Today’s highlights include:
- A Georgia gun store — the recent scene of a fatal shooting — is hosting a vice presidential debate watch party.
- Agriculture officials plead for help following damage from Hurricane Helene.
- U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., has written another children’s book.
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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Hurricane Helene’s deadly march through Georgia has quickly become a campaign issue, as former President Donald Trump accused Vice President Kamala Harris of neglecting storm-stricken areas ahead of his own tour of hard-hit Valdosta.
The Republican slammed Harris on Sunday for holding fundraisers in California when parts of the nation “have just been devastated by a massive hurricane.”
Trump campaigned in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania over the weekend, along with a stop in Tuscaloosa to watch part of the Georgia-Alabama game from a luxury suite.
The White House said that both Harris and President Joe Biden will visit communities affected by Helene “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations.”
At a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, Harris also told the crowd she was receiving briefings on the federal response to Helene and expressed concern for those impacted by the storm.
Trump’s campaign said he plans to talk to local officials about recovery efforts and he’ll work to assist with the delivery of emergency supplies during his visit to Valdosta today.
The Harris campaign earlier in the weekend mocked Trump for his comment on Friday that hurricane victims would be “OK” as the death toll rises. At least 17 people in Georgia were killed, and a total of 91 across several states.
“You’ll be okay,” her campaign tweeted above footage of his remarks, along with: “(Dozens of deaths have already been reported.)”
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Some local officials in storm-ravaged South Georgia privately worried that Trump’s visit could delay their efforts to restore power to the region and repair damage. Others welcomed the attention.
Trump joins a lengthy list of Georgia leaders who have toured the damage. Gov. Brian Kemp, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, visited Valdosta on Saturday, while Kemp and Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock are set to travel to Augusta on Monday.
Local officials praised Kemp, Ossoff and others for steering clear of politics during their separate visits.
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Credit: Joe Kovac Jr./AJC
Credit: Joe Kovac Jr./AJC
GOOD MORNING! The presidential election is 36 days away. The death toll from Hurricane Helene in Georgia is now at 17. More than 400,000 people in the state were still without power on Sunday evening.
Here are three things to know for today:
- Trump received cheers and boos — but mostly cheers — when he was introduced during Saturday’s college football game between Georgia and Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
- Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign aired a football-themed ad during the Georgia-Alabama game on Saturday calling Trump a loser.
- Saturday’s annual Peanut Festival in former President Jimmy Carter’s hometown ahead of his 100th birthday was tinged with sadness following damage to crops from Helene, AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
GUN STORE POLITICS. Two police officers were injured and a suspect was fatally shot on Friday after a burglary at a gun store that is set to host a vice presidential debate watch party on Tuesday for former President Donald Trump’s campaign.
It will be the second debate watch party the campaign has hosted at Adventure Outdoors, the Smyrna gun range that bills itself as “The World’s Largest Gun Store.”
Authorities said the two officers were shot in the leg by a suspect who opened fire from a rifle slung around his neck.
Trump’s campaign caught flak earlier this month for refusing to cancel a presidential debate watch party at the store days after a deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School.
Trump aides announced Sunday another gathering at the venue on Tuesday to watch the debate between his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.
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Credit: Andy Harrison /Georgia Department of Agriculture
Credit: Andy Harrison /Georgia Department of Agriculture
AGRICULTURE DISASTER. The timing of Helene could not have been worse for thousands of Georgia farmers during harvest season.
That’s the urgent message in a joint letter from Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, state Sen. Russ Goodman, R-Cogdell, and state Rep. Robert Dickey, R-Musella, to the Georgia congressional delegation.
The trio is asking the delegation to push for immediate federal disaster aid for the state, structured as a block grant to help Georgia’s devastated agriculture industry.
“Right now, the future of hundreds of agriculture operations is uncertain,” they wrote. “And without immediate assistance, some will not make it to the next growing season.”
According to agriculture officials, the damage included cotton and pecan crops, as well as dairy, livestock and poultry operations. Some Georgia farmers lost their entire yearly harvest, while others saw total destruction of farm buildings, infrastructure and fencing.
“The damage we’re seeing is catastrophic,” an official said.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
LAWSUIT SEASON. If you thought the 2020 election spawned a lot of lawsuits, just wait until the sequel.
Partisans and advocacy groups have filed at least 22 election related lawsuits in Georgia since May, the AJC’s David Wickert reports. That includes at least six lawsuits filed this month.
“The issues are different. But an early start and a likely flurry of postelection lawsuits means this year’s torrent of cases could rival or surpass 2020 for the volume and ferocity of legal battles,” Wicket wrote.
Three of the cases have trials or hearings this week, including two challenging the State Election Board’s authority to approve a series of new rules.
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HOT MIC. You can expect some interruptions during tomorrow night’s vice presidential debate.
CBS News says the candidates’ microphones will not be muted, offering the chance for some rapid rebuttals during the 90-minute debate.
If that seems like a minor detail, remember that the lone debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump almost didn’t happen earlier this month because they couldn’t agree how to use the microphones.
Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, will debate in New York at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
It’s likely the last time the two presidential campaigns will face off in person before Election Day. Harris has offered to debate Trump again, but the former president has declined.
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Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
RIP HORNETS. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper can add a few more hornet wings to his mantel.
The first-term commissioner has been on a mission to eradicate the yellow-legged hornet from Georgia ever since it was spotted for the first time on U.S. soil near Savannah last year. The hornet, native to Southeast Asia, is a prolific killer of honeybees and poses a major threat to Georgia’s agriculture industry.
Teams found and annihilated four nests in the Savannah area over the past two weeks. That brings the total number of nests destroyed to 51 since last August.
The hornets play a big part in their own demise. Teams attach trackers to the hornets, who then lead them back to their nests.
If you see these hornets in the wild, you can fill out this form.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Dr. Nisha Verma joins the show to talk about abortion. Verma is an OB-GYN specialist who testified during a Senate subcommittee hearing led by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. Also, you’ll hear from state Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, who wrote Georgia’s abortion law.
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. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.
On Friday’s show, Gov. Brian Kemp talked about the storm damage from Helene. Cody Hall, Kemp’s top political aide, discussed the importance bipartisan cooperation in a weather emergency. Dan Kanninen, battleground director for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, talked strategy. And Natalie Dale from the Georgia Department of Transportation discussed road conditions following the storm.
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MTG ON TOUR. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is holding a series of town hall meetings across her northwest Georgia district this week.
Her first stop is Tuesday evening in Murray County, followed by Paulding County on Wednesday and Dade County on Thursday. Those interested in attending can RSVP on Greene’s website.
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ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
- Former President Donald Trump will survey hurricane damage in Valdosta.
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Credit: Adam Van Brimmer/AJC
Credit: Adam Van Brimmer/AJC
ANOTHER WARNOCK BOOK. A second children’s book from U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is due next year. This one will be focused on a modernized version of the Bible story where Jesus feeds a multitude with fish and bread.
“We’re in This Together: Leo’s Lunch Box” is “a powerful modern-day story about sharing what you have,” according to publisher Philomel Books, a Penguin Random House imprint.
Warnock, who is also a pastor, has written two other books: his memoir, “A Way Out of No Way,” and an adapted children’s version titled, “Put Your Shoes On and Get Ready.”
This new book is scheduled for release in April and Warnock is already taking preorders.
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LISTENING PLEASURE. The chief spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, is co-hosting a new true crime podcast featuring the voices of Capitol Hill.
Harley Adsit launched the “Crime in Congress” podcast this summer with Sarah Geary, who works for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. Roll Call compared the show to another podcast, “Morbid,” which is known for picking weird cases to recap.
Adsit told Roll Call that the idea for their show came one evening as she and Geary were having drinks and bonding over her love of the true crime genre.
“We just started to get to thinking about how there are probably so many members that have interesting tidbits about murders in their hometown … but there’s no true crime podcast that exists with that insight,” she said.
Carter was featured in an episode a few weeks ago and recapped the Savannah Axe Murders of 1909.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
READ UP. Today is Georgia Reads Day, and former Georgia Bulldog and NFL star Malcolm Mitchell — an accomplished author himself — will read to elementary school classrooms via a livestream from the College Football Hall of Fame.
The project is a product of the Georgia Council of Literacy, which lawmakers created in 2023 by a unanimous vote.
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Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
SHOUTOUTS. Belated birthdays:
- State Rep. James Beverly, D-Macon (was Saturday).
- State Rep. Doug Stoner, D-Smyrna (was 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, 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.
