Politically Georgia

The World Series is stage is so big, politics is also playing a role. In this week’s Politically Georgia Podcast, our AJC political insiders Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy discuss how Gov. Brian Kemp is using Atlanta’s World Series appearance to his advantage. Plus, why a major battle could be brewing for Gov. Kemp’s job next year and finally how Herschel Walker’s opponents are bringing up his past domestic abuse allegations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats fail to get a debate going on the voting rights bill in the Senate. Our political insiders Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell look at what that means going forward, how it will affect other legislature President Biden is trying to pass and will they remove the filibuster to do it. Plus, how Herschel Walker is going against Donald Trump for the first time and why it’s a risky move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a special edition of the Politically Georgia Podcast. AJC political insider Greg Bluestein is joined by city hall reporters Wilborn P. Nobles III and J.D. Capelouto to continue our in-depth coverage of the Race for City Hall. In this episode we look at what has really mattered from an onslaught of mayoral debates in the last week. Why Kasim Reed and Felicia Moore are starting to separate themselves and what to the other candidates need to do to pick off undecided voters. We also dig into what our journalists found asking residents of seven Atlanta neighborhoods what they want from the next mayor. Finally why this is considered silly season in the campaign.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AJC’s political insiders Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy have been around the state (and other states) this week to make sure you know what’s really going on. In this episode, we preview former President Donald Trump’s rally in Perry to support senate candidate Herschel Walker and others. Plus what Stacy Abrams is saying about her political future as she starts her nationwide tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy look back at the questions they thought would define Georgia politics in 2025 and how events actually unfolded. They examine Donald Trump’s renewed influence on the state, from federal policy shifts to actions at the Capitol, and the political fallout from the collapse of the Fulton County election interference case. The episode also looks ahead to 2026, including Governor Brian Kemp’s decision not to run for U.S. Senate, the crowded Republican field that followed, and why Democrats see new opportunities heading into the next election cycle. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy dig into the growing use of AI-generated political ads in Georgia, including concerns that the technology could mislead voters as the 2026 campaign cycle ramps up. They explain why state lawmakers want clearer disclosure rules, how those efforts could clash with federal law, and why both parties expect AI to become a permanent feature of modern campaigning. In the second segment, the hosts turn to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and scrutiny surrounding campaign funding as he runs for governor. They discuss how candidates are building war chests early, what fundraising signals about the race ahead, and why money could be one of the defining factors in Georgia’s crowded 2026 field. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the one-year mark since President Jimmy Carter’s death, hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy reflect on Carter’s lasting legacy in his hometown of Plains and what it means for Georgia today. Patricia shares voices from the community that helped shape Carter’s life and values, offering a portrait of how the small town continues to carry his example forward. Then they turn to the 2026 campaign trail, as Patricia takes listeners inside her reporting with two Democratic candidates for governor. Through conversations in Columbus and beyond, she explores how candidates Jason Esteves and Michael Thurmond are grounding their campaigns in personal stories, economic pressures, and appeals to hope as Georgia’s next political chapter begins. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell examine the deepening divide over health care as enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire, threatening steep premium increases for more than one million Georgians. They break down why Congress failed to act, the political risks for both parties, and how health care affordability is shaping the 2026 election landscape. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell examine how Donald Trump continues to loom over Georgia politics, from congressional battles in Washington to the early maneuvering for the state’s 2026 elections. They break down how Trump’s influence is shaping Republican strategy, complicating policy debates like health care and government funding, and forcing Democrats to calibrate their messaging in a deeply divided state. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the explosive testimony from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis before a newly formed Georgia Senate investigative committee. They describe a tense, highly political hearing marked by sharp exchanges, questions about her handling of the Trump election interference case, and clear ambitions from Republican lawmakers eyeing higher office. The hosts also examine what the testimony means for Willis’ future, how lawmakers could still try to rein in local prosecutors, and why the fight over her conduct is far from over even as the underlying case is effectively dead. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein is joined by Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King, who warns Republicans are at risk of falling behind after recent Democratic victories and urges the party to sharpen its message on affordability, insurance costs, and voter engagement ahead of 2026. Then, Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon joins Greg to assess what went wrong in recent elections, defend the party’s record on the economy, and lay out the GOP’s strategy for holding the Senate seat currently held by Jon Ossoff. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy are joined by Rep.-elect Eric Gisler, who explains how Democrats flipped a northeast Georgia House seat by focusing on affordability, health care access, and voter fatigue with partisan extremes. In the second segment, Georgia Democratic Party chair Charlie Bailey joins the show to discuss what the victory means for 2026, how Democrats plan to compete in traditionally Republican territory, and why party leaders believe recent wins point to a broader opening heading into a pivotal election year. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein breaks down the surprise Democratic victory in a northeast Georgia special election and what it signals for 2026 as both parties recalibrate their affordability messaging. Then Washington bureau chief Tia Mitchell joins Greg for the Monday Mailbag segment to answer listener questions on independent voters, political labels, and Georgia’s fast-growing data center debate. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and AJC Washington bureau chief Tia Mitchell break down the Senate vote on health care subsidies and the political risks as Congress races toward year-end deadlines. They also examine Marjorie Taylor Greene’s upcoming resignation, her split with Donald Trump, and the early maneuvering to fill her seat in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AJC Washington bureau chief Tia Mitchell sits down for an extended and candid conversation with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene as she reflects on her decision to resign from Congress, her high-profile split with President Donald Trump, and the political and personal pressures that shaped her final months in office. Greene discusses the evolution of her relationship with Trump, growing policy rifts, her push to release the Epstein files, and the threats and backlash that followed. She also talks about her record in Congress, her district work, and what life after Washington might look like. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down what to expect from Georgia’s 2026 legislative session as lawmakers brace for a turbulent election-year showdown under the Gold Dome. With Governor Brian Kemp entering his final session, five senators running for lieutenant governor, and multiple statewide candidates shaping their agendas from inside the Capitol, Greg and Patricia Murphy outline why Republicans fear appearing chaotic and why Democrats see opportunity. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein and AJC business reporter Zach Hansen break down Georgia’s fast-growing data center boom, including a proposed $21 billion project in Forsyth that’s raising questions about power demand, water use, and local pushback. Then Washington bureau chief Tia Mitchell joins Greg for the Monday Mailbag to answer listener questions on 2026 politics, tax proposals, and the latest moves from Georgia’s biggest contenders. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein and Washington correspondent Tia Mitchell break down Congress’ return to the Hill for a packed December, with only a handful of working days to address health care subsidies, shutdown pressures, and new scrutiny facing Congressman Mike Collins. Then, Greg talks with AJC reporter Zach Hansen about the fallout from the Hyundai immigration raid and why it’s straining relations between Georgia and South Korea. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy are joined by Tia Mitchell for a conversation with state Rep. Houston Gaines, the early Republican frontrunner for the open Northeast Georgia congressional seat. Gaines outlines why he’s running for Congress, his record on immigration, public safety, and parental leave, and why affordability is the issue he hears most from voters. Then Patricia shares her reporting from the campaign trail with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves. She follows him at his Flying Biscuit Café and then tours the city of Columbus with him as he talks about growing up in hardship, the cost-of-living pressures shaping his platform, and why he believes lived experience and economic opportunity are resonating with Democratic voters in 2026. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, and Tia Mitchell break down the stunning decision that ended Fulton County’s election interference case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants. AJC senior reporter Tamar Hallerman explains how misconduct allegations, a failed search for a new prosecutor, and a blistering review of key charges led to the case’s collapse. She also details what it means for Georgia’s “fake electors,” the Ruby Freeman investigation, and why Fulton County taxpayers could now be on the hook for millions in legal fees. The hosts dig into the political consequences for Fani Willis as state lawmakers ramp up their probes and as questions loom over her future in public life. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices