State Sen. Nabilah Parkes launches campaign for insurance commissioner

State Sen. Nabilah Parkes has entered the race for Georgia insurance commissioner, becoming the latest politician promising to address affordability.

The Duluth Democrat launched her campaign this morning with a pledge to make rising insurance premiums the centerpiece of her challenge to Republican incumbent John King, a former police chief and military veteran who is seeking another term.

“From health insurance to home and auto coverage, Georgia families are facing an affordability crisis on multiple fronts,” Parkes said.

Parkes also accused the office of being too cozy with the industry it regulates, saying it has been “more responsive to insurance executives and lobbyists than regular people.”

Her campaign launch video reinforces that theme, calling King a “puppet for the insurance companies.”

King’s campaign responded with this statement: “You aren’t going to find a bigger difference in candidates, and visions for Georgia’s future, than this one. Bring it on.”

A former party operative, Parkes is among the more progressive members of the Senate Democratic caucus. She has appealed to frustrated Democrats who want a more confrontational style from their politicians.

She modeled an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2020 after liberal New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez before winning a Gwinnett-based state Senate seat in 2022. That made her the first Muslim woman elected to the chamber.

In the state Legislature, she was a reliable supporter of Democratic priorities, including efforts that sought to expand Medicaid and cap insurance prices. She also opposed Gov. Brian Kemp’s sweeping legislation last year to rewrite litigation rules and called for an investigation into insurance industry profits.

Parkes has long had statewide ambitions, including a bid last year to chair the state party. She does not plan to step down from the Senate.

She’s the first Democrat in the race against King, a close Kemp ally who is the first Hispanic elected to statewide political office in Georgia. King briefly launched a campaign for U.S. Senate before pulling back amid pressure from the governor to stay put.

Things to know

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Good morning! A Republican-led Senate committee will release its proposal for eliminating Georgia’s income tax today. But the AJC’s Greg Bluestein and David Wickert got an exclusive peek at the plan.

Here are three other things to know for today:

Campaign watch

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has done more than galvanize Democrats to oppose him. It’s also spurred younger Democrats to challenge older members of their own party.

Across the country, younger Democrats are challenging party stalwarts in safe seats. That includes Georgia, where 79-year-old U.S. Rep. David Scott is facing a crowded field of strong challengers in the primary.

Now, that trend appears to include a veteran state lawmaker. Sabrina Newby, the 57-year-old president of the Coastal Georgia Minority Chamber of Commerce, is challenging 78-year-old Democratic state Rep. Al Williams in Liberty County. Her campaign website declares “new challenges demand new leadership.”

“The rules of the game have changed. We just can’t go in there bare-handed and fight. We have to take everything that we have,” Newby said. “I think I’m a part of the community that feels that it’s time for someone to finally bring that power to the arena.”

Williams, who has been in office since 2003, noted Newby is “not exactly a spring chicken.” He said he will campaign on his record.

“I feel like the seat belongs to the people,” he said. “The people will judge my leadership and my representation. And I’m confident in whatever they decide.”

Burns’ outlook

Credit: Patricia Murphy/AJC

Credit: Patricia Murphy/AJC

House Speaker Jon Burns will hold a news conference today to lay out his priorities for the Legislative session that begins Monday. But we already know some of his thinking after his recent conversation with AJC political columnist Patricia Murphy.

Murphy spent some time with Burns on his farm in Newington, where he told her he expects House members will consider expanding a classroom cellphone ban to include high schools. Lawmakers last year passed a law banning elementary and middle school students from using cellphones during class.

Burns said multiple school systems have already implemented the ban and are reporting positive results.

“I do believe the time is right to address the cellphone issue in high school,” he said.

Burns also acknowledged the sweeping impact that artificial intelligence is having on society, for better and for worse. He said he sees a role for the Legislature to add guardrails in some areas.

“I think it’s almost imperative that we do,” he said, “certainly from a standpoint of how that impacts … the representation of individuals and how they can be falsely represented on social media.”

The Speaker said he’d look to state Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, to take the lead on a possible expansion of a cellphone ban. He said state Rep. Todd Jones, R-Cumming, has been the point person for the House on artificial intelligence.

Jobs report

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

Georgia employers added 1,000 jobs in November, stopping a three-month skid of losses. But it wasn’t enough to keep Georgia’s unemployment rate steady, which rose slightly to 3.5% from 3.4% in September as the state’s labor force increased slightly.

If you’re wondering what happened in October, it looks like we’ll never know. The Georgia Department of Labor said October data is “unavailable” because of the federal government shutdown.

“In November, Georgia’s unemployment rate remains more than a full point below the national average, and we’re seeing job growth in sectors that matter most to hardworking Georgians,” Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes said in a news release.

Georgia’s unemployment rate is still well below the national average of 4.6%.

Suspension

Credit: Hall County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Hall County Sheriff's Office

When lawyers get in trouble with the State Bar of Georgia, they often propose their own punishment — a tactic that can sometimes avoid more stiffer penalties. But it didn’t work out that way for former Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard.

Woodard asked the state Supreme Court for a public reprimand last year following allegations she used taxpayer money for some improper expenses. The court rejected that proposal, saying the punishment did not fit the seriousness of the crime.

Instead, Woodard proposed a suspension of her law license for three to 12 months. On Monday, the court handed down a 12-month suspension — but backdated it to June 26th, when Woodard became an inactive member of the State Bar of Georgia.

Woodard had argued she deserved lighter punishment because her crimes were unintentional and “the amount of misappropriated funds was comparatively small.” The court rejected those arguments, noting: “The facts in this record support the conclusion that most, if not all, of Woodward’s conduct was intentional.”

Those allegations included seeking reimbursement for an LSAT prep course for her daughter and meals at restaurants. She was also accused of seeking reimbursement for the cremation of a dog.

Listen up

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast the AJC’s City Hall reporter Riley Bunch joins the show to discuss the start of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ second term.

You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

House hearing

Credit: Screenshot

Credit: Screenshot

Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson were among the people who testified during a Democratic-led informal U.S. House hearing on Tuesday to mark five years since supporters of President Donald Trump breached the Capitol.

Johnson, D-Lithonia, was among a group of lawmakers and journalists who were temporarily trapped inside the House chamber in the upper-level gallery as rioters tried to break in. (Our own Tia Mitchell was also in this group.)

“I watched as the speaker was extracted from the chair and my colleagues evacuated from the floor,” Johnson said. “What would happen to us in the gallery, I thought. The situation became scary, dire and dangerous. I felt like a sitting duck in those moments.”

Duncan, who was a top Republican at the time, spoke about facing threats after resisting Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. He’s now a Democrat running for governor.

“I stood up to him and, make no mistake about it, it instantly put a target on my back,” Duncan said. “Our family had fully armed state patrol officers positioned outside our house because our family received death threats virtually every time Donald Trump went to Twitter and lied about me.”

Duncan used the platform talk up his campaign and take digs at current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who at the time was a state senator supporting Trump’s “stop the steal” campaign. Jones is now the Trump-endorsed GOP candidate in the governor’s race.

“It’s this willingness to put Trump above all else that is the fundamental difference, not only between myself and Burt Jones, but also between Trump’s Republican Party and the rest of us who believe in service to others above self-interest,” Duncan said.

Duncan and Jones are bitter rivals, a feud that sharpened in 2021 when Duncan demoted Jones for backing baseless claims of election fraud.

“Measuring Geoff Duncan’s support requires only a mirror — and an echo,” Jones’ campaign spokesperson Kayla Lott said.

Today in Washington

Shoutouts

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.

Before you go

Credit: Drew Angerer

Credit: Drew Angerer

A Georgia resident has claimed a $983 million Mega Millions jackpot, the largest lottery prize in state history. The win is expected to net Georgia about $20 million in taxes.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can 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.

This story has been updated to add a response from John King’s campaign for insurance commissioner.