News from the South - Georgia News Feed

Georgia GOP U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter enters 2026 Senate race after Kemp bows out

Published

4 months ago

May 9, 2025

georgiarecorder.com – Stanley Dunlap – 2025-05-09 02:00:00

by Stanley Dunlap, Georgia Recorder
May 9, 2025

Georgia Republican Congressman Buddy Carter announced Thursday that he’ll run for Senate in 2026, entering into what’s sure to be a crowded field of Republican candidates looking to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Carter, who’s serving his sixth term as congressman representing a coastal Georgia district, launched his campaign with an ad declaring himself an ardent backer of the MAGA agenda to “put America first.”

The Pooler Republican is entering the race days after presumptive GOP favorite Gov. Brian Kemp announced he was declining to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026.

“Last November, Georgia spoke, but Jon Ossoff doesn’t care,” the Carter campaign ad says. “He fought against President Trump securing our border, and voted for men in girls sports. Jon Ossoff is on the wrong side. Trump has a warrior in Buddy Carter.”

Ossoff’s U.S. Senate campaign manager Ellen Foster said their campaign was unfazed by Carter’s announcement.

“Sen. Ossoff will defeat any challenger,” she said in a statement. “While the GOP primary field scrambles to outmaneuver each other and audition for Donald Trump’s support, Senator Ossoff’s campaign is already building the most effective and unstoppable turnout effort in Georgia’s history.”

Since 2015, Carter has represented Georgia’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Savannah. Carter serves on the House Budget, Energy and Commerce committees in Congress. He previously served in the Georgia Legislature for a decade.

Carter becomes the first established Republican candidate to publicly declare for the Senate race. Among the other candidates who have indicated interest are Reps. Mike Collins of Jackson and Insurance Commissioner John King.

Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, another stalwart Trump ally, was considered a possible candidate, but she announced on social media Friday that she does not plan to run.

Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman Charlie Bailey said Carter’s alignment with Trump’s policies puts him at a disadvantage.

“Buddy Carter jumping out of the gate as a self-described ‘MAGA warrior’ only means that over the next eighteen months he will have to own Donald Trump’s tariffs that are increasing costs for Georgia businesses and families, Medicaid cuts, anti-abortion extremism, devastating budget cuts hitting seniors, veterans, and kids, and so much more,” Bailey said in a statement.

“Georgia Republicans are clearly heading towards a messy, chaotic, and disastrous primary,” he said.

Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie said Carter’s announcement is part of a strategic plan to gain name recognition in a contest that is expected to be highly competitive with no clear front runner.

Gillespie said Carter will look to appeal to Trump supporters without polarizing a segment of voters who like another potential candidate.

The Senate election will show where Georgia’s shifting political parties stand after the pandemic-affected 2020 election and the 2022 midterm election in which Republicans regained some control, Gillespie said.

“If we look at 2022 in the other statewide races, it looked like Georgia was coming back to equilibrium with Republicans winning, albeit by single digit margin, even though in many instances it was healthy single digit margins,” Gillespie said. “But when (U.S. Sen.) Raphael Warnock won over Herschel Walker, it reinforced the idea that Georgia has become competitive enough that if the Republican candidate is really problematic Democrats have a shot at winning.”

“The 2024 presidential election also reflected what is probably still the norm of Georgia in that the state probably still leans Republican,” Gillespie added. “Even understanding that those national conditions might be a little bit more favorable for Democrats this year, Georgia still looks like it’s leaning Republican.”

Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, anticipates that whichever Republican Senate candidate emerges from the primary in 2026 will close some of the gap in polling against Ossoff.

He said the harder part is becoming as popular as Kemp in state politics.

“What Kemp’s term as governor has shown is that people approve of the job he’s done, and therefore he attracts large numbers of independents and even some Democrats,” Bullock said. “So it doesn’t mean that other Republicans couldn’t do that, but they’ve got to work a lot harder to get there.”

So far, the Democratic Party is making the Senate race a referendum on Trump, Bullock said.

“How much of a vulnerability that proves to be in a general election will in part depend upon what the state of the economy is,” he said.

Georgia Recorder reporter Ross Williams contributed to this report.

This post was updated at 9 a.m. on May 10 after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she will not run for Senate in 2026.

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Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.

The post Georgia GOP U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter enters 2026 Senate race after Kemp bows out appeared first on georgiarecorder.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content reflects a Center-Right bias, largely due to its focus on Georgia Republican Congressman Buddy Carter’s candidacy for the 2026 Senate race and his strong support for former President Trump’s MAGA agenda. The language used by Carter and his campaign ad aligns with conservative values, emphasizing Trump’s policies and framing Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff as opposing popular Republican stances. The piece includes statements from both Republican and Democratic figures, presenting a mix of perspectives, but it primarily emphasizes the Republican viewpoint, particularly the alignment with Trump’s agenda. The article does not overtly favor one side but leans toward presenting a right-leaning candidate’s perspective on the race, along with some critiques from Democratic figures. The coverage reflects the competitive nature of the race without diving deeply into specific policy critiques from either party. Overall, the tone is more favorable to Republican perspectives while offering a balanced overview of the candidates involved.

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News from the South - Georgia News Feed

Mall shooting suspects appear in court, linked to 2 groups

Published

18 hours ago

August 26, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wsav.com – Kaley Fedko – 2025-08-26 23:04:00

SUMMARY: Six suspects linked to a deadly July 2 shooting at Oglethorpe Mall in Savannah, Ga., are moving closer to murder indictment. Four appeared in court: Royce Haynes, Theron Robbins, Franklin James, and Johnathan Jones; Aujawan Hymon and Dahmil Johnson are scheduled later. Police identified two rival gang groups involved: 2X (Group A: Hymon, Haynes, James, Jones) and 3X (Group B: Robbins, Johnson). A physical fight escalated into a shootout, resulting in the death of Tina Smith, who died due to physiological stress fleeing the gunfire. Defense motions to dismiss felony murder charges were denied. Indictments, possibly including gang charges, are expected by October 1.

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The post Mall shooting suspects appear in court, linked to 2 groups appeared first on www.wsav.com

News from the South - Georgia News Feed

Democrat heads to runoff in Georgia state Senate race with two Republicans competing for second

Published

22 hours ago

August 26, 2025

Staff Editor

georgiarecorder.com – Maya Homan – 2025-08-26 18:58:00

by Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder
August 26, 2025

The lone Democrat in a seven-way race has advanced to a runoff in a special election that will decide who will replace former Alpharetta Republican state Sen. Brandon Beach, but the top GOP candidates in the contest were still battling it out for second place late Tuesday night.

Democrat Debra Shigley had a strong showing Tuesday night, racking up about 40% of the vote. Republicans Jason Dickerson and Steve West were still neck and neck for second place Tuesday night, earning 17.4% and 17.1% of the vote, respectively. Dickerson held a narrow 65-vote edge over West.

Over 20,000 voters cast their ballots in the special election, amounting to a 14% turnout rate.

Since no candidate cleared 50% of the vote to win the race outright Tuesday, the top two candidates will face off for a second time on Sept. 23.

Dickerson, Shigley and West were among the seven qualified candidates seeking to replace Beach, who resigned from the Senate earlier this year after President Donald Trump appointed Beach to serve as the 46th U.S. Treasurer. The district, which includes parts of Fulton and Cherokee counties, is predominantly Republican, with Beach receiving upwards of 70% of the vote against a Democratic challenger in 2024.

Dickerson, a Cherokee County resident, is the president of Purple Chip Capital Management, a private investment firm. He has cast himself as a political outsider who plans to prioritize property tax relief and improving access to affordable housing for seniors. Dickerson also reported the highest campaign contributions of any candidate in the race, loaning himself $500,000 and raising an additional $100.

Republican Steve West, the CEO of a metal fabrication company, is currently in third place. West was a member of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners from 2014 until this year, when he stepped down to run for the state Senate. His platform includes a broad range of conservative policy proposals, including eliminating the state income tax, strengthening Georgia’s economy, and cracking down on illegal immigration. He also proposed ending Georgia’s state film tax credit.

Democrats, meanwhile, have rallied behind Shigley, an Alpharetta mom, attorney and small business owner. The only Democratic candidate in the race, Shigley said she aims to improve affordability for families, strengthen public school systems and expand access to health care. She has received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, and progressive organizations including the Georgia Win List and Reproductive Freedom for All.

Shigley’s advancement to the runoff was seen as a success for Democrats, who are seeking to flip the deep-red district. Shigley gained nearly 10 points over Lillia Michelle Lionel, who challenged Beach last year.

“My team and I are more than ready to continue this historic momentum,” Shigley said in a statement. “I am very proud of the campaign we have run so far, and it is clear that our vision — for an affordable, healthy, educated Georgia where working families can thrive — is resonating with our neighbors.”

Dickerson and West did not immediately reply to requests for comment Tuesday night.

Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon said he wasn’t surprised to see Shigley in the lead in the jungle primary when asked about the early results around 8 p.m., but he said he expected Republican voters to consolidate behind the GOP candidate in the runoff election.

“It’s really dangerous to read a lot into a special election,” he said. “This is an election taking place in the dead of summer. People are returning from summer vacation. People don’t know there’s an election. They’re not used to voting at this time of year.”

But Democratic officials are optimistic about their chances in the runoff election.

“Debra was the top vote-getter in a deep-red district against a field of six Republicans — a testament not only to Debra’s strong leadership and bold vision for Senate District 21, but to the undeniable Democratic momentum building across our state,” Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey said in a statement. “Now it’s time to carry this momentum forward into the runoff.”

Deputy Editor Ross Williams contributed to this report.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

The post Democrat heads to runoff in Georgia state Senate race with two Republicans competing for second appeared first on georgiarecorder.com

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The content provides a balanced overview of a special election in Georgia, presenting information about both Democratic and Republican candidates without evident favoritism. It includes details on candidates’ platforms, endorsements, and election dynamics from multiple perspectives, maintaining a neutral tone throughout. The article focuses on factual reporting rather than opinion, reflecting a centrist approach to political coverage.

News from the South - Georgia News Feed

Man accuses Delta flight attendant of slapping him | FOX 5 News

Published

23 hours ago

August 26, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – FOX 5 Atlanta – 2025-08-26 18:21:24

SUMMARY: Mohamed Shibly alleges a Delta flight attendant slapped him during a July 29 flight to Fresno after refusing to provide water to his child. The attendant reportedly used a disrespectful tone and later whispered a vulgar word to Shibly, who responded with profanity. The attendant then struck him with an open palm. A nearby passenger confirmed hearing the slap and the attendant’s angry response. Delta has suspended the crew member and is investigating. Shibly’s attorneys, citing possible discrimination due to his Palestinian Muslim background and his wife’s Palestine shirt, demand sensitivity training and $20 million from Delta. The FBI may be involved.

Delta Air Lines faces a massive legal showdown after an alleged slap in the sky. The man says the incident started with his wife asking for water for one of his young kids, which he says the flight attendant refused to provide. He says he then asked the crew member himself. Delta says it is looking into the incident and the crew member has been suspended while it investigates.

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