GOP Senate hopefuls vie for staff as they woo Brian Kemp and Donald Trump

Today’s newsletter highlights:

Jon Ossoff pushes for millions of dollars in military projects.
Burt Jones wants to study ending Georgia’s income tax.
Congress approves bill stripping funding for public broadcasting.

Staffing up

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Former college football coach Derek Dooley made a splash when he hired a pair of Gov. Brian Kemp’s aides as he gears up for a potential U.S. Senate bid. But he’s not the only Republican contender staffing up.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter has brought in two veterans of MAGA Inc., the pro-Donald Trump super PAC that helped power the president’s comeback win last year: Chris Grant and Ben Yoho.

Insurance Commissioner John King’s retinue, meanwhile, includes longtime Georgia GOP strategists Brandon Howell, a veteran of Carly Fiorina’s 2008 presidential campaign, and Dan McLagan, former communications director for Gov. Sonny Perdue.

The scramble for top talent reflects the broader behind-the-scenes battle for the blessing of both Kemp and Trump — a contest that could shape the field before a single vote is cast.

Credit: TNS

Since passing on a Senate run himself, Kemp quietly met with Trump in May to discuss a joint endorsement that could potentially clear the Republican field and avoid a messy primary. The governor recently traveled to Washington again to meet with Republican leaders about the race while urging his donors to be patient as the talks continue.

Dooley and Kemp are close, as Greg Bluestein writes. The governor grew up vacationing with Dooley’s family and roomed with his brother Daniel in college. And Dooley comes from a uniquely Georgia pedigree as the son of the late legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley.

That could be one reason some in Georgia’s GOP circles are already attacking Dooley, launching a website that, among other things, emphasizes his time as head coach of Georgia’s hated rival Tennessee.

Friday news quiz

Credit: Rod Lamkey Jr./AP

Good morning! It’s Friday, so it’s time to test your knowledge of this week’s political news. Judging by the response we got last week, the quiz was too easy. How will you do this week? The answers are at the end of this newsletter. Let us know how you did.

The federal government has canceled 11 leases in Georgia this year, totaling nearly 260,000 square feet. Where does that rank nationally?

A) The most of any state.
B) Tied for third most.
C) Sixth most.

Democrat Peter Hubbard won his party’s nomination for a seat on the Public Service Commission. Who will he face in the general election?

A) Fitz Johnson.
B) Tim Echols.
C) Keisha Sean Waites.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has split with President Donald Trump on several issues. What issue has she not disagreed with him about?

A) Funding weapons for Ukraine.
B) Releasing the Epstein files.
C) Defunding public broadcasting.
D) Regulating cryptocurrency.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Appeals Court Judge Benjamin Land to the Georgia Supreme Court. What recent opinion of Land’s could some Republicans find troubling?

A) He opposed a ruling disqualifying Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the 2020 election interference case against President Donald Trump and others.
B) He opposed a ruling rejecting Willis’ attempt to revive a racketeering case against Trump and others.
C) He joined an opinion requiring county election officials to certify election results.

Bringing home bacon

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

It has been more than three decades since Georgia has had a senator on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. Now, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is making the most of his opportunity ahead of his reelection bid next year.

Ossoff is the top Democrat on the subcommittee that oversees military construction projects. On Thursday, the committee approved a bill that includes $556 million for nearly a dozen projects across Georgia. It would be the most money Georgia has received since 2010, according to Ossoff’s office.

The bill now ready for a vote on the Senate floor includes $127 million to rebuild an elementary school at Fort Benning, $166 million for a storage facility in Fort Gillem and $119 million for facility expansion at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, among other projects.

“Georgia is proud to host some of the most essential defense installations in the country,” Ossoff said in a statement. “I know we all are proud of the installations in our states and the men and women who serve there, and this legislation makes important investments in those defense installations in military readiness and military quality of life.”

America Party

Credit: AP

Elon Musk has vowed to start a new political party after his public break up with President Donald Trump. But getting “America Party” candidates on the ballot won’t be easy — especially in Georgia.

State law recognizes political parties only after their candidates for governor or president get at least 20% of the vote in a statewide election. Democrats and Republicans are the only ones to consistently meet that standard.

Everyone else must gather signatures of registered voters to qualify. For statewide candidates, it’s 1% of all registered voters or roughly 70,000 people. For presidential candidates, it’s 7,500 signatures. That’s a little easier, but no guarantee. Two independent candidates were disqualified during the 2024 election.

“We’re a much more restrictive state for third parties than most other states,” said Bryan Tyson, a Republican election lawyer.

For what it’s worth, Tyson said he hasn’t heard of anyone trying to form the America Party in Georgia. And there’s little evidence anyone has tried anywhere else either.

Fully funded

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Democrats criticized Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr this week for not pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in public education funding.

Their response? They both said Georgia “fully funded” K-12 education.

Most states have a complicated formula that sets how much money flows to public schools. Georgia’s formula is set by the Quality Basic Education Act, or QBE for short. Previous governors have not fully funded this formula for budget reasons. But under Kemp’s leadership, the formula has been “fully funded.”

“It’s less impressive than they are trying to make it,” said John Zauner, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association.

That’s because the formula was set in 1985, and it’s mostly been unchanged since then. Education advocates have pushed to modernize the formula for years, but it hasn’t happened yet.

“It’s a really good formula, it does what it’s supposed to do. It just needs to be modernized,” Zauner said.

Georgia is one of six states whose school funding formulas do not account for poverty. But that could change in the coming years. Lawmakers included a small amount of money for impoverished districts in this year’s budget, a sign they’re considering a broader change.

Tax talk

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Burt Jones plans to campaign for governor next year on a promise to eliminate Georgia’s income tax. Now, the Republican lieutenant governor is making sure his colleagues can do the same.

Jones on Thursday created the Senate Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax. He stocked the committee full of ambitious Republican senators who are aiming to replace him at lieutenant governor next year.

Jones made state Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, the chair. But he also appointed Sens. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, and John F. Kennedy, R-Macon. All three have either announced campaigns or filed paperwork to run for lieutenant governor in 2026.

“Eliminating the state income tax is a commitment I have made to the Georgia people, and the work of this committee is a vital step to ensure I deliver on this promise,” Jones said in a news release.

Listen up

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Defunding NPR, PBS

Credit: Anna Rose Layden/The New York Time

Legislation rescinding about $1 billion in federal funding for NPR and PBS and another $8 billion in foreign aid is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk, codifying budget cuts spearheaded by his Department of Government Efficiency initiative.

Clawing back this money previously approved by Congress is just a first step. The Trump administration said it plans to send additional rescission packages in the coming weeks.

The House voted late Thursday night on the bill after it was amended by the Senate to restore funding for PEPFAR, an HIV/AIDS prevention program that is credited with saving millions of lives across the globe.

Every House Democrat and two Republicans from swing districts opposed the rescission package. Georgia’s delegation split strictly along party lines with all nine Republicans in favor.

Today in Washington

President Donald Trump will swear in IRS Commissioner Billy Long, sign cryptocurrency legislation into law and have dinner at the White House with Republican Senators.
The House and Senate are done for the week.

Rough week ends

Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The U.S. House worked past midnight on Thursday to complete its tasks for the week after facing a series of slowdowns caused by opponents to a cryptocurrency bill. In addition, there was fallout over the Trump administration’s handling of files related to the investigation of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.

Speaker Mike Johnson had to pull in President Donald Trump and White House officials to work out a deal on the cryptocurrency bill. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, who has been friendly to the crypto industry, was among 102 Democrats who voted with most Republicans to pass the bill. In 2022, she received millions of dollars in campaign support from a PAC created by crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, who was later found guilty of financial crimes.

Georgia Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome and Austin Scott of Tifton were among the 12 Republicans who opposed the bill. Greene wanted an amendment to prevent the federal government from creating its own digital currency. That amendment that was later added to another bill. Scott did not make any public comments about his vote.

Meanwhile, the House Rules Committee advanced a nonbinding resolution calling for the release of the Epstein files. But no vote has been scheduled.

Attorney General Pam Bondi also said she would take steps to release grand jury testimony related to the Epstein investigation, a decision that Greene applauded days after criticizing the Trump administration’s handling of the issue.

Shoutouts

Credit: Dean Charles Anthony II

Belated birthday:

Kelli Ffrench-Parker, communications/staff assistant for the office of U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia (was June 25)

Recognition:

LaTosha Brown, the Atlanta-based cofounder of Black Voters Matter, was honored for her work supporting women and girls at the inaugural fundraiser of Megan Thee Stallion’s new nonprofit organization.

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.