Georgia House Democrats walk out of the chamber en masse in protest of a Republican-backed bill to block taxpayer funds from being used to pay for gender-affirming care for state prison inmates. #gapol “Take a walk!” House Democrats chant after bolting from the chamber in defiance of the GOP bill. When I asked House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley whether she worried this could push Republicans further to the right, she said: “There’s not much left” to go. #gapol

The town hall crowd peppers Rep. Rich McCormick with boos and catcalls as he struggles to answer a pointed question from a resident who says she’s a descendant of Patrick Henry who pressed him on whether Trump was moving toward “tyranny.” #gapol

https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1892719791472820246

This is also the most Roswell tweet ever

An *overflow* crowd spills outside Roswell City Hall for a town hall tonight for Republican Rep. Rich McCormick. #gapol Inside, it’s already getting spicy as attendees push back on DOGE-led budget slashing initiatives. #gapol

Republican state Sen. Colton Moore was just arrested by state Troopers after he tried to defy a House order that banned him from the chambers. He was knocked to the floor after a scuffle, and was led away after telling authorities they were denying his rights. #gapol

Fulton County is now starting to report its totals. Georgia’s most populous county, Biden won 73% of Fulton’s vote in 2020. Harris is on a similar track with half the county’s precincts reporting. #gapol Keep an eye on Forsyth County, an exurban GOP stronghold. In 2020, Trump captured Forsyth with nearly two-thirds of the vote. Democrats are working to shave his margins there - winning by losing less - particularly targeting independent women there. #gapol

I’m here at the Kamala Harris rally in DeKalb County. I wandered the crowd of thousands asked voters the same question: What’s going to decide this election in Georgia? I got some intriguing answers. Here’s a thread. #gapol Ashleigh Ewald is an activist working to drive up young voter turnout. “Republicans are underestimating the power of Gen Z voters. We couldn’t vote in 2016. Now we can – and we are energized.”

Here at the Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta, I wandered the crowd of thousands and asked voters the same question: How are you feeling about the Democrat’s chances in Georgia in November. The answers I got ran the gamut from confidence to anxiousness. Here’s a thread. Jed Rich of Atlanta says he’s “hopeful and energized.”
“I view Trump as an existential threat to democracy. My father and both grandfathers are all U.S. military veterans and I think it’s a patriotic duty to vote for Kamala Harris. Trump is anti-democratic and anti-American.”

A glimpse of the crowd awaiting former President Donald Trump’s rally at Cobb Energy Center just northwest of Atlanta. #gapol A Georgia Republican rally tradition: Public Service Commissioner Bubba McDonald sings the National Anthem. #gapol

Three right-wing Republicans behind a series of rules changes praised by Trump face intensifying political pressure as the State Election Board considers new rules for ballot-counting and election certification at its Monday meeting. #gapol ajc.com/politics/trump… Fulton County’s former elections board chair filed an ethics complaint on Friday alleging a series of conflicts of interests, and asking Gov. Kemp to intervene. #gapol

https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1824522915246903758

Just in: Former Fulton County Election Board Chair Cathy Woolard files an ethics complaint against three GOP members of the State Election Board in Georgia, accusing them of maneuvering to “advance their own political preferences.” #gapol

documentcloud.org/documents/2504… The complaint highlights the ovation for the three when Trump praised them at his Atlanta rally, along with comments from one of the members, Rick Jeffares, who told the Guardian he sought a job with the Trump administration if he wins in November. #gapol

Now taking the stage, former President Donald Trump revived a bitter, long-running dispute with state Republicans ahead of his first rally in Georgia since Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as his Democratic rival and transformed the race for the battleground state. #gapol To loud cheers from the audience, Trump says: "Atlanta is like a killing field and your governor ought to get off his ass and do something." #gapol

Just in: A federal judge has struck down Georgia’s congressional and legislative maps, ruling that they violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Georgia lawmakers have until Dec. 8 to draw new lines, setting up a special legislative session. #gapol The ruling is a victory for Democrats and their allies who challenged the maps, contending they illegally diluted the voting power of Black Georgians. And some Democrats were already lining up to run in GOP-leaning districts that could be redrawn. #gapol
ajc.com/politics/why-d…

Brian Kemp on why he’ll back Donald Trump if he wins the GOP nod, even though he tormented the governor for much of the last three years: “Despite all of that, despite all of his other trials and tribulations, he would still be a lot better than Biden." ajc.com/politics/polit… Kemp also urged hardline Republicans in the U.S. House to “pass the damn bill” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown or risk damaging political backlash. And he endorsed maintaining a robust level of military aid for Ukraine. #gapol ajc.com/politics/polit…

A judge has just released the full report compiled by a Fulton County special grand jury that laid the groundwork for the election interference indictments last month against Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants. documentcloud.org/documents/2394… The special grand jury recommended charges be brought against dozens of officials with “respect to the national effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election” — including former U.S. Sens. David Perdue (17-4 vote) and Kelly Loeffler (14-6 vote). #gapol

Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns has some pointed words about a far-right Republican’s fantasy push to impeach Fani Willis in a letter to the GOP caucus.
“Targeting one specific DA in this manner certainly flaunts the idea of separation of powers, if not outright violates it.” 1/





“A select few are calling to defund a duly-elected district attorney of this state and her office in an attempt to interfere with the criminal justice system,” Burns writes of Sen. Colton Moore’s politically impossible call for a special session to oust Willis. #gapol

Two former Georgia GOP officials charged in the sprawling indictment against Donald Trump and his allies turned themselves in to authorities early Wednesday at the Fulton County Jail. #gapol

ajc.com/news/latham-sh… Updates:

https://twitter.com/davidshafer/status/1694303972427763731

Fulton County prosecutors are expected to begin presenting their election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his allies to a grand jury this morning. ajc.com/politics/happe… District Attorney Fani Willis is likely to pursue racketeering charges against Trump and a host of his allies related to their work to overturn the results of Georgia’s last presidential election. She could announce as soon as Tuesday. #gapol ajc.com/politics/happe…

A far-right faction that has gained clout in the Georgia GOP wants to give the state party new powers to block candidates from qualifying to run as Republicans if they’re deemed to be insufficiently conservative or a “traitor” to the party. #gapol ajc.com/politics/polit… “If the candidate has shown himself to be a traitor to the principles of the party, then the party can vote to exclude him from qualifying at the next election.” A proposed Georgia GOP rule change would have big implications. #gapol ajc.com/politics/polit…

In exclusive interviews, five of the 23 special grand jurors recounted to @TamarHallerman & @ajccourts what it was like to be a pivotal — but anonymous — part of an investigation that could lead to criminal charges against Trump and his allies. #gapol ajc.com/politics/exclu… They divulged that they had heard a recording of a phone call Trump placed to late House Speaker David Ralston in which the president asked the fellow Republican to convene a special session of the legislature to overturn Biden’s narrow victory. #gapol ajc.com/politics/exclu…

Not surprisingly, Warnock has a huge early vote advantage as some counties begin to report their totals from the week of early-voting + mail ballots. We are closely watching how Walker does re: Election Day voting — and whether he outdoes his November tally. #gapol #gasen “Get your coffee,” says a Republican strategist as more exurban and rural rallies come in — and the Democrat’s edge tightens. #gapol #gasen

Vince Todd arrived at his Atlanta polling site just before 7 and was about 50th in line.
“I wanted to see who I wanted in there: Warnock,” Todd told @bycassidy. “I believe in him, so I gotta get out there.”
By 7:25 a.m., he walked out with his prized voter sticker. #gapol #gasen Ellyce Payne said addressing poverty and mental health care are the deciding issues for her as she cast her ballot in Cobb. She told @taylor_rcroft she worries about deep partisan rifts. “I’m more focused on who you are as a person and your impact on the community.” #gapol #gasen