Democrats look for votes in November beyond friendly confines of Atlanta

Democratic state Sen. Derek Mallow couldn’t help but cheer when he saw Vice President Kamala Harris’ schedule this week. On Wednesday, she’s taking a South Georgia bus tour with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, followed by a solo rally in Savannah on Thursday.

Mallow, a Savannah Democrat, is one of many party leaders who have pushed the Harris campaign to look beyond metro Atlanta for votes in November. This week’s schedule is the latest example they may be heeding the advice.

“We need the entire state of Georgia to win,” said Mallow. “This is monumental — a testament that the vice president is working for every community — not just big cities.”

For national GOP candidates, visits outside metro Atlanta are the norm. Donald Trump regularly holds airport and fairground rallies in places like Commerce, Dalton, Perry, Rome and Valdosta. So did his predecessors.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Democratic presidential contenders, though, are more likely to stay within the limits of Atlanta and its suburbs. There are recent examples of other forays, such as Joe Biden in Warm Springs, but they are the exception.

Party strategists say there are plenty of reasons for contenders to broaden the lens beyond metro Atlanta, which accounts for more than half the state’s population.

Consider Savannah’s Chatham County, where Democrats netted 10,000 more votes in 2020 than they did in 2016. In a tight race, margins matter.

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

ABRAMS WATCH. A few months ago, who could have imagined that former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan would address the Democratic National Convention and that Stacey Abrams, a one-time party rising star, would not.

But that’s what happened last week when Duncan, former gubernatorial contender Jason Carter, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., all nabbed coveted speaking slots — and Abrams did not.

Still, Abrams remains a key draw and helped to rev up the crowd earlier this month at Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Atlanta. And she repeated in an 11Alive interview this weekend what she’s said for years: she’s keeping the door open to a third run for governor.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Senior Democrats still doubt she’d run, but she’d be a formidable foe in a Democratic primary after two election campaigns that spent more than $100 million boosting her candidacy. Republicans are rooting for a full-on fight.

“If she decides to run, no one can beat Abrams in a primary — and they all know it,” said Cody Hall, an adviser to Gov. Brian Kemp. “But are McBath, Carter and the rest honestly going to stand aside and coronate Abrams on her way to a third straight statewide loss?”

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THIS RELATIONSHIPS MATTERS. There’s a reason why the biggest political story in Georgia over the weekend was former President Donald Trump making up with Gov. Brian Kemp — at least for now.

It’s as much about unity in a tightening race in a battleground state as it is about the governor’s vaunted political organization.

The two-term governor regularly polls as the most popular politician in Georgia and senior Republicans cringed when Trump reopened the rift earlier this month at a rally in Atlanta.

Republicans, of course, want to avoid fueling the narrative about nasty, disruptive infighting in a state they see as a must-win.

Kemp knows how to win in Georgia, something Trump failed to do not just in 2020, when he lost to President Joe Biden, but also in 2022, when many of his handpicked candidates went down in flames.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

The governor has retooled the political network that helped him coast to a second term to boost Republicans in competitive legislative districts, a task traditionally left to the Georgia GOP.

So far, Kemp’s political organization allocated nearly $2 million to boost those down-ballot candidates — no small task in an environment where several swing seats are suddenly leaning Democratic. Some Republican insiders see a net loss of one or two GOP House seats as a best case scenario.

But recalibrating the Kemp machine in late August to drive up turnout for Trump takes a broader outreach and mobilization effort that would cost millions of dollars more. That’s one reason why the governor and his allies have seemed reluctant to publicly commit more resources to Trump.

Appearing on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show last week, Kemp was as clear as he could be when he said: “We need to send Trump back to the White House.” In the same breath, he noted that his political organization has been in the field since the Fourth of July “knocking on doors.”

Will those volunteers be stumping for Trump, too? The answer could make a difference in November.

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Credit: Gary McCulloug/AP

Credit: Gary McCulloug/AP

WELL, THAT WAS AWKWARD. Political campaigns are all about contrasts, and a big one was on display last week.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made a stop at Holt’s Sweet Shop in Valdosta before a campaign rally on Thursday. These types of stops are supposed to be carefully choreographed to make the candidates relatable. (Wait, JD Vance eats doughnuts? I also eat doughnuts! Neat!)

But it didn’t work out the way the campaign had hoped. The cashier waiting on Vance did not want to be filmed, and her tepid response to Vance’s friendly questioning made for an uncomfortable moment that was easy for critics to exploit online.

To make matters worse, the Democratic vice presidential nominee — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — had a breezy encounter at a Nebraska eatery that allowed him to showcase his folksy charm. His supporters were quick to make comparisons, saying it showed their guy is more relatable.

In the end, this wasn’t an error from Vance. If anything, it was a failure of his team to know whether the stop would be a success. On the bright side for Vance, the event is not likely to linger long in the minds of voters. He has plenty of time for a redo with a more favorable audience.

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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

GOP INFIGHTING. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns fired off a letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Monday urging him to have “active participation” in a joint legislative panel investigating licensing issues in his office.

It’s no secret under the Gold Dome that GOP lawmakers are frustrated Raffensperger didn’t attend prior meetings in June and July. The letter urges him to confirm by Sept. 13 whether he’ll take part in the October meeting.

“In short, this Committee and workers across our state need to hear from you, Mr. Secretary,” it reads.

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Credit: AP

Credit: AP

KENNEDY (SORTA) DROPS OUT. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent campaign for president on Friday, but the effect will only be felt in Georgia if he drops his bid to appear on the state’s ballot.

Kennedy’s campaign has not yet formally dropped its effort to appear on Georgia’s ballot. Georgia Democrats have filed a lawsuit to block him and three other candidates not named Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. An administrative law judge is expected to decide that case by the end of this week.

Who would benefit the most from Kennedy appearing on Georgia’s ballot? He’s a descendant of perhaps the most famous family in Democratic politics, suggesting he could siphon votes from Harris. But in a speech on Friday, Kennedy said he decided to suspend his campaign because internal polling suggested his candidacy would benefit Harris and hurt Trump.

As the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman and Caleb Groves reported, not everyone in Georgia who supported Kennedy’s bid for the presidency will necessarily follow his endorsement and throw their vote behind Trump.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

DEMS DEMAND ELECTION BOARD OVERHAUL. A group of Democratic elected officials will hold a news conference this morning to turn up the pressure on Gov. Brian Kemp to remove three conservative members of the State Election Board who have pushed controversial changes to election law.

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta; state Sens. Nabilah Islam Parkes, D-Duluth, and Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain; as well as state Reps. Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, and Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, will headline the event. Islam Parkes has already sent a complaint letter to Kemp asking him to replace the three board members: Janice Johnston, Rick Jeffares and Janelle King.

Democrats believe that Kemp has grounds to remove the three members based on their belief that ethics and open meetings laws have been violated.

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LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Republican strategist and Cody Hall, top aide to Gov. Brian Kemp, talks about Kemp and former President Donald Trump trying to bury the hatchet. Then Quentin Fulks, principal deputy campaign manager from the Harris-Walz campaign, talks about how to keep up momentum in the party after the convention.

You can listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

On Friday’s show, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., talked about his week at the Democratic National Convention and reacted to Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech.

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Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC

Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC

BACKING ‘NO TAX ON TIPS.’ U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, is backing former President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate taxes on tipped wages.

During a news conference on Saturday ahead of the 8th District Republican Party’s annual fish fry at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Scott spoke about a recent family trip to Waffle House, according to a report by Macon news outlet WMAZ.

“I gave the $5 tip to the lady who’s done a great job for us, serving us. I didn’t give that money to the government,” he said. “I gave it to the lady who got up early that morning and came to work in the service industry.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for president, also wants to do away with the federal taxes on workers’ tips.

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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

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Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

ON THE TRAIL:

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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

HONORING JOHN LEWIS. A 12-foot tall statue of the late Georgia Democratic Congressman John Lewis, the civil rights icon, was unveiled outside of the DeKalb County Courthouse over the weekend.

The statue stands where a controversial Confederate monument once stood. That obelisk was removed by the city of Decatur in June 2020 during the height of protests over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minnesota and wider conversations about institutional racism.

Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

The AJC’s Anisah Muhammad reports the program included remarks by U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta; DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond; DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Andrew Young, former Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador.

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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

BIRTHDAYS. State Rep. Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee, and state Sen. Ed Harbison, D-Columbus, both celebrated on Sunday.

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, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.