House Speaker David Ralston’s decision not to stand for another term as leader due to a health challenge means that one of the most steadying forces in Georgia government is departing his role. And it promises to leave a power vacuum at the Legislature, no matter who wins the race for top state offices.
The Speaker has been one constant in Georgia politics over the last 12 years. Ralston served as a fulcrum in a power struggle between then-Gov. Nathan Deal and then-Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. For the past four years, he has often joined with Gov. Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan to form a three-way alliance to govern the state.
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
In 2023, Georgia will have at least two, and possibly three new legs of that stool, with an open race to replace Duncan, Ralston’s slot as Speaker, and Kemp’s bid for a second term all up in the air.
It’s far from certain who will fill Ralston’s void, but the jockeying has already begun. State Rep. Barry Fleming, a Ralston rival who authored Georgia’s new voting law, told us he’s definitely running.
Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC
Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC
Other contenders include state Rep. Jan Jones, the No. 2 Republican in the House; House Majority Leader Jon Burns; and state Rep. Matt Hatchett, a Ralston ally who said Republicans should wait until after the election to spar over who should succeed Ralston.
The Speaker’s camp agreed. A House GOP aide said the “sole focus” for Republicans should be on winning seats on Tuesday. “Helping our candidates win is all that matters right now.”
Nevertheless, the scrapping has begun. One GOP legislator said the maneuvering underway was like “throwing a bunch of crabs in a bucket.”
Democrats are watching from afar with dismay. Under Ralston, they played important roles in shaping consensus-driven legislation, despite their minority status.
Many are already concerned they’ll be relegated under his successor.
“Ralston kept a steady hand in the face of constant rightward pressures,” said Democratic state Rep. Josh McLaurin. “If Republicans choose a firebrand to replace him, they do so at great peril.”
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LISTEN UP: If you can’t get enough of the Politically Georgia podcast, not to worry. We’ve got a special Saturday edition of the pod on the impact Speaker David Ralston has had on his conference and on the Capitol. And later, our fellow Insider Tia Mitchell joins the pod with her conversation with Roy Wood Jr. of “The Daily Show.”
Listen below and be sure to subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher.
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Credit: Curtis Compton/AJC
Credit: Curtis Compton/AJC
GAME DAY. Top-ranked Georgia meets No. 2 Tennessee today in what one Insider believes is the biggest football game to be played in the 93-year history of Sanford Stadium. And GOP Senate nominee Herschel Walker plans to make the most of it.
The Heisman Trophy winner and UGA great will headline a pre-game rally in downtown Athens. He’ll be joined by Burt Jones, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor who also played for the Bulldogs, but frequently tells his audiences he was the shorter and slower of the two.
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BETTING ON BISHOP. National Democrats are spending big in Georgia’s usually safe 2nd Congressional District to push 30-year incumbent U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop over the finish line.
Our fellow Insider, Tia Mitchell, has a look at the dynamics at play in the newly drawn district, where Bishop has deep relationships with Democrats and Republicans alike, but Republican Chris West is hoping national economic headwinds will boost his campaign to unseat the veteran lawmaker.
One unusual challenge facing West are national Republican leaders, who have spent millions of dollars to help GOP candidates in districts in California and New York, but haven’t spent a dollar in the inexpensive media markets in Southwest Georgia.
If West gets close, but not close enough, look for plenty of second guessing that decision by the National Republican Campaign Committee.
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TODAY ON THE TRAIL:
- U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s bus tour will stop in Snellville, Grovetown, and Augusta.
- Herschel Walker and Burt Jones hold a game day rally in Athens ahead of the Georgia-Tennessee game.
- Gov. Brian Kemp is campaigning in Evans this morning.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
- Rapper 2 Chainz and Tina Knowles-Lawson, Beyonce Knowles’ mother, will be the featured guests in a get-out-the-vote rally for Stacey Abrams in Atlanta. Abrams will start her day with events in Savannah and Dublin.
- U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is not on the ballot this year, will be knocking on doors with U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop in Columbus.
- Fulton County Democrats kickoff a young voter canvass with state Rep. William Boddie, the nominee for labor Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner nominee Nakita Hemingway and Bob Christian, the Democratic nominee in the 6th Congressional District.
- State Sen. Jen Jordan, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, is stopping at four canvass launches across metro Atlanta.
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Credit: Mary Altaffer/AP
Credit: Mary Altaffer/AP
TRAIL MIX. Statewide candidates were back on the trail Friday, with just four days left until Election Day. Among the highlights from across the state:
- Herschel Walker campaigned with former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general.
- Gov. Brian Kemp picked up an endorsement from Democrat Kwanza Hall, who also endorsed Burt Jones for lieutenant governor. It’s one of several Democratic endorsements Kemp has rolled out recently.
- Kemp and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made their way through five small-town stops between Atlanta and Athens, with a cameo from Brian Kemp’s mom.
Be sure to check AJC.com each afternoon through Election Day for our “On the Georgia Trail” feature, where we’ll recap the news and notes from the day on the campaign trail in Georgia.
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Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
DIVISIVE LAWSUIT. One of the most controversial bills Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law this year was House Bill 1084, the “divisive concepts” law created to control how race is discussed in Georgia’s k-12 classrooms.
On Friday, the Southern Poverty Law Center announced plans to sue Georgia to overturn the law.
“Laws restricting students’ access to accurate information are unconstitutional,” SPLC Children’s Rights Attorney Brock Boone said in a statement. “Educators across the state are worried they may lose their jobs for discussing race — an inescapable fact and intricate part of our society — and students’ education will suffer. This vague law cannot stand.”
The law prohibits the teaching of nine “divisive concepts” related to race and history. It mirrors a September 2020 executive order by then-President Donald Trump banning similar concepts from federal worker trainings.
The law has been an issue in the race for Georgia’s school superintendent. Democratic nominee Alisha Thomas Searcy says the law prevents teachers from doing their jobs, while Republican incumbent Richard Woods countered that the law allows teachers to review important historical topics.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
REMEMBERING DOOLEY. U.S. Rep. Jody Hice led a bipartisan group of Georgia lawmakers to draft a congressional resolution honoring the life of former Georgia football coach Vince Dooley.
Dooley, who died Oct. 28 at the age of 90, coached the 1980 national championship team and won numerous accolades while serving as head coach from 1963 through the 1988 season.
The resolution will likely be fast-tracked with other non-controversial bills for passage once the House returns to session after the midterms.
The legislation currently has all but one member of the state’s delegation listed as co-sponsors. U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams said she plans to add her name, too.
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THE MARJORIE SHOW. Politico’s Huddle newsletter reported Thursday that a far-right broadcaster is filming a reality television show featuring U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The Daily Mail first noted that Greene and reporter Brian Glenn had been spending time together in Rome, Ga., where she lives.
He tweeted in response: “I’m assisting in a new reality style series that shows her in real life, not fake news. Coming in 2023. #LifeWithMTG.”
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
