Battle for Donald Trump’s 2026 endorsement heats up in Georgia

The former president announced a “Believers and Ballots Faith Town Hall” in Zebulon on Wednesday ahead of his Gwinnett County rally. And his honored guest? The lieutenant governor, who is expected to run as a MAGA favorite for governor in two years.

Whether he gets Trump’s endorsement remains to be seen. Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Trump’s top Georgia donor this cycle, could also run for the office, along with other loyalists of the former president.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Trump may choose to stay neutral in the contest, much like he did in the 2020 Senate special election battle between Loeffler and then-U.S. Rep. Doug Collins. Or he could pick an early favorite, like his quick endorsement of Herschel Walker’s Senate bid in 2022.

Either way, the maneuvering is already happening.

We’re told another Trump ally will also join Jones at the town hall: Brian Jack, a former Trump deputy who is the GOP congressional nominee for Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District.

***

Here are three things to know today:

***

Credit: John Spink/AJC

Credit: John Spink/AJC

GEORGIA LEADS. Georgia voters set two more records over the weekend. More than 163,000 people voted on Saturday. Another 42,000 voted on Sunday. Both were the biggest turnouts for a general election weekend, according to Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Overall, more than 1.4 million people have voted already in Georgia, or a 19.8% turnout. How does that rank among the six other swing states in the presidential election? It’s a little difficult to compare the states, since their early voting rules vary. Some allow people to vote early in person (as Georgia does). Others only allow mail-in ballots before Election Day.

Regardless of the method, Georgia appears to be leading the way for all swing states.

***

HURRICANE POLITICS. You’ve heard of rural voters, evangelical voters and suburban voters.

Now, get ready for hurricane voters.

Greater Georgia, the political organization founded by former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, is texting an ad to about 98,000 people across 18 South Georgia counties — all of which are part of the state’s major disaster declaration from Hurricane Helene. The ad aims to capitalize on any frustration with the federal government’s disaster response by featuring a photo of Harris with the words: “Kamala and FEMA failed us!”

“I do think there is some resentment on the ground from voters,” said Caitlin O’Dea, a Greater Georgia spokesperson. “They look at what’s happening at the southern border, they look at what’s happening in Ukraine, and they think, ‘Why are we not being put first?’”

Credit: Courtesy image

Credit: Courtesy image

Trump has spread falsehoods about the federal government’s disaster response, wrongly accusing President Joe Biden of not responding to Gov. Brian Kemp and falsely saying FEMA was “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.”

The Biden-Harris administration says it has approved $1.8 billion to assist victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $131 million for more than 125,000 households to assist with housing and other expenses. Money for things like aiding Ukraine and operations at the U.S.-Mexico border doesn’t come from FEMA’s budget, but from a separate pot of money funded by Congress.

The Trump campaign is relying on outside groups like Greater Georgia for voter outreach — work that has traditionally been done by the campaign itself.

***

CHA-CHING. Georgia’s top fundraiser for the third quarter among U.S. House candidates wasn’t an incumbent. It was Shawn Harris, a retired Army General running against U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome.

That’s no surprise. Greene is one of the more polarizing members of Congress, inspiring devotion and scorn in seemingly equal amounts. Her most recent controversy came earlier this month when she posted on X that “Yes they can control the weather” shortly after Hurricane Helene devastated much of Georgia and its neighbors. It was unclear who she meant.

Greene’s shocking statements are often amplified across social media, prompting lots of people to donate for and against her. Her Democratic opponents often benefit.

Overall, Harris raised $1.45 million from individual donors for the three-month period that ended Sept. 30. That edged Greene’s $1.39 million haul over the same time period. For the two-year cycle, Greene has raised nearly $8 million while Harris has managed just over $2 million.

Here are the top five fundraisers over the two-year cycle, including total receipts:

The top three could raise some eyebrows, as both Carter and McBath are considered potential candidates for statewide office beyond 2024. Our AJC colleague Adam Van Brimmer recently wrote about Carter’s fundraising haul and what it could mean for his future.

***

TRAGEDY ON SAPELO ISLAND. A gangway connecting a pier on Sapelo Island to the floating dock where a state-owned ferry takes residents and visitors to the mainland failed on Saturday, killing seven people.

About 20 people in total fell into the water when the gangway collapsed into the ocean, having gathered there as part of the annual Sapelo Cultural Day celebration.

The ages of the deceased range from 73 to 93, the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer reported. At least three others were critically injured.

Sapelo residents say the gangway, which is owned and managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, had shown signs of weakness before it collapsed. Commissioner Walter Rabon said during a news conference Sunday that he was not aware residents had voiced concerns about the landing.

It was installed in November 2021 and was last inspected by a third party in December.

Among those who died was Charles Houston, a chaplain at the Georgia Department of Public Safety, according to AJC reporter Ashley Ahn. The 77-year-old provided spiritual guidance to cadets in training and started a non-profit to support local police departments and other agencies.

***

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Democratic strategist Rick Dent joins the show to talk about political ads. Plus, Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, discusses LGBTQ voters.

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 Friday’s show, Darius Jones with National Black Empowerment Action talked about Black male voters with the AJC’s Ernie Suggs. And WABE’s Rahul Bali discussed ballot initiatives.

***

Credit: Jeenah Moon/The New York Times

Credit: Jeenah Moon/The New York Times

AD WATCH. A political action committee supporting Vice President Kamala Harris is running ads on Georgia radio stations featuring New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam, a member of the exonerated Central Park Five.

Following the 1989 rape and assault of a New York jogger in Central Park, of which Salaam and four other teenagers were wrongfully accused, former President Donald Trump paid for newspapers ads calling for the people who carried out the attack to receive the death penalty.

“Expect no justice and fairness under Trump; I know,” Salaam said in the 30-second spot paid for by the Left of Center PAC.

The group said it has set aside $250,000 through Election Day for the ads, which are running on multiple stations in Atlanta and Columbus, as well as markets in North Carolina.

***

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. Today’s happenings:

***

SCHEDULE CHANGE. We now know what is replacing former President Donald Trump’s canceled National Rifle Association event in Savannah on Tuesday. He will instead speak at a campaign rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, that evening.

There were likely political calculations involved in the change. Democrats for months have criticized Trump’s close relationship with the NRA, and it was likely they would have reminded voters that the NRA event was to be held just weeks after Georgia experienced a deadly school shooting.

Meanwhile, recent polling shows Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris neck-and-neck in North Carolina. It’s a state Trump carried twice, both in 2016, when he won the presidency, and in 2020, where he ultimately lost to President Joe Biden.

Trump on Tuesday morning will participate in a roundtable discussion with Latino leaders in Miami. That event had been postponed earlier this month because of Hurricane Milton.

***

SHOUTOUTS. Belated birthday:

Congrats:

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.

***

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.