During Georgia visit, Wes Moore blasts Republicans ahead of Trump address

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore made it clear Tuesday that Georgia is a top priority for national Democrats.

Moore spoke at the opening of a Democratic field office in East Point on the same day speculation swirled in Washington that President Donald Trump planned a primetime speech that could again falsely allege that the 2020 election in Georgia was stolen.

“(Republicans) should be embarrassed,” Moore told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview. “And every one of them should be asked the question every single day: ‘Do you stand by this? Is this how the president should be spending his time?’ I don’t know how you defend this again and again.”

On the campaign front, Moore said Democrats need to invest more resources in the South, including Georgia, where he said opportunity is real for the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor.

A potential 2028 presidential contender, Moore is also the first Black governor of Maryland. Bottoms would be the first Black governor of Georgia — and the first Black woman governor in America — if she wins in November.

“I am the only Black governor in America. I just don’t want that title for very long,” Moore said. “I do take some of this up personally, and that’s why I think being down here and wanting to support Keisha on this journey, it matters to me.”

Moore said that while Ossoff has proved uniquely talented at pushing back against the Trump administration, Bottoms would have a different role as a chief executive with the power to advance policy changes on healthcare, education and the economy.

“Keisha’s job is not to push back. Keisha’s job is to push forward,” he said.

Anna Marian Block, a spokesperson for the Republican Governors Association, said Moore’s trip was a sign of desperation for Georgia Democrats, not strength. “National Democrats are parachuting into Georgia because they know Keisha Lance Bottoms can’t sell her own record to Georgians.”

Things to know

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

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

A ‘drag’

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins’ former GOP rival doesn’t see much reason for optimism about the Republican’s chances against Ossoff.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, the third-place finisher in the May GOP primary, offered a bleak assessment of the race during an interview with Julie Mason on SiriusXM.

“Unfortunately, our Senate candidate is way behind,” Carter said, pointing to a Fox News poll that showed Ossoff with a 13-point lead. He also said that is “a lot of ground to make up.”

And Carter warned that a “drag at the top of the ticket” could make life tougher for Republicans in downballot races.

“All of our statewide elected officials are up for reelection and it’s going to be tough,” he said. “The state Senate is in good shape. The state House, I think it’s probably going to be tight there as well.”

Carter, R-St. Simons Island, did walk some of those comments back when we followed up with him on Tuesday. He said he wants to make it clear he backs Collins as the party’s nominee and hopes that he will unseat Ossoff.

“I may have misspoken and misled people to believe that I wasn’t supporting the Republican candidate, but I am,” he said. “And you know, it’s still early, and polls will change and that race is going to tighten.”

Hot seats

Credit: US Department of Health and Huma

Credit: US Department of Health and Huma

The U.S. Senate will take its first step Wednesday toward confirming a new leader for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will vet Erica Schwartz, Trump’s pick to lead the CDC after the abrupt firing of former director Susan Monarez last year.

Schwartz was the deputy surgeon general during the pandemic. Now, she’s president of insurance solutions at UnitedHealth Group. If confirmed, she’s promised to resign from UnitedHealth and the boards of two other healthcare companies to avoid a conflict of interest.

Schwartz won’t be the only one in the hot seat today. During the same hearing, senators will question Sean Kaufman of Woodstock, whom Trump has nominated to be assistant secretary for preparedness and response for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kaufman’s career includes stints at Emory and the CDC. But he’ll likely be questioned about a now-deleted LinkedIn post where he questioned giving hepatitis B vaccines to infants over fears it can be linked to autism.

Unity

Credit: Sarah Peacock

Credit: Sarah Peacock

While Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is still withholding support from Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson, Democrats are moving quickly to show their unity behind Bottoms.

Former state Sen. Jason Esteves, the runner-up to Bottoms in the May Democratic primary, left little doubt about his plans in a social media post, writing: “Well, I look forward to voting for Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jon Ossoff and Georgia Democrats up and down the ballot. Let’s go!”

Jackson’s allies aren’t panicking about Jones’ holdout.

They point to a Fox News poll conducted after the runoff that showed Jackson winning 93% of Republicans, close to Bottoms’ 95% support among Democrats.

Among self-identified MAGA Republicans, Jackson drew 98% support, compared with 96% for Collins.

Listen up

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, strategist Howard Franklin joins the show to talk about how the South is benefiting from a shift in political and economic power and what that means for Georgia when it comes to data center growth, the governor’s race and the possibility of divided government.

You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 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.

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Before you go

Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The U.S. House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent. But the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Georgia already has a law on the books to make the change should Congress act.

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.