Jon Ossoff argues 2026 contest will test Trump’s power, policies

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is increasingly invoking the U.S. war against Iran to argue that the 2026 contest is a check on President Donald Trump’s power and the costs of his policies.

At the Democratic Party of Georgia’s annual gala Saturday, Ossoff sharpened his criticism of what he called “Donald Trump’s war,” lamenting the 13 U.S. troops killed, the mounting casualties and the soaring financial toll.

He argued the conflict has weakened America’s standing abroad while also hitting families at home through higher prices.

“And for all this, the White House said they already need $200 billion after six weeks. That’s 10 years of nationwide pre-K. That’s nine years of paid family and medical leave,” Ossoff said.

A new poll the AJC obtained this morning suggests that message may resonate with many of the swing voters who could decide whether he wins a second term.

The survey by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling showed 53% disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran, compared with 41% who approve, while independent voters broke 63%-31% against him.

The poll also suggests the war’s fallout is bleeding into pocketbook concerns. Some 57% of voters said the billions being spent on the conflict are contributing to higher prices and economic uncertainty for Georgia families, while 30% disagreed.

On gas prices, Trump’s numbers were also underwater, with 56% disapproving of his handling of the rising prices.

Perhaps most notably for Democrats, respondents blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress for the war by a 22-point margin, 55% to 33%, with independents breaking against Republicans by a 44-point spread.

Ossoff used Saturday’s speech to argue that the election is about far more than a single conflict, casting his reelection campaign as part of a broader referendum on Trump’s leadership.

“The founders of our republic must be turning in their graves, and it’s not just the corruption and incompetence,” he said. “It’s this unmistakable project not to lead but to rule us as subjects.”

Things to know

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Good morning! Here are three things to know for today:

Biblical attacks

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is getting downright biblical in his attacks on his chief rival in the GOP race for governor, branding billionaire health care magnate Rick Jackson a “false prophet” during a Sunday campaign stop in northwest Atlanta.

“And I’m saying that on a Sunday to be nice. If you read the Bible, they talk about false prophets. Well guess what? You’ve got one popping into your mailbox and on TV all the time,” he said.

Jones also renewed his charge that Jackson is behind a roughly $20 million barrage of attack ads from an anonymous outside group targeting him, an allegation Jackson has repeatedly denied.

But Jackson wasn’t his only Republican target.

Jones dismissed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as “hiding under the desk” when Trump needed his help in 2020. (Trump had asked Raffensperger to “find” the 11,780 votes he needed to win that election).

And he mocked Attorney General Chris Carr’s tough-on-crime message.

“He’s been attorney general for 10 years. He’s been running around saying, ‘Make crime illegal.’ That’s what his hat says. He’s the attorney general! He’s the chief law enforcement officer!”

Carr’s team shot back: “While the lieutenant governor was blocking real property tax relief, Chris Carr was putting Georgia’s most violent criminals behind bars. Burt Jones must have been too busy looking out for his own family’s interests to notice.”

Strange bedfellows

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

It’s not just Republicans pushing Gov. Brian Kemp to call a special legislative session to remake Georgia’s elections process. Now, some of the state’s most prominent left-leaning voting rights groups are making the same case.

The ACLU of Georgia, the NAACP of Georgia and Common Cause are urging lawmakers to return to Atlanta to push back a looming July deadline to eliminate the QR codes used to tally votes. State lawmakers failed to address the mess before they adjourned earlier this month.

That has created an unusual alignment with MAGA Republicans — but for starkly different reasons. For voting rights advocates, the immediate concern is practical: Counties are now staring at an impending state deadline they can’t meet.

“This has placed counties in an impossible position,” read the letter. “While they are required to administer uniform elections, they do not have the authority to independently change voting systems.”

For Trump allies, the issue is rooted in a fixation with the QR codes themselves stoked by Trump’s defeat. Because voters cannot read the bar codes, they argue there is no way to independently verify what the machines are counting.

Meanwhile, Jones stopped short of saying whether Kemp should call a special session during a campaign stop this weekend. But he said the House’s push to delay the July deadline merely “kicked the can down the road” instead of confronting the problem.

Shut out

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

11Alive will air a debate on Wednesday for the Democratic candidates for governor. But Jason Esteves won’t be there.

Atlanta’s NBC affiliate is only letting candidates participate if they had at least 5% of support “in a professionally conducted, nonpartisan poll released within 120 days of the primary.”

The station said Esteves failed to reach that threshold. 11Alive pointed to a poll from Emerson College and Nexstar Media — the company that owns 11Alive — showing the former state senator at 3.7%, with more than 38% of voters still undecided. That survey was conducted between Feb. 28 and March 2.

A different poll from the end of March had Esteves at 14%. But that poll was commissioned by Penny Brown Reynolds, a Democratic candidate for secretary of state, so it doesn’t meet the station’s “nonpartisan” standard.

“11Alive and Nexstar Media Group’s decision to exclude Jason Esteves from Wednesday’s debate reflects their failure to serve Georgia’s voters and understand a rapidly changing race,” said Aida Ross, a spokesperson for Esteves’ campaign. “Any debate that fails to show the head-to-head between Jason and Keisha Lance Bottoms is divorced from reality.”

Esteves announced an endorsement last week from Georgia Equality, the state’s leading LGBTQ+ organization. And he is one the only major Democratic candidate to pay for TV ads.

Esteves and other major Democratic candidates plan to participate in the Atlanta Press Club debate later this month.

Deja vu

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

Democrat Peter Hubbard got elected to the Public Service Commission last year after one of the leading Democratic candidates, Daniel Blackman, was disqualified for not living in the district he was running in.

Now, Hubbard could benefit from a second residency challenge as he runs for reelection this year.

The Current reports Republican Fitz Johnson is facing a residency challenge as he seeks to reclaim his old District 3 seat. Daniel O’Toole filed a complaint with the secretary of state’s office last month alleging Johnson has “signed and notarized multiple affirmative statements” showing he lives in Cobb County, which is outside of District 3.

The Current’s Mary Landers reports O’Toole has worked for Hubbard’s campaign. Johnson denied the allegations, saying he is a resident of District 3 and “fully meet all legal requirements to serve.”

House strategy

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

House Speaker Jon Burns and his allies are making an unusually aggressive push to recruit Black Republican candidates this cycle, a sign of how seriously they are taking both demographic change and the fight for legislative control.

A dispatch sent over the weekend from a dozen Black GOP candidates underscores that effort. It highlights Republicans running in districts across the state — many in seats with daunting odds in November.

The message is about expanding the party’s map and amplifying Burns’ conservative agenda, from tax cuts and insurance changes to literacy initiatives and school choice.

House Republicans want to show they are not ceding any demographic or any district, even in areas where Democrats have long dominated — just as Democrats are doing in GOP-heavy territory.

Listen up

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, we break down last week’s special election results in the 14th Congressional District and answer questions from listeners.

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.

Condolences

We’re sending our condolence to Esteves, whose mother, Linda, died last week after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Democratic gubernatorial hopeful has been open on the campaign trail about the struggle to care for his mother and the toll being a caregiver takes on families.

In a statement he said his mother was the “most influential person in my life.”

“She taught me to work hard, love my God and leave my community better than I found it,” he said.

Today in Washington

Ad watch

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

State Rep. Jasmine Clark, who is a front-runner in the crowded Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Rep. David Scott, is the first candidate in the race to go up on TV.

“Fighter” and “Truth” are each 15-second spots that will air on broadcast channels in metro Atlanta and online starting today.

Clark’s campaign has also announced that she raised $620,000 from the quarter ending March 30, putting her over the $1 million mark.

“Crossing $1 million raised at this stage in the campaign with no corporate PAC or special interest money is remarkable,” the Lilburn Democrat said in a statement. “Our campaign has over 23,000 grassroots donors who are chipping in an average of just $34 to bring a new generation of leadership to Washington D.C. that is experienced and has a track record of getting results for our community.”

Shoutouts

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

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Before you go

Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC

Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC

Penny Brown Reynolds rolled out a notable show of law enforcement support for her campaign for secretary of state. The Democrat announced endorsements from a coalition of metro Atlanta sheriffs. The endorsers include Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat, DeKalb Sheriff Melody Maddox, Gwinnett Sheriff Keybo Taylor, Henry Sheriff Reginald Scandrett, Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens, Douglas Sheriff Tim Pounds and Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett.

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.