Democratic Party memo argues Georgia’s political momentum is shifting left

Georgia Democrats are feeling bullish about their chances of retaking the Governor’s Mansion — and they’re eager to project it.

In an internal strategy memo sent out this morning, party chair Charlie Bailey brands the GOP primary a self-inflicted bloodbath and unveils a new “Peach State Gubernatorial War Room” to target Republicans through November.

The memo points to national handicappers rating Georgia among the likeliest gubernatorial flips and argues the state’s political momentum is shifting left.

“We clearly have momentum on our side, and Georgia Democrats are clear-eyed in our commitment to elect a governor who will actually work to make life better — and more affordable — for the people of Georgia,” the memo reads.

The memo comes as a poll obtained by the AJC suggests former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is tightening her grip on the Democratic field.

The survey of likely Democratic voters from Education Reform Now Advocacy shows Bottoms at 42%, ahead of former DeKalb County chief executive Michael Thurmond at 12%, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan at 8% and former state Sen. Jason Esteves at 6%. About one-third remain undecided.

The poll, conducted by Concord Public Opinion Partners, also found Bottoms leading hypothetical runoffs against each of her closest rivals.

Bottoms’ rivals are making clear they’re not conceding anything.

At a Georgia Association of Manufacturers forum in Atlanta on Tuesday, Thurmond pitched himself as a tested executive.

“Judge me, not on my promises, but on performing during the most challenging times in the history of our state,” he said.

Duncan cast himself as the most electable in the field:

“You’ve got a governor candidate in this race that’s staying laser focused on the issues that matter most — the affordability crisis, the health care crisis and the Donald Trump crisis — that seem to get worse by the hour. And I’m the only one focused on those three issues every minute of every day.”

And Esteves framed his bid as both resistance and renewal.

“I’m going to fight back against Donald Trump and also focus in on what matters, which is ultimately health, wealth and opportunity,” he said.

Things to know

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Closing time

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

Republicans running for governor sharpened their closing arguments during a Georgia Association of Manufacturers forum Tuesday.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones argued that every candidate talks about cutting taxes and slashing regulations, but said he’s the only one with a record of actually doing it. He also emphasized Trump’s endorsement.

“Everybody else wouldn’t want it if it didn’t matter. I’m proud to have the president endorsement,” he said. “Obviously it propelled me to victory in ’22, and I fully expect it will pay big dividends this time around.”

Billionaire health care tycoon Rick Jackson told the audience he was in the race for the right reasons.

“I don’t have to do this, period,” he said. “The only reason is I want to have an impact for helping kids and other people that do not have a voice.”

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger emphasized economic stewardship, saying: “I’m going to be the governor that actually encourages business to come here, encourage businesses to grow their businesses here and create more great-paying jobs.”

And Attorney General Chris Carr cast himself as the logical alternative for voters tired of the Jones-Jackson bashing.

“There’s one really rich guy that’s trying to buy this election, and there’s one really rich guy’s dad who’s trying to buy this election,” he said. “And then there’s one guy that’s trying to earn it, and that’s me”

Making the grade

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock on Tuesday extracted potentially valuable intel for Democrats: an implicit acknowledgment from Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Reserve Board of Governors that the economy might not be doing so great heading into the midterms.

Warnock was questioning Kevin Warsh, who is Trump’s pick to replace Jerome Powell at the Fed. Warnock brought up Trump’s comments, made about four months ago, that the economy was “A-plus plus plus plus plus plus plus.”

Warnock asked Warsh what grade he would give the economy. After some playful banter about how elite universities never give anyone less than an A, Warsh said he believed “if the Fed were to execute on a series of policy reforms, then I believe the economy can be stronger.”

“I think the Fed is not blameless for the divergence you describe between those that have financial assets and those that don’t,” he added.

Warnock quickly noted that “implicit in your testimony is the recognition that this is not an A-plus plus economy.”

Roblox settlements

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Roblox says it will increase protections for children who use its gaming platform after reaching multimillion-dollar settlements with three states.

The online gaming giant recently inked deals with Nevada, Alabama and West Virginia. The Nevada settlement was announced last week while the other two happened Tuesday.

The Associated Press reports nearly half of U.S. children under 16 use Roblox. The Nevada settlement includes a pledge from the company to give $10 million to various nondigital programs like the Boys & Girls Club.

In Georgia, Carr — the attorney general who is also running for governor — launched an investigation of Roblox earlier this year. He pointed to a case where the Georgia State Patrol recovered two girls who went missing from their home in Florida after communicating with a 19-year-old on Roblox.

Liberal swoon

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s recent rally in Augusta has Washington pundits comparing him to another young, up-and-coming Democratic senator who had a way with words: Barack Obama.

The Bulwark’s Sam Stein glowingly described Ossoff’s familiar monotone at the rally as “calming, but also piercing,” and an example for other Democratic candidates to follow this cycle.

“This is how you run against Trump,” he said.

Sarah Longwell likewise praised the senator for attacking Trump directly with lines like, “He’s a crook and everybody knows it.” And she said he has other assets working for him, too.

“His dimple is working, that shirt is tight across his chest. He is as handsome as …” You get the picture.

With even Republicans predicting that Ossoff’s 2026 reelection will be an uphill battle for the GOP, don’t be shocked if talk of Ossoff running for president in 2028 isn’t far behind.

Listen up

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, Politico’s Jonathan Martin joins the show to talk about his recent interview with Gov. Brian Kemp at the Masters and what it revealed about Kemp’s political future.

You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on 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.

Today in Washington

GOP endorsement boost

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Newly elected U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller is jumping quickly into another marquee Georgia race, endorsing U.S. Rep. Mike Collins’ campaign for Senate.

The backing gives Collins a boost from one of the GOP’s newest rising figures after Fuller’s closely watched victory in Georgia’s 14th District.

Fuller, who was endorsed by Trump in that race, framed Collins as the candidate best positioned to win both the primary and general election.

Their alliance comes as little surprise. Collins was an early backer of Fuller’s campaign, and the two share a key adviser in Brandon Phillips.

Shoutouts

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

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Before you go

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

The University of Georgia women’s tennis team, which won a national championship in May, was among the collegiate teams that attended a celebration at the White House on Tuesday.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider information to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.