ATLANTA – Incumbent U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath and Rich McCormick are blowing away their opponents in campaign fundraising in their “crisscross” reelection bids heading into the May 21 primaries.
McBath, a Democrat from Marietta, has raised more than $1.5 million during the current election cycle, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
McCormick, a Republican from Suwanee, has raised more than $1.4 million since the beginning of last year, according to his FEC report.
Both incumbents face the challenge of seeking votes from a lot of new potential constituents. The new congressional map the Republican-controlled General Assembly drew last fall ran what had been a Democrat-friendly 7th Congressional District represented by McBath north into heavily Republican Forsyth, Dawson, and Lumpkin counties.
The 6th District, represented by McCormick, was extended into south Cobb, eastern Douglas, and northern Fayette counties, areas favorable to Democrats.
As a result, McBath and McCormick essentially swapped the districts they chose to run in this year. Congressional candidates are not required by law to live in the districts they seek to represent.
The 6th District Democratic race has drawn two well-known challengers to McBath’s bid for a fourth two-year term, but neither have been competitive when it comes to fundraising.
Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson had raised $111,512 through the first quarter, according to her FEC report. State Rep. Mandisha Thomas of South Fulton raised $14,825 in January, February, and March, $12,000 of which came in the form of a loan she made to her campaign.
The lone Republican candidate in the 6th District, Jeff Criswell of Smyrna, raised $12,817 during the first quarter.
Over In the 7th District, Democrat Bob Christian of Dawsonville raised just less than $11,000 during the first quarter in his uphill challenge of McCormick. The incumbent, who is seeking a second term, is unopposed for the Republican nomination.
ATLANTA – A former political aide to Donald Trump carrying the former president’s endorsement is the leading fundraiser in the campaign for the only open seat in Georgia’s congressional delegation.
But a former state senator from Newnan is touting his lead in donations from “grassroots” contributors.
Brian Jack of Fayette County, who served the Trump administration as political director, raised $623,134 during the first quarter of this year, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Jack and five others will vie for the Republican nomination in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District in the May 21 GOP primary. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-West Point, announced in December he wouldn’t seek a fifth term.
Trump encouraged Jack to run for the vacant seat in the heavily Republican district in a posting on Trump’s social media site in March.
“Brian Jack is a great conservative America First candidate,” David Bossie, who served as deputy campaign manager for Trump in 2016, told NBC News. “Brian will fight the failed status quo in D.C. and be a leader for Georgia and America when President Trump is back in the White House.”
But the 3rd District contest, as is typical for any race for an open congressional seat, has drawn a lot of interest. Republican Mike Crane, who served in the Georgia Senate from 2011 through 2016, raised $504,650 in January, February, and March.
Of that amount, $458,650 came from individual donors, topping the $311,096 Jack’s campaign brought in from individual contributors.
“I’m honored to have earned the trust and financial backing of so many Georgians,” Crane said. “One dollar from Georgia speaks louder to me than $100 from DC insiders.”
Another former state senator, Republican Mike Dugan of Carrollton, raised $267,573 during the first quarter, all but about $10,000 from individual donors. Dugan, a former Senate majority leader, left the General Assembly earlier this year to launch his campaign for Congress.
“Just as he did in the legislature, Mike will deliver conservative victories, safeguard West Georgia values and be a leader of whom we are proud,” said Ben Jarrard, Dugan’s campaign manager. “Our fundraising numbers demonstrate the confidence in and local community support of Mike Dugan for Congress.”
Of the other three Republican candidates in the 3rd District, only former state Rep. Phillip Singleton of Fayetteville raised six-digit contribution numbers. His campaign brought in $143,362 in January, February and March.
Jim Bennett of Carroll County raised $35,373, and Ray Blair of Columbus brought in $32,501, according to their FEC reports.
Two heavily underdog Democratic candidates raised less than any of the Republican hopefuls. Maura Keller of Fayetteville brought in $25,520 during the first quarter, while Val Almonord of Columbus raised $19,926.
Health-services jobs hit an all-time high in Georgia last month.
ATLANTA – Georgia’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.1% last month even as the state added 16,200 jobs, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.
The number of jobs reached more than 4.9 million in March, an all-time high.
Job sectors hitting record highs included private education and health services, with 674,900 jobs; leisure and hospitality, with 527,000 jobs; and financial activities, with 283,600 jobs. Construction employment reached 225,200 jobs, the highest in 17 years.
Jobs were down in the film industry, which lost 16,800 jobs between March of last year and last month. Other job sectors suffering losses included administrative and support services, down 12,100 jobs during the past year; and transportation and warehousing, which lost 8,700 jobs during the same period.
Georgia’s labor force hit an all-time high in March at more than 5.3 million, as did the number of employed Georgians, which reached nearly 5.2 million.
The number of unemployed declined slightly to 163,483 Georgians, the lowest since July 2022.
Initial unemployment claims also fell by 22% last month compared to March of last year, to 17,847.
ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp signed a package of tax cut bills Thursday that the General Assembly passed during the recently concluded legislative session.
“All of these bills will help keep money where it belongs – in the pockets of our hardworking families,” Kemp said during a ceremony in Augusta.
The highlight of the package is a measure that will accelerate a reduction in state income taxes that took effect in January. Under House Bill 1015, the tax rate will fall from 5.49% to 5.39%.
To match that, Kemp signed House Bill 1023, which will set Georgia’s corporate income tax rate at the same 5.39% applicable to individual income taxpayers.
House Bill 581 is aimed at limiting annual increases in local property taxes, subject to Georgia voters ratifying a separate constitutional amendment.
House Bill 1021 will increase the state’s child tax credit from $3,000 for each dependent child to $4,000.
Senate Bill 496 will extend the expiration dates of two state tax credits aimed at encouraging the rehabilitation of historic homes.
In an election year, all five bills received overwhelming support from the legislature’s Republican majorities as well as from most Democratic lawmakers.
ATLANTA – A third round of rural housing grants will invest more than $6.3 million in infrastructure improvements that will support more than 123 housing units in three Georgia communities.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced the state’s Rural Workforce Housing Initiative last year during his annual State of the State address. Since then, the General Assembly has allocated more than $85 million to the OneGeorgia Authority to support the program.
“We have already seen a great response to the Rural Workforce Housing program,” Kemp said Wednesday. “This latest round of grants will further strengthen communities experiencing incredible economic growth.”
The third round of grants includes $2.5 million to the city of Savannah for sewer system improvements needed to complete a 66-acre development that will provide 30 new single-family homes and 20 townhouses.
The city of Louisville will get $2.2 million for infrastructure projects necessary for a planned 18-acre subdivision consisting of 46 new homes and townhouses in two phases.
The city of Lyons was awarded a grant of more than $1.6 million for infrastructure improvements needed to complete a subdivision of 27 single-family homes on 14.5 acres.
Two previous rounds of rural housing grants awarded in January and last September provided more than $17 million to nine local government applicants across Georgia.
“With economic growth occurring in every part of the state, demand for workforce housing continues to grow,” said Christopher Nunn, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. “The OneGeorgia Authority is pleased to support these local communities that are pursuing deliberate workforce housing strategies.”
