Vice President Kamala Harris’ event in Atlanta tonight — her first in Georgia as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee — is more than a political rally. It’s a star-studded show.
The Democrat will be joined Tuesday by Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who said on Instagram she’ll be performing around 7:30 p.m. And we’re told other “special guests” could also appear on stage.
We can confirm a few. U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Georgia Democrats, will be on hand. So will former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, one of the most prominent Republicans to endorse Harris.
Credit: Robb Cohen for the AJC
Credit: Robb Cohen for the AJC
Word of Megan Thee Stallion’s performance quickly went viral on Monday night, and her younger fans lit up social media in search of tickets to the Georgia State University venue in downtown Atlanta.
It all serves a savvy political purpose. Former Gov. Roy Barnes was asked on Monday’s “Politically Georgia” his counsel to Harris’ strategists on winning Georgia.
“Quit worrying about angry old white men,” Barnes advised, and focus on younger voters.
She seems to be doing exactly that.
***
THE SCHEDULE. Looking for details on the vice president’s visit to Atlanta today? Here’s the public itinerary.
At 2:40 p.m., Harris is set to depart Washington en route to Atlanta.
She’ll arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport by 4:20 p.m. and head to the Georgia State University Convocation Center, where she will deliver remarks around 7 p.m.
She’ll head back to Hartsfield-Jackson and depart for Washington at 8:30 p.m. She should land back in Washington at 10 p.m.
***
Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC
Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC
THE AD. The Harris campaign is also launching its first TV ad in Georgia today, part of a $50 million nationwide volley.
Campaign officials say it’s slated to run in Georgia and other battleground states until the Democratic National Convention starts on Aug. 19.
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign released a cutting ad of their own targeting Georgia voters this morning.
***
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
TRUMP IN CHICAGO. When he ran for president in 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump declined invitations to speak at the National Association of Black Journalists summer convention. But this year, he accepted and will participate in a question-and-answer session on Wednesday afternoon.
The topics will center on issues facing the Black community. Each year, the NABJ convention is among the largest gathering of journalists in the nation.
***
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
ELECTION CONFIDENCE. You already knew that former Gov. Roy Barnes is part of a bipartisan group to bolster confidence in Georgia’s election system after years of election fraud lies took their toll.
But the Democrat isn’t targeting his criticism solely at former President Donald Trump and his allies.
He told the “Politically Georgia” podcast that anyone working to undermine confidence in elections is doing their nation a disservice.
And then he highlighted a recent commentary in the AJC that singled out both Trump and Stacey Abrams, who refused to concede her 2018 defeat to Gov. Brian Kemp.
Said Barnes:
“Stacey Abrams questioned Brian Kemp's election — that was wrong, just as much as questioning the 2020 election. In politics generally, I don't find a lot of profiles in courage. And that's unfortunate, whether they be Democrat or Republican. But we have to speak up and say, ‘Listen, this is a great system. Don't blow it.'"
***
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
PRISON POLICIES. A new law sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, that strengthens oversight of the corruption-plagued federal prison system is drawing praise from civil rights leaders.
Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young said Ossoff is “making progress to ensure equal protection under the law for all Georgians and all Americans.”
Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs called it a “monumental stride toward justice and accountability within our federal prison system.”
And LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter said it is “a necessary step to improve the humanity and dignity of the conditions within federal prisons.”
***
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
SCOTUS REACTION. Count U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson among those applauding President Joe Biden’s proposal for overhauling the U.S. Supreme Court. Biden unveiled the plan Monday, calling for term limits, an enforceable code of conduct and a constitutional amendment that would clarify that presidents can be prosecuted for crimes committed while in office.
“I applaud President Biden’s acknowledgement of the need for Supreme Court reform,” Johnson, D-Lithonia, said in a statement Monday. “Without a binding and enforceable code of conduct and with lifetime tenure, this power grabbing Supreme Court, while becoming corrupt and unaccountable, has upset the delicate system of checks and balances upon which our democracy rests.”
Johnson has spent the past few years pushing for changes of his own for the Supreme Court, including a proposal to increase the number of justices on the court to counteract its conservative turn.
***
Credit: Nell Carroll for the AJC
Credit: Nell Carroll for the AJC
LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, previews tonight’s big campaign rally with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Plus Georgia State University law professor Anthony Michael Kreis weighs in on Biden’s plans to overhaul the U.S. Supreme Court.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
During Monday’s show, former Gov. Roy Barnes talked about who he would like to see Vice President Kamala Harris pick as her running mate. Democratic strategist Rick Dent and Emory University Professor Andra Gillespie also weighed in on Harris’ first week as a nominee for president.
Rebecca Grapevine, a political reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper, shared insight into Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who is among those being vetted by Harris.
***
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
VOTER CANCELLATIONS. Maintaining Georgia’s voter rolls is a difficult challenge for the secretary of state’s office, as Georgia registered voters frequently move out of state for jobs, family obligations and other reasons. The accuracy of those voter lists has become a flashpoint in the debate over the state’s election integrity.
Now, departing Georgians can self-cancel their voter registration. As our colleague Mark Niesse reports, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Monday launched a voter registration cancellation website, an overhaul of a process that previously required voters to fill out a cancellation form and return it to their county’s election office.
***
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
ATHENS DA RACE. Athens-area District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez officially has an opponent in the November election. The Georgia secretary of state’s office verified to the Athens Banner-Herald that independent candidate Kalki Yalamanchili has collected enough voter signatures to challenge Gonzalez, an oft-maligned Democrat who has drawn criticism from state officials, including Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly, throughout her term.
Yalamanchili, an Athens attorney who works in private practice, filed petitions containing 14,000 signatures earlier this month, far exceeding the required 5,406 autographs needed to get on the ballot in Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties, which make up the Western Judicial Circuit.
***
Credit: Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times
Credit: Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden participates in a call with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
- Vice President Kamala Harris attends a campaign rally in Atlanta.
- The Senate votes on online child safety legislation and more judicial nominees.
- The Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees hold a joint hearing on the investigations into the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.
- The House is in recess until Sept. 9.
***
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
BEACH CLOSURE? At Tybee Island, home to Georgia’s most frequented beaches, one sandy respite is so dangerous that local elected officials are considering new measures to keep beachgoers from visiting it.
An exposed sandbar lies just a few hundred yards off the tip of Tybee’s southern point and is reachable on foot by wading there during low tide. But the water moves back in quickly and violently once the tide cycle changes and has resulted in several drownings over the years, including three this year.
Last week, Tybee City Council heard proposals from a consultant as well as the public regarding increased safety measures, according to reporting from the Savannah Morning News. They included increased signage — large signs already warn of the dangers and tell beachgoers to avoid the area — the use of drones equipped with flashing lights and the installation of a remote-control rescue buoy.
Tybee Mayor Brian West asked if Tybee should consider closing the beach past a certain point depending on tide conditions.
The council took no action but could revisit the topic in the future.
***
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.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
