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One veteran state lawmaker described a proposed Senate redistricting map unveiled Monday in blunt terms: “It could have been an annihilation, but it wasn’t.”
The GOP version of the court-ordered map revisions created two majority-Black new districts without pairing incumbents against one another and while safeguarding most Republican members. The map, released ahead of a special legislative session that begins Wednesday, also avoided drawing any obvious districts designed to flip one party to another.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
But the redistricting did create vastly different boundaries for two Atlanta-area Democratic incumbents seen as potential statewide candidates down the road: Sens. Jason Esteves and Elena Parent.
Both legislators would see a major shift in their districts’ voter demographics — from mostly white to majority Black — should the map be adopted. Neither would immediately comment on the changes, but an ally sent this analysis: “They shuffled around deck chairs in an attempt to put lipstick on a pig.”
If the two Democrats were the losers of the overhaul of the Senate map, then GOP Sens. Matt Brass of Newnan and Brian Strickland of McDonough are the winners. Both were rewarded with more conservative-leaning territories.
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Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
CAPITOL CALENDAR. The special redistricting session of the General Assembly officially begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Look for the House and Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committees to each hold individual hearings at 1 p.m. to review new maps and hear public comment.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
LISTEN UP. The Georgia General Assembly redistricting redo is the topic for today’s “Politically Georgia” radio show. Former U.S. Congressman John Barrow, who saw his district lines change dramatically in his 10 years in the House, and current state House Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, are guests for the program that airs live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 FM and livestreams at AJC.com and WABE.org.
You can also listen to “Politically Georgia” as a podcast, with each day’s edition posting at 1 p.m. The Monday episode focuses on the late Rosalynn Carter and features a discussion with two veteran journalists who covered Rosalynn and Jimmy Carters’ political careers, former WSB-TV reporter John Pruitt and former Atlanta Journal correspondent Charlie Hayslett.
“Politically Georgia” is available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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GEORGIA BOUND? U.S. Rep. George Santos may be on the verge of becoming the sixth U.S. House member in history to be expelled from the institution. But the New York Republican is already plotting his next step — and it could be in our neighborhood.
Santos said on social media he hasn’t ruled out seeking public office again, albeit outside of New York. Asked where he might end up, Santos said he and his husband love the north Georgia mountains, Hearst CT Media reported. Who doesn’t?
Unfortunately for Santos, that territory is already claimed by two far-right GOP House incumbents: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome represents the northwest corner of the state, while U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde of Athens has the northeast section. But local offices are a different story, so we’ll stay tuned.
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REMEMBERING ROSALYNN. Rosalynn Carter’s journey to her final resting place began Monday as a motorcade escorted the former first lady’s remains from Americus to Atlanta, with a stop at her college alma mater.
Catch up on what you missed:
- Carter’s journey began at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, the same hospital where she and her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, have received treatment over the years. But the couple were also benefactors of the rural hospital, the AJC’s Mirtha Donastorg reports.
- On the way to Atlanta, the motorcade stopped for a brief wreath-laying ceremony at a statue of Rosalynn Carter on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University. Members of the school’s Young Democrats club, which Rosalynn Carter founded, shared insights about her with the AJC’s Martha Dalton.
- A private ceremony was held at the Carter Center shortly before members of the public were admitted to pay their respects as Rosalynn Carter lay in repose for four hours Monday evening. The queue stretched through the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, allowing visitors to take in photos and notes about the Carters’ lives as they waited.
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A LOVING HUSBAND. Former President Jimmy Carter will be among the mourners at his wife Rosalynn’s funeral today at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. His attendance will mark his first public appearance since September, when the 99-year-old rode in the Plains Peanut Festival parade. He has spent the last 10 months in hospice care.
The current first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, and four living former first ladies are among the guests expected to attend today’s private memorial service for Rosalynn Carter.
We learned Monday that former President Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary Clinton, and former first ladies Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump will join President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses on the Emory University campus this morning.
Georgia Gov, Brian Kemp and his first lady, Marty Kemp, will be in the audience as well. So will Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and members of Georgia’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Atlanta Democrats.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
PAGING DR. McCORMICK. U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick often touts his experience as an emergency room physician when talking about health care policy. The first-term Republican did it again Monday in response to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo floating former President Donald Trump’s current favorite conspiracy theory — that former President Barack Obama is secretly running the White House.
“(Biden) definitely doesn’t know what’s going on,” McCormick responded. “Whether he’s being directed by Obama or some other staff members is really questionable, but if you look at his cognitive decline in the last 50 years, we’ve been able to literally in real-time watch this guy in public life.”
McCormick concluded, “This is something that as an ER doctor, I would look at somebody like this and think they really need to be taken care of, rather than trying to take care of an entire nation.”
Why does McCormick’s impromptu diagnosis of the president matter? Because McCormick, a Suwanee resident, is on the very short list of Georgia congressmen who could see their districts become dramatically more competitive during a court-ordered redistricting process that begins Wednesday at the state Capitol. Giving medical legitimacy to one of Trump’s theories could make running in a purple district much more difficult.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses travel to Atlanta to attend a memorial service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter. In the evening, Biden travels on to Colorado.
- The U.S. Senate has confirmation votes lined up.
- The House returns this evening.
- The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in McElrath v. Georgia, a challenge stemming from the state’s decision to retry a murder defendant after he was acquitted of some charges and found guilty of others. The case centers on the Fifth Amendment’s double jeopardy clause.
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FED CHAIR AT SPELMAN. Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell will participate in a fireside chat event on Friday on the campus of Spelman College in Atlanta. Spelman President Helene Gayle will moderate the discussion, which will focus on the post-COVID economy.
Afterward, Powell and fellow Fed Board member Lisa Cook, a Spelman alum, will participate in a roundtable with local leaders in the tech innovation and entrepreneurship community. That event will also be held on Spelman’s campus.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for The AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for The AJC
OVERDUE TRIBUTE. More than four years have passed since the MV Golden Ray cargo ship ran aground while exiting the Port of Brunswick and nearly capsized, trapping four crew members inside the hull.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, headlined a ceremony held Monday at the College of Coastal Georgia to honor rescuers from the Georgia Ports Authority, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Moran Towing.
The first-responders teamed to free the trapped crew members and stabilize the Golden Ray to avert a potential environmental disaster. The ship carried 380,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil, plus the gas in the 4,100 vehicles inside the hold.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. In the annals of Dog of the Day nominations, Dorsey and Bridget Irvin’s must rank among the most clever.
These two springer spaniels addressed their email to “Pawtricia” Murphy, and explained that they live in Atlanta’s “Peachtree Bark” neighborhood. Also, they read their AJC newsletter every morning “over puppacinos and Milk Bones in our bathrobes,” which we fully endorse. Dorsey is finishing her neighborhood watch certification, specializing in squirrels and chipmunks, while Bridget enjoys retirement from all that.
They both call Troutman Pepper Strategies lobbyist Hannah Irvin their person. And we call you two our Dogs of the Day.
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
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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.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
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