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Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King joins GOP field hoping to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff

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georgiarecorder.com – Ross Williams – 2025-05-13 02:00:00


Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King has entered the race to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff in the 2024 midterm elections. King, a retired major general from the U.S. Army National Guard and former police chief, highlighted his military and law enforcement background in his campaign announcement. As Georgia’s first Hispanic statewide elected official, he aims to appeal to Latino voters and position himself as an ally to former President Trump. King faces competition from Rep. Buddy Carter in the Republican field. The race for Ossoff’s seat is expected to draw significant attention, especially after Gov. Kemp’s decision not to run.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King joins GOP field hoping to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff

by Ross Williams, Georgia Recorder
May 13, 2025

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King has joined the race to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff in next year’s midterm election.

Insurance Commissioner John King. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

In social media posts announcing his run Monday, King emphasized his military and law enforcement background. King served in the U.S. Army National Guard for four decades, retiring as a major general in 2023. He also served in the Atlanta Police Department and the Doraville Police Department, where he was chief for 17 years.

“I’ve had the privilege to lead your sons and daughters in some incredible places around the world: Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Africa. During President Trump’s first term, I served on the U.S. Mexico border. As an Atlanta police officer, I was shot and stabbed in the line of duty, protecting our community. I’ve never shied away from a fight, but what truly scares me today is having Jon Ossoff for six more years.”

King was appointed insurance commissioner by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 and elected to a full term in 2022, making him Georgia’s first Hispanic statewide elected official. He was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. at 17. He posted his announcement video to X in both English and Spanish, a sign he could be trying to court Latino voters.

Though Latino voters in Georgia favored former Vice President Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, Republicans have made inroads in recent years, and advocates report a lack of outreach to Latino Georgians from either major party.

In his announcement, King positioned himself as a strong potential ally to the president.

“President Trump got sent to Washington DC to solve some very big problems,” King said. “He needs help, and I’m asking for your support to go help President Trump and solve these incredibly big problems.”

King now joins Congressman Buddy Carter, a six-term Republican representing a coastal Georgia district, in the race against Ossoff. Carter threw his hat into the ring last week, also pitching himself as a strong Trump backer.

Sen. Jon Ossoff. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

Ossoff is the only Democratic senator up for re-election in a state won by Trump in 2024, so the race for his seat is likely to keep attracting attention. Last week, Kemp announced that he doesn’t plan to run, which could spur even more Republicans to try their chances. He has raised more than $11 million so far in 2025, according to federal election filings.

Some of Carter’s colleagues in Congress are seen as potential contenders, including Reps. Rick Allen, Mike Collins and Rich McCormick as well as state Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene took herself off the list last week with a social media post.

In a statement, Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman Charlie Bailey expressed confidence that Trump’s policies will harm any Republican’s chances in a general election.

“John King touting his loyalty to Donald Trump at the launch of his bid for Georgia’s Senate seat is telling yet not surprising as the Republican field grows and caters to the MAGA far-right,” Bailey said.

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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 Insurance Commissioner John King joins GOP field hoping to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff 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: Centrist

The content provides a straightforward and fact-based overview of Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King’s entry into the U.S. Senate race against Jon Ossoff. It presents details about King’s background, his political alignment with Donald Trump, and the broader context of the race without overtly endorsing or criticizing any candidate. The article includes perspectives from both Republican and Democratic figures and maintains a neutral tone, making it balanced and centrist in nature.

News from the South - Georgia News Feed

Don't eat this shrimp sold at Walmart due to possible radiation contamination: FDA

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www.wsav.com – Talia Naquin – 2025-08-19 12:38:00

SUMMARY: The FDA is investigating potential radiation contamination in frozen shrimp sold at Walmart. Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a radioactive isotope from nuclear fission, was detected by U.S. Customs in shipping containers at multiple ports, including a shipment of breaded shrimp. The affected shrimp, processed by Indonesia’s PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, may have been contaminated under unsanitary conditions. While shrimp on shelves tested negative for Cs-137, the FDA warned against consuming certain Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp with specific lot codes and best-by dates. Walmart issued a recall for these products sold in several U.S. states to reduce long-term radiation exposure risks.

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News from the South - Georgia News Feed

Four GOP states send nearly 1,000 National Guard to D.C. for Trump crackdown

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georgiarecorder.com – Ariana Figueroa – 2025-08-18 18:31:00


Four Republican governors are sending nearly 1,000 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., joining 800 local Guard troops activated by President Trump amid his federal takeover of the capital. This deployment raises troop numbers to about 1,800 across the 68-square-mile district, despite violent crime being at a 30-year low. Governors from Ohio, Mississippi, South Carolina, and West Virginia are contributing forces, with federal funding covering costs. The Guard members are expected to be armed, but the duration of their deployment remains unclear. Some governors have declined requests, and the move raises legal questions under the Posse Comitatus Act.

by Ariana Figueroa, Georgia Recorder
August 18, 2025

WASHINGTON — Four Republican governors are sending nearly 1,000 National Guard members to the District of Columbia after President Donald Trump last week activated 800 members from the district’s Guard as part of his federal takeover of the nation’s capital.

The deployment would bring the total number of National Guard troops to roughly 1,800 in the district’s 68 square miles, following the president’s “crime emergency” declaration, even though violent crime in the district is at a 30-year low.

Because the district, home to more than 700,000 residents, is not a state, the president has the sole authority over its National Guard members.

The president has not only activated the National Guard but through the district’s Home Rule Act is using the Metropolitan Police Department’s 3,400-member police force for immigration enforcement.

The 1,000 National Guard members sent from the states are expected to arrive in the district Monday and through the coming days and are expected to be armed, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will send 150 military police from his state’s National Guard; Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves will send 200 members; South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster approved 200 members; and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey will send up to 400 National Guard members.

McMaster and Morrisey added that the federal government would cover the cost of deploying state troops.

Unknown how long Guard will stay

It’s unclear how long National Guard members will remain on duty in the district. National Guard members are usually deployed for natural disasters and kept in reserve. Most have civilian jobs and families that they are pulled away from when they are activated.

The Department of Defense did not respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.

The president has 23 days left in his emergency declaration and has signaled he wants to extend the emergency longer, as well as request funding from Congress to finance his plans for the district. He’s directed federal law enforcement officers to not only conduct local policing, but to clear out camps of homeless people.

It’s not the first time Republican governors have signaled they will deploy their National Guard members at Trump’s request. Iowa’s Kim Reynolds has stated she will send troops to help with the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.

And last week Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee said he’s prepared to send his National Guard members to the district. He added that U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll told him that the military might request states to send troops to the district for law enforcement.

The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 generally bars the use of the military for domestic law enforcement purposes.

Lee’s office did not respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, declined a request from the Trump administration to send the state’s National Guard to the district, according to Vermont Public.

DeWine, McMaster and Morrisey said the Pentagon made requests for additional National Guard members.

What other states might see deployments?

States Newsroom reached out to the offices of all 27 Republican governors to ask if the Trump administration had requested National Guard members.

The administration has not made any requests to Georgia, South Dakota and Virginia, according to spokespeople at those offices. Maryland, which borders the district and is led by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, has not received a request from the Pentagon to send in National Guard members, according to a spokesperson for Moore’s office.

A spokesperson for Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said there are no current plans for a deployment of National Guard troops from the state.

Laura Strimple, communications director for Republican Gov. Jim Pillen of Nebraska, said in a statement that the governor supported the president’s “initiatives to reduce crime and clean up the streets in our nation’s capital, including placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal leadership and tasking the District of Columbia National Guard and National Guard troops from several nearby states with security in Washington.”

“At this time, the Nebraska National Guard is not part of this mission,” she added.

A spokesperson for Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis did not directly answer States Newsroom’s question if the state, which is preparing for Category 4 Hurricane Erin, had received a request from the Trump administration to send National Guard members to the district.

“We stand ready to mobilize any resources necessary in response to President Trump’s federal priorities,” the spokesperson said.

The rest of the state offices did not respond to States Newsroom’s requests for comment. 

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 Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.

The post Four GOP states send nearly 1,000 National Guard to D.C. for Trump crackdown 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

This content presents a factual report on the deployment of National Guard members to Washington, D.C., largely focusing on actions taken by Republican governors and the Trump administration. While it highlights concerns such as the low crime rate despite the emergency declaration and mentions legal constraints like the Posse Comitatus Act, the tone remains mostly neutral with some subtle skepticism toward the federal takeover. The emphasis on Republican leadership and federal enforcement initiatives, combined with limited critical commentary, suggests a center-right leaning perspective. It neither strongly criticizes nor fully endorses the actions described, maintaining a primarily informative stance.

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Wagener residents hoping for change as town council names new fire chief

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www.wjbf.com – Graham Lee – 2025-08-18 16:17:00

SUMMARY: Wagener, South Carolina, has named Hendrik Swanepoel as the new permanent fire chief after nearly losing its entire volunteer fire department last November when former Chief Tillman Rushton and 19 firefighters resigned. This mass resignation led Aiken County Council to terminate its contract with the town, and Wagener’s city council voted to separate from the county fire department. Neighboring departments have provided temporary aid, but residents remain concerned about timely fire response. Mayor Mike Miller expressed optimism about progress, while Swanepoel is actively recruiting new staff to restore the department. Locals emphasize the need for dependable, transparent leadership focused on community safety.

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