Amid GOP infighting, Georgia Democrats lean on unity for an early edge

Politically Georgia

Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.

Keisha Lance Bottoms (right), the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia, hugs her husband, Derek, after winning the primary Tuesday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Today’s newsletter highlights

• Democratic voters helped reelect two state Supreme Court justices.
• Republican state Rep. Bill Werkheiser lost his primary Tuesday.
• U.S. Rep. Mike Collins rolls out new endorsements in the Senate race.

Early edge

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks during a rally at the Georgia International Convention Center in February. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

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Things to know

Supporters celebrate Tuesday night after Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for governor. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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• The Voting Rights Act changed Georgia. Now Black officials fear the worst, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman reports.
• Tuesday’s results showed once again that Black women power the Democratic Party in Georgia, Greg Bluestein reports.
• Money isn’t everything, but it sure helped healthcare executive Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the Republican primary for governor, Patricia Murphy writes.

Supreme court

Georgia Supreme Court candidates Miracle Rankin (left) and Jen Jordan hold a news conference on voting rights outside of the Fulton County Government Center last month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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Legislative update

State Rep. Bill Werkheiser, R-Glennville, seen here in 2024. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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• Upset alerts. Werkheiser is the only incumbent to lose so far. The Glennville Republican lost to Bradley Anderson, a funeral director and coroner in Tattnall County. Another incumbent in trouble is Democrat Mary Ann Santos, who finished second to Kim Smith in District 117 in a five-way race. The two will face off in a runoff June 16. Democrat Sheila Nelson is hoping to avoid a runoff in House District 130. The AP has not called the race as she leads with 50.3% over three challengers.
• Party switcher. Former state House Democratic Leader Doug McKillip lost his House seat after he switched parties in 2010. Now, he’s trying to make a comeback in Senate District 45. McKillip will face Marc McMain in a runoff next month for a chance to replace state Sen. Bill Cowsert, who gave up his seat to run for attorney general (he lost).
• Moving up. State Reps. Saira Draper and Teddy Reese both won Democratic primaries for seats in the state Senate. State Rep. Ruwa Romman is in a runoff with Rahul Garabadu to replace former state Sen. Nabilah Parkes, who is in a runoff with state Sen. Josh McLaurin for lieutenant governor.

Endorsement battle

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (left) and former football coach Derek Dooley will face each other in the June 16 runoff in the Republican primary for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat. (AJC file photos)

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Deep dive

The blue represents precincts that voted for Supreme Court Justice Charlie Bethel. The orange represent precincts that voted for challenger Miracle Rankin. (AJC)

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Listen up

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks during a news conference on the Voting Rights Act last month. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)

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Warnock speaks out

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled 6-3 that state legislatures can eliminate minority opportunity districts that were previously required or allowed under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. (Rahmat Gul/AP)

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Housing bill compromise

The U.S. Capitol at sunrise in October. (Alex Kent/The New York Times)

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Today in Washington

• Trump will join Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for an announcement.
• The House will vote on a war powers resolution limiting further strikes in Iran and on legislation regarding the location of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
• The Senate could vote on amendments to the reconciliation bill being crafted to fund immigration enforcement.

Shoutout

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• Cedartown City Commissioner Matt Foster.

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Before you go

Chickens travel down a conveyer belt at the Mar-Jac Poultry processing plant in Gainesville in this 2003 file photo. (Kimberly Smith/AJC)

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ruoy uoy su .yadot ot ,[email protected] dnes ,spoocs [email protected] ti redisni noitamrofni ,[email protected] pissog rof od nac tseb dna dna ,syawla [email protected] ll’tahT sA

Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the “Politically Georgia” podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.

Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the “Politically Georgia” podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.

Patricia Murphy is the AJC’s senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Patricia Murphy is the AJC’s senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Adam Beam is the deputy politics editor.

Adam Beam is the deputy politics editor.