Category: Georgia

Warnock Continues to Hold Advantage in Fundraising And Spending

Eric Burk

Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) continues to out-raise and out-spend Republican Herschel Walker in the race for Senate, having $29.7 million cash on hand against Walker’s $9.8 million by a November 16 report.

Outside spending is also playing a big role: Open Secrets reports about $60 million in spending for both candidates in the runoff alone, and on Wednesday, pro-Warnock group Georgia Honor announced a $5.83 million ad buy featuring an attack ad aimed at Walker, according to NBC. The same day, another pro-Warnock group Majority Forward announced $11 million in spending on a massive door-knocking operation ahead of the December 6 vote, according to The Washington Post.

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Walker and Warnock Tied in Latest Georgia Senate Runoff Poll

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A new survey of likely voters in Georgia’s Senate runoff election reveals that Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican ex-athlete Herschel Walker are statistically tied, showing little movement from the Nov. 8 general election ahead of the runoff election day.

The survey, conducted by a consortium of pollsters led by COMPETE Digital, a progressive organization, reported that 50% would vote for either candidate. It paints the runoff as a true tossup just days before the election.

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Georgia, Other States Settle Smartphone Ad Case with Google, iHeartMedia

The Center Square
Smart Phone Filled with Apps

Georgia is set to receive nearly $1.2 million following a settlement with Google and iHeartMedia over a series of ads with “allegedly false endorsements” of the Google Pixel 4 smartphone.

According to a news release, in 2019, Google contracted iHeartMedia to record pro-Pixel 4 ads. However, the purported testimonials in the ads were from people who had not previously owned or used the Pixel 4 phone.

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Big Weekend Early Voting Turnout Seems Hopeful for Warnock but Republicans See Strong Monday Rural Turnout

Eric Burk

Georgia voters are turning out in high numbers for early voting in the runoff election between Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Herschel Walker. 181,711 voters turned out over the weekend, including 166,325 early-in-person voters according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office updated early Monday morning.

The election started last week in some counties that opted into earlier voting including Saturday, but all counties were required to begin early voting by Monday. Twitter pundits noted that many rural counties didn’t embrace the earlier start of voting, an apparent strategic blunder for Republicans who are trying to shift GOP voter culture to embrace early voting, placing Walker behind in the turnout battle. But Georgia Republicans expect their voters to make up for that with turnout going forward, reporting strong rural turnout on Monday.

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Apparel Company Plans $87 Million Facility in Georgia, but Officials Silent on Incentives

The Center Square

by T.A. DeFeo   A global apparel company plans to spend $87 million on a Bryan County manufacturing and distribution facility. Jersey City, New Jersey-based Komar Brands, a company established in 1908 and whose portfolio includes “owned, licensed, and private-label brands,” plans to create 294 new jobs as a part of the project. The company plans to build its new facility at the 1,100-acre Interstate Centre 3 development located along U.S. Route 280 and Interstate 16 between Savannah and Statesboro. Jessica Atwell, a Georgia Department of Economic Development communications specialist, told The Center Square that the project is “still active.” The designation allows state officials to decline to release details about tax incentives the state offered to entice a company to locate in Georgia. “We are looking forward to breaking ground in the very near future and appreciate all the assistance and cooperation to make this project come to fruition,” Charlie Komar, president and CEO of Komar Brands, said in an announcement. According to the Development Authority of Bryan County and state officials, Interstate Centre 3 is in a “Military Zone,” a designation that means companies don’t have to create as many jobs to qualify for Job Tax Credits. The…

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Hyundai’s Electric Vehicle Systems Supplier Announces $926 Million Facility in Bryan County

Eric Burk

Automotive parts manufacturer Hyundai Mobis plans a $926 million Electric Vehicle (EV) Power Electric system plant in Bryan County; the plant will supply systems to Hyundai factories in Bryan County and in Alabama, and to the Kia Georgia plant in West Point.

“Hyundai Mobis’ investment project in Bryan County reflects an acceleration in the development of the EV supply chain in Georgia’s auto industry,” Hyundai Mobis Electric Powertrain Business Unit Vice President H. S. Oh said in a press release. “We’re going to be a major production player in the EV market, and that’s going to trigger more growth within the sector. Mobis is looking forward to providing high-quality work opportunities to the growing local workforce.”

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Georgia Supreme Court Allows State Abortion Ban to Temporarily Stay in Place

Eric Burk

The Georgia Supreme Court has allowed the state’s six-week abortion ban to remain in effect, issuing a Wednesday order staying a lower court order blocking the ban while the state appeals the injunction against the ban.

The law was originally passed in 2019, effective beginning January 2020. But pro-choice organizations sued, and courts blocked the law from taking effect pending a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

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Texas Company Plans New Facility in Georgia

The Center Square

A Texas-based millwork manufacturer plans to spend millions on a new facility outside Athens, and Georgia taxpayers will cover the cost of workforce training.

San Antonio-based Steves & Sons plans to invest more than $100 million over the next three years on a new 310,000-square-foot facility in Jackson County. It plans to produce molded door skins annually for new housing construction, repair and remodeling. According to a release, the company will create 170 jobs as part of the project.

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VoterGA Reports ‘Serious’ 2022 Election Abnormalities, Over 20,000 Votes ‘Subtracted’ from Totals for Republican Senate Candidate Herschel Walker

Susan Berry, PhD

Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia (VoterGA) reports it has identified significant abnormalities in the 2022 Georgia general election, including results that show over 20,000 votes were “inexplicably subtracted” from the vote totals for U.S. Senate Republican candidate Herschel Walker.

The organization, a coalition of citizens seeking to restore voter integrity in Georgia, presented at a press conference Wednesday a sworn affidavit, corroborated by the Edison media line feed, showing the “subtracted” votes.

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State, National Republicans Taking Appeals Court Ruling to Georgia Supreme Court

The Center Square

A Georgia appeals judge has declined to overturn an early voting ruling, and Republican leadership groups have taken their appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Voters will return to the polls for a U.S. Senate runoff between Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Election Day is Dec. 6, and the appellate ruling allows early voting to commence Saturday.

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Georgia Republicans Push Their Voters to Early Voting

Eric Burk

Georgia Republicans are pushing their supporters to embrace early voting in the December 6 runoff election between Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) and Herschel Walker. Early voting began Wednesday in DeKalb County, and some other counties will have early voting on Saturday after a Georgia Supreme Court decision, but all counties must offer early voting beginning November 28.

“If you are a conservative you should VOTE EARLY IN PERSON in Georgia. Don’t trust the Election Day madness. Learn from Maricopa and vote early and securely,” Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk tweeted Tuesday.

“Absolutely right,” Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer responded.

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Obama to Campaign with Warnock Urging Georgians to Cast Early Ballots in Runoff

Susan Berry, PhD

Former President Barack Obama will rally with Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) on December 1, and urge Georgians to cast early ballots for Warnock in his runoff U.S. Senate race against Republican Herschel Walker.

According to a report at NBC News, Obama’s team said, following the former president’s rally for Warnock at the end of October, attendees “signed up to complete hundreds of door knocking shifts.”

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Clinton Global Initiative Funded Energy Project for Raphael Warnock’s Church After His 2016 Campaign Efforts for Hillary Clinton

Susan Berry, PhD

Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D) church reportedly received key funding from the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) for a climate change-related project shortly after he campaigned for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid in 2016.

Warnock, who is facing a runoff election against Republican Herschel Walker, has served as pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, which reportedly was the recipient of a $550,000 grant from CGI soon after he stumped for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 campaign for president, Fox News reported Friday.

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Georgia Judge Allows Saturday Vote in Senate Runoff, After Warnock, Washington Democrats’ Suit

Just the News

A judge in Georgia has ruled that state law allows counties to offer early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving – the only possible Saturday before Election Day – in the Senate runoff between Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker.

The ruling Friday was in response to a suit earlier in the week by the Warnock campaign, the state’s Democrat Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to the Associated Press.

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Georgia Officials Tout Unemployment Rate That Is Lower than National Average

The Center Square

Georgia officials said Thursday the state’s October unemployment rate remained lower than the national rate, news that follows a new finding that nearly half a million Georgians have dropped out of the workforce.

While Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.9% was lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.7%, it was slightly higher than last month’s rate of 2.8% but down from last October’s 3.4% rate.

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Iconic Brands That Slammed Georgia Election Law Look Wrong amid State’s Record Voter Turnout

Just the News

Georgia’s high voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections, coupled with a favorable recent court ruling, have vindicated the state’s Election Integrity Act, which last year was harshly denounced as a tool of voter supression by President Biden and an array of iconic American brands from Coca-Cola to Major Legue Baseball.

After the passage of Georgia S.B. 202 last year, MLB announced it was moving its All-Star Game out of Atlanta, citing Biden’s claim that the law would “restrict voting access for residents of the state,” according to a statement by the league at the time. The game was moved to Denver.

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Warnock, DSCC Sue to Allow for Extra Day of Early Voting in Georgia Senate Runoff

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Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, along with party allies, have sued the state to allow for an extra day of early voting before the U.S. Senate runoff election on Dec. 6.

Warnock, joined by the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has filed a complaint for an injunction in the Fulton County Superior Court, seeking to force Georgia to allow early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26. Early voting in the race is scheduled to begin on Monday, Nov. 28 and run until Friday, Nov. 29, the mandatory five days required by state law.

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Georgia Judge Strikes Down Heartbeat Abortion Ban

Admin

A county judge in Georgia struck down a section of state law Tuesday that had banned abortion when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically occurs at around six weeks, according to court documents.

Georgia passed the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act in 2019, two years before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Because the law was passed when standing precedent prohibited most abortion restrictions throughout the first six months of pregnancy as “unconstitutional,” Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney determined the 2019 law couldn’t be enforced.

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Amid GOP Gains, Warnock, Walker Headed to December 6 Runoff to Decide Pivotal Georgia Senate Seat

The Center Square

The much-anticipated and widely watched Georgia Senate race is headed to a runoff.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, and Republican challenger Herschel Walker will face off during a Dec. 6 runoff. With the balance of the U.S. Senate potentially on the line, The Peach State will be the epicenter of the political world for the next four weeks.

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Ammo Manufacturer Plans New Facility in Georgia, but Officials Silent on Incentives

The Center Square

An ammunition manufacturer plans to spend $60 million to build a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Bryan County, Ga.

Georgia officials would not say whether the state offered any tax incentives to encourage Norma Precision to build its new facility in Georgia. A spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Economic Development told The Center Square that the project is “still active,” a designation that allows state officials to decline to release details about tax incentives the state offered.

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Georgia Awards $39.4 Million in Grants to Courts to Clear Up COVID-Related Case Backlogs

The Center Square

The state has awarded $39.4 million in grants aimed at helping more than three dozen judicial circuits to clear case backlogs.

The Judicial Council of Georgia Ad Hoc Committee announced the grants, funded by federal American Rescue Plan money, to circuits that applied. These awards for the 2023 calendar year are part of the Judicial Council’s ARPA grant program’s second year.

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Analysis: Herschel Walker’s Pro-Life Stance Points to His Victory in the Georgia Runoff

Susan Berry, PhD

Candidates at the state level embracing the pro-life cause were re-elected in the midterms this week, an outcome that points to the anticipated success of Georgia GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in his runoff election against anti-life Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock.

The Walker-Warnock December 6 runoff could determine whether Republicans, most of whom are pro-life, take control of the Senate from Democrats, almost all of whom support Senator Richard Blumenthal’s (D-CT) legislation that would embed abortion on demand, at any time during pregnancy, into federal law, and make invalid most individual state pro-life laws.

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Auto Parts Manufacturer Planning $317 Million Investment in Georgia to Supply Hyundai Electric Vehicle Plant

The Center Square

An automotive parts manufacturer is planning to spend $317 million on a new manufacturing facility near Statesboro, but state officials won’t say how much of the bill taxpayers will have to cover.

Joon Georgia Inc. plans to create 630 new jobs at Bulloch County’s Bruce Yawn Commerce Park, previously named the Southern Gateway Commerce Park. State officials touted the news as “the first confirmed supplier” for Hyundai Motor Group’s new Bryan County facility.

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Judge Extends Georgia County Ballot Deadline After Failure to Mail 1,000 Absentee Ballots

Just the News

A judge has ordered a Georgia county to extend its deadline of absentee ballot receipts after county officials last week sent out hundreds of ballots that the election office had earlier failed to mail. 

Officials in Cobb County, Ga., said late last week that they would mail out hundreds of absentee ballots after a county elections worker “did not employ any process” to ensure huge numbers of ballots were going out as ordered. 

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Georgia House Speaker Ralston Won’t Seek Nomination for Another Term as Leader

The Center Square

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, the longest currently serving state house speaker in the country, will not seek another nomination for the leadership post.

Ralston, the 73rd speaker of the state House, will serve the rest of his term, which ends in January, but will not seek another term for the two-year legislative session that starts in January.

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Herschel Walker Leads Georgia Senate Race in Final Poll

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Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker

by Arjun Singh   Republican candidate and former football star Herschel Walker is leading incumbent Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock in the final round of polling before Election Day. Walker leads Warnock by 3.2 points, with the support of 49.7% of respondents, in a Trafalgar poll released Monday. That poll, taken between Nov. 4 and Nov. 6, surveyed 1,103 respondents and had a 2.9% margin of error. If no candidate in Georgia wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will enter a runoff election for the seat. The race between Walker and Warnock has been close, with Walker maintaining a steady lead in recent weeks, at an average of 0.5% per RealClearPolitics, a statistical tie. It's a great day in Georgia! If you want a leader who is tough on crime, puts parents in charge of their kids' education, and knows the value of a dollar, send @HerschelWalker to the Senate! Let's get out the vote! #GASen 🇺🇸♥️ pic.twitter.com/NnYRVZTLBn — Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 6, 2022 The race between Walker and Warnock has been closely watched as Republicans seek to retake a seat they lost in 2020 when Warnock, a novice politician and pastor, defeated appointed Republican Sen.…

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Georgia’s Kemp Extends Gas Tax Moratorium Again

The Center Square

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed an extension of the state’s gas tax moratorium, saying such a move is needed because of a potential diesel fuel shortage.

The extension runs through Dec. 11.

Kemp also extended the locomotive fuel tax moratorium and a supply chain state of emergency. The governor, who is in the middle of a reelection campaign against Democrat Stacey Abrams, squarely placed the blame for high gas prices on President Joe Biden’s policies.

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STAND America PAC Runs over 1,000 Ads Urging Black Voters to Abandon Democrats in the Midterm Elections

Susan Berry, PhD

A political action committee (PAC) associated with STAND America has purchased over 1,000 ads for U.S. Senate and House races on black radio stations to urge black voters to abandon the Democrat Party.

“Black and Latino voters are turning away from Democrats toward Republicans who share their commitment to faith, family, public safety and educational choice for their children,” Bishop E.W. Jackson, STAND America PAC (SAPAC) chairman, said in a press statement. “They are also feeling the ravages of inflation.” 

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Despite Legal Battle, $5 Billion Rivian Electric Vehicle Plant Still in Progress for Georgia

The Center Square

 Work on electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive’s $5 billion plant will progress as planned despite an ongoing legal fight, officials confirmed to The Center Square.

Site grading began in the early fall, and the judge’s ruling does not affect progress on development, Marie Gordon, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, told The Center Square. However, Gordon deferred to a representative of a public affairs agency to answer more substantive questions about the project.

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Analyst: ‘Code Red’ Diesel Supply Shortage in Southeastern States ‘Could Become More of a Challenge’

Admin

A fuel supply and logistics company is warning about diesel shortages across the Southeast United States, issuing an alert on Friday about “rapidly devolving” conditions in North Carolina and six other states.

Mansfield moved to “Alert Level 4” to address market volatility, and “Code Red” in the Southeast, which means the company is now requesting 72 hour notice for deliveries when possible “to ensure fuel and freight can be secured at economical levels.”

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Poll: Walker Now Has a 5-Point Lead over Warnock in Georgia U.S. Senate Race

The Center Square

A new poll by Rasmussen Reports gives Republican challenger Herschel Walker a 5-point lead over Georgia Democratic U.S. Sen. Rafael Warnock in their race, one of several pivotal to control of the U.S. Senate.

The key demographic for Walker is independent voters, which he leads Warnock by a 14-point margin, 49% to 35%. And this despite Warnock’s three dollars to every dollar the former Heisman Trophy winner’s campaign has raised.

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Georgia Unemployment Rates Drop in September

The Center Square

Georgia’s Regional Commissions saw a drop in their unemployment rates in September, officials said.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in September stood at 2.8% for the third consecutive month. The rate is down slightly from 3.2% in January and from 3.5% in September 2021. 

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Regional Commission’s preliminary non-seasonally adjusted unemployment was 2.6%. That is down from 3% a month ago and 3.5% a year ago.

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Herschel Walker Reclaims Lead in Georgia Senate Race: Poll

Just the News

Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker has reclaimed the lead in his electoral contest with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, following both a public debate and bombshell allegations that he paid for a woman to have an abortion.

In the latest Daily Wire/Trafalgar Group poll, Walker emerged 2.4 points ahead of Warnock among likely voters, 48.9% to 46.5%. A further 4.6% backed libertarian Chase Oliver. That lead remains within the survey’s +/- 2.9% margin of error, meaning the race is still a statistical tie.

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Abrams’ Voting Rights Group Paid Millions in Legal Fees to Campaign’s Chair: Report

Just the News

The voting rights group founded by Georgia Senate nominee Stacey Abrams reportedly spent over $25 million in legal fees over two years, with most of the money going to one case and the largest amount toward the law firm of Abrams’ close friend and chairwoman of her campaign, raising questions about such a large sum and possible conflicts of interest.

Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, Abrams’ friend who chaired the Georgia Democrat gubernatorial nominee’s 2018 campaign and her current bid, is partner in the law firm Lawrence & Bundy, Politico reported Monday.

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Report: Georgia Has One of the Nation’s Best Improvements in Its Unemployment Rate

The Center Square

Georgia reported one of the best changes in its unemployment rate of any state in the union, a new analysis found.

According to the report from WalletHub, Georgia has the 15th best change in unemployment. That trailed neighboring Florida (No. 6) and Alabama (12) but was better than South Carolina (28), Tennessee (32) and North Carolina (35).

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Georgia’s Kemp Receives B Grade for Fiscal and Tax Policies

The Center Square

The Cato Institute gave Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp a B on its 2022 Fiscal Policy Report Card of governors, citing his tax cuts as a reason for the grade.

The libertarian think tank also gave Kemp, a Republican, a B on its 2020 report card. The analysis grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited-government viewpoint; the higher the grade, the more a governor has cut taxes and spending.

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Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams on Why Abortion Is Necessary: ‘Having Children Is Why’ You’re Worried About Food and Gas Prices

Susan Berry, PhD

Georgia Democrat gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams said Tuesday access to abortion is necessary because “having children is why you’re worried about your price for gas … how much food cost.”

“You can’t divorce being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy from the economic realities of having a child,” she told MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

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