rate increase for Georgia Power customers, the AJC’s Drew Kann reports.
- The U.S. Department of Justice is trying to stop the city of Brunswick from closing a homeless shelter, the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer reports.
- A Georgia professor has some unusual advice for lawmakers regarding higher education in their upcoming session: do nothing.
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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
MR. AMBASSADOR. It’s been some week for Herschel Walker. Days after receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in housing management and policy, President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to be the ambassador to the Bahamas.
The news came in a social media post from Trump late Tuesday, noting that, “Herschel has spent decades serving as an Ambassador to our Nation’s youth, our men and women in the Military, and athletes at home and abroad.”
The U.S. post in the Bahamas was supposed to be filled by another Georgian, former Democratic state Rep. Calvin Smyre. President Joe Biden nominated Smyre for the role, but the U.S. Senate never confirmed him.
It all gives Walker plenty to talk about later today when he joins Martha Zoller as a guest on her WDUN radio show.
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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
SEEING RED. Republican state Rep. Scott Hilton recently gave MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood a chance to go off on the city of Atlanta. But Greenwood, perhaps wisely, didn’t take the bait.
MARTA has been trying to start a $230 million renovation of its Five Points station. But Atlanta city officials didn’t like the design. They also weren’t thrilled about shutting down pedestrian and bus access to the city’s busiest station for a year and a half.
The pushback paused the project in July, forcing MARTA to pay contractors a penalty of roughly $10,000 per day. Things didn’t get resolved until last month.
“From a layman’s perspective, it appears that Atlanta has been essentially jerking your chain for the last six months, and in doing so costing taxpayers thousands if not millions of dollars,” Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, said during a meeting of the MARTA oversight committee.
Asked to respond, Greenwood took the high road, saying he understands there will be times when leaders disagree.
“I’ll give them credit for listening intently to the MARTA team as we made our case for what needed to happen,” Greenwood said. “I believe them when they say they support us now, we’re together on this and they’re going to do everything they can to get the permits done and support us through this process.”
Hilton called Greenwood “a gentleman,” but didn’t mince words in his own comments.
“If the city of Atlanta is watching this, get the permits done,” he said.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
WHO IS BRIAN KEMP? We expect readers of this Georgia politics newsletter know the answer to this question already. But you’ll be glad to know it didn’t stump any “Jeopardy!” contestants last week.
“Georgia on our minds” was a Double Jeopardy category on Thursday’s episode. The clue (for $2,000, by the way): “Georgia’s governor since 2019, he’s made national news for defending elections in the state as secure and fair.”
Ashley Chan from Lewisville, Texas, knew the answer. She answered most of the clues in the category, which included Stone Mountain, the Appalachian Trail and Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low.
The only clue to stump the contestants? The Georgia church where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. (It’s Ebenezer Baptist, where U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is now the senior pastor.)
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Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
QUARTERLY REPORTS. Campaign finance nerds take note: Georgia’s filing deadlines could be changing next year.
Candidates for state offices must disclose how much money they raised and who gave it to them. But remembering when to file these reports can be a headache.
In nonelection years, lawmakers must file reports only twice: one on June 30 and another on December 31. In an election year, they must file six reports: Jan. 31, April 30, June 30, Sept. 30, Oct. 25 and Dec. 31.
State Ethics Commission Director David Emadi wants to change that. He plans to push legislation that would require candidates to file reports four times per year, every year. It’s the same system candidates for federal office already follow.
“It will be the same four days every year,” Emadi told lawmakers during a gathering last week at the University of Georgia. “I think it will make your lives easier.”
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon joins the show. Then, the hosts discuss Congress’ proposal to keep the government funded and provide $100 billion in hurricane recovery aid.
Be sure to download the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. You can also listen live at 10 a.m. EDT on 90.1 FM WABE. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.
On Tuesday’s show, Insurance Commissioner John King confirmed he was considering a run for the U.S. Senate in 2026 if Gov. Brian Kemp decides not to run.
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Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
ART OF THE DEAL. The highly anticipated federal legislation to temporarily extend government funding was released Tuesday evening, and it includes disaster assistance for families and farmers affected by recent hurricanes and a host of other new spending.
It’s clear that once again House Speaker Mike Johnson will need to rely on Democrats to get the package approved since the proposal is already getting a thumbs down from conservative Republicans.
U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens, called it the “Christmas Cramnibus.”
“How many hours will we have to read this monstrous bill so we can find everything the Swamp stuffed into it?” he wrote in a post on X. “How many Democrats will it take to pass it — and under what process will it come to the floor? Washington is beyond broken.”
Here is what we know is in the bill:
- Extends current funding for federal agencies through March 14.
- Extends the farm bill through Sept. 30.
- Roughly $100 billion in disaster aid, including $21 billion for farmers and ranchers and $14 million to repair the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick.
- Another $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers.
- Full funding to repair the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed after it was struck by a cargo ship in March.
- $12 million to cover security at the homes of Supreme Court justices.
Many of these provisions are the result of Johnson’s negotiations with Democrats as he faced the political realities of a Friday deadline to approve funding or risk a government shutdown.
It is possible that more Democrats than Republicans will ultimately support the bill, which was the case the last time Congress passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded.
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Credit: Seth Wenig/AP
Credit: Seth Wenig/AP
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden has no public events on his schedule.
- The U.S. House has a series of votes scheduled, including on a bill backed by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, that would require the federal government to boost oversight of facilities where troubled youth are sent for treatment.
- The Senate will vote on the National Defense Authorization Act.
- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will hold a news conference to discuss any decisions on further interest rate cuts.
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SHOUTOUTS. A recent transition:
- Mina Turabi is the new chair of the Fulton County Democrats.
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
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AS ALWAYS, send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
