by Dave Williams | Nov 5, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The makeup of Georgia’s congressional delegation likely will remain unchanged, as voters were poised Tuesday night to reelect 13 of the 14 U.S. House lawmakers and choose Republican Brian Jack to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Drew Ferguson.
The result would leave Republicans with the same 9-5 majority the GOP won two years ago.
Jack, the newcomer and a former aide to former President Donald Trump, was leading Democrat Maura Keller in the 3rd Congressional District in west-central Georgia, according to unofficial results. Jack had amassed 67% of the vote to 33% for Keller.
Two congressional incumbents were headed toward reelection after flipping districts thanks to the new congressional map the Republican-controlled General Assembly drew last year.
Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, switched from the 7th District to the 6th District after the legislature reformed the 7th into a heavily Republican district and redrew the 6th to favor Democrats. The new 6th District includes central and southern Fulton County, south Cobb, eastern Douglas, and northern Fayette counties.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee, switched from the 6th to the 7th, which now includes GOP-friendly northern Fulton County, all of Forsyth, Dawson, and Lumpkin counties, eastern Cherokee County and western Hall County.
On Tuesday, McBath racked up 75% of the vote in defeating Republican Jeff Criswell, while McCormick won 65% of the vote in besting Democrat Bob Christian.
The other reelected incumbents included Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Savannah; Sanford Bishop, D-Albany; Hank Johnson, D-Stone Mountain; Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta; Austin Scott, R-Tifton; Andrew Clyde, R-Athens; Mike Collins, R-Jackson; Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville; Rick Allen, R-Augusta; David Scott, D-Atlanta; and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome.
Bishop, the longest serving member of Georgia’s congressional delegation, was the only incumbent in that group with less than 60% of the vote. With 26 of 30 counties reporting in Southwest Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District as of 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, Bishop was leading with 53% of the vote to 47% for Republican challenger Wayne Johnson.
by Dave Williams | Nov 5, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Georgia voters were poised to overwhelmingly approve two tax-relief measures on the statewide ballot Tuesday night, while a third tax-related proposal held a smaller lead.
With 122 of the state’s 159 counties reporting, a constitutional amendment offering property tax relief had racked up 63% of the total, according to unofficial results.
A second proposal on the statewide ballot increasing the exemption on Georgia’s personal property tax also was headed toward passage with 66% of the vote.
The property tax relief measure – Constitutional Amendment One – would prohibit local governments from raising residential property assessments in a given year by more than the annual rate of inflation, even if a home’s market value has gone up more.
Cities, counties and school districts would be allowed to opt out of the provision if they choose. However, any local government that wishes to go that route would have to advertise its intent to do so and hold at least three public hearings.
Referendum A would increase the exemption on personal property taxes from $7,500 to $20,000. While the exemption would benefit all Georgians, supporters pitched it as aimed mainly at small business owners.
Constitutional Amendment Two was ahead Tuesday night but by a narrower margin than the two tax-relief measures. The amendment calling for the creation of a state tax court was supported by 51% of the voters to 49% opposed.
Supporters argued the new court would be staffed with judges who have expertise to decide cases related to the assessment and collection of state or local taxes. The same argument carried the day back in 2018 when voters approved the creation of a Statewide Business Court.
by Dave Williams | Nov 5, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – A Georgia poll worker has been arrested and charged with mailing a letter to the Jones County election superintendent threatening poll workers.
Nicholas Wimbish, 25, of Milledgeville was serving as a poll worker at the Jones County Elections Office on Oct. 16 when he allegedly had a verbal altercation with a voter. The next day, he allegedly mailed a letter addressed to the Jones County election superintendent purportedly from a “Jones County voter.”
The letter threatened that poll workers “should look over their shoulder,” and that “I know where they all live.” It concluded with a handwritten note that said, “PS boom toy in early vote place.”
Wimbish was charged with mailing a bomb threat, conveying false information about a bomb threat, mailing a threatening letter, and making false statements to the FBI. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.
Wimbish’s arrest was part of the U.S. Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Since June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers to ensure they are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation.
by Dave Williams | Nov 4, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – A record-smashing 4 million Georgians voted before Election Day this year, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office reported during the weekend.
The 3.76 million who cast their ballots in person and the 242,620 who voted absentee by mail combined to account for 55.3% of the electorate, leaving fewer than half of Georgia voters to cast their ballots at the polls on Election Day Tuesday.
“This was the most successful early-voting period in Georgia history because voters trust the process,” Raffensperger said. “Four years of progress brought us here. We’re battle-tested and ready.”
As of Saturday morning, an unprecedented 92 of Georgia’s 159 counties had exceeded 50% turnout.
This year’s early voting totals far surpassed the 2.7 million votes cast during the early voting period prior to the last presidential election in 2020.
Raffensperger said his office identified four individuals who may have violated state law by using various tactics to try to cast multiple ballots during the early voting period. If an investigation turns up violations of the law, the secretary of state’s office will refer those cases to local district attorneys.
The polls open across Georgia at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 7 p.m.
by Dave Williams | Nov 3, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Former President Donald Trump devoted much of his final campaign rally in Georgia Sunday night to illegal immigration.
The Republican nominee to return to the White House brought the mother of a murder victim to the stage at the Atrium Health Amphitheater.
Minelys Rodriguez-Ramirez, 25, of Cornelia, was last seen near a Walmart on Oct. 22 and reported missing Oct. 23. After her remains were discovered last week, Angel DeJesus Rivera-Sanchez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested and charged with murder.
“The animal who murdered Mimi was an illegal alien,” Trump said. “We have to deport these murderers, drug dealers, terrorists.”
Rodriguez-Ramirez’ mother, Carmen, gave Trump a ringing endorsement from the podium.
“Everybody has to vote because that’s the only way we’re going to save our country,” she said.
Trump also reprised many of the themes that have drawn enthusiastic applause at previous rallies in Georgia, a battleground state he has visited frequently in recent weeks.
“Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Trump asked the crowd shortly after hitting the stage.
“Kamala broke it, and I’ll fix it!” he added, echoing a line from a campaign ad blaming Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, for ills plaguing the nation during the last four years including inflation.
Trump promised to double down on the tax cuts he steered through Congress in 2017, his first year in office.
“I gave you the biggest tax cut in history, and you’ll get more,” he said.
Trump also repeated his “Drill, baby drill” mantra, promising more aggressive oil exploration aimed at making the U.S. energy independent.
Democrats have countered Trump’s stand on illegal immigration by citing statistics showing the crime rate among immigrants is lower than among native-born Americans.
In her campaign ads, Harris has argued that the tax cut Trump is promising would mostly benefit the wealthy, while she would reduce taxes on 100 million middle-class Americans.
