Morning Digest: Georgia Republicans are already gnawing at each other in the race for governor

Mega-MAGA hopeful Burt Jones is getting slammed—and he's not even running yet

Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a screenshot from an ad from Keep Georgia Safe.

Leading Off

GA-Gov

Next year's Republican primary for governor of Georgia is already turning nasty, even though just one candidate is officially running.

Allies of Attorney General Chris Carr launched an ad campaign this week that both previews some of the attacks his side will use against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and makes it clear that they will not cede the MAGA mantle. Carr announced he would run last November, while Jones is all but certain to join him sometime this year.

"Burt Jones has made it no secret he's running, but can we really trust Burt Jones?" asks the narrator for Keep Georgia Strong, a pro-Carr group. The answer: "Bad votes. Self-dealing. Backroom deals to make the family business even more millions."

The on-screen text cites articles from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution detailing how Jones ardently supported a law last year that allows new hospitals to be constructed in smaller communities without a "certificate of need" from the state. Jones argued the legislation was vital to ensure "quality health care" in rural areas, but skeptics pointed out that Jones' father happens to own the land for one of these proposed projects.

"Jones is not serious. Not focused. Not ready," continues the narrator as the audience sees various photos of Jones, including one showing him lounging while holding a cigar. The minute-long spot predicts that Jones can't beat the Democrats in the general election to replace Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who is termed out of office—but that Carr can.

"So if you want to maintain Kemp's momentum, Trump's law and order, and to beat the Democrats," says a second narrator, "Chris Carr is the clear choice for Georgia's future."

But while Carr's supporters are naturally keen to link their man to the GOP's master, Trump himself hasn't been too fond of the attorney general. In particular, Carr, along with Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, infuriated Trump following the 2020 election by refusing to go along with his plan to steal Georgia’s electoral votes.

Jones, who was a state senator at the time, behaved differently. Jones and 15 fellow Republicans claimed to be the state's legitimate electors and signed documents falsely saying that Trump had carried the state.

Trump—who did not receive any electoral votes from Georgia—rewarded Jones for his fealty in 2022 by supporting his successful primary campaign for lieutenant governor. In that same election, though, Kemp, Carr, and Raffensperger each convincingly turned back Trump-backed primary foes; the trio, along with Jones, went on to win their respective general elections.

Carr has avoided provoking Trump since then, but he seemed to recognize last year that he can only do so much to pass himself off as a MAGA diehard.

"This race isn’t going to be about how loud somebody yells or screams," the attorney general told the Associated Press in November as he began his campaign for governor. "[I]t’s going to be about a conservative record. And I’m the one that has that."

Since then, though, Carr has mobilized his office to loyally support Trump's agenda. He told the AJC in March, "I know that the Trump administration is going to be far better on the issues that I care about, which are jobs and the economy, safety and an immigration system that starts with defending the nation." Carr's strategist also argued, "MAGA vs. Carr is a false narrative."

Jones' allies are unconvinced. One backer informed the paper, "Chris Carr has zero appeal in MAGA world," while another accused him of "trying to jump on the bandwagon."

Jones' campaign-in-waiting, meanwhile, had little to say about the attack from Keep Georgia Strong this week. One aide, however, told the AJC, "The lieutenant governor is not even in the race yet but it’s nice to see he’s living rent free in Chris Carr’s head."

While Peach State politicos have been anticipating a Carr vs. Jones showdown for some time, other Republicans are also eyeing this race.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is one of the few Republicans who might be able to convincingly out-MAGA Jones, has talked about running. Raffensperger, for his part, has shown interest in seeking the governorship or challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Democrats already have three notable candidates running for Kemp's job: state Sen. Jason Esteves, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and state Rep. Derrick Jackson. Former DeKalb County Chief Executive Michael Thurmond is also considering, while other Democrats haven't ruled out running.

Georgia, like many other Southern states, requires candidates to win a majority of the vote to avoid a primary runoff—a rule that, unusually, also applies to the general election.

NYC's messy primary goes down to the wire

Governors

KS-Gov

Businesswoman Joy Eakins, a former chair of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, announced this week that she'd join the crowded GOP primary for Kansas' open governor's race.

Eakins, who runs a consulting firm, previously won an election to the Wichita Board of Education in 2013 but declined to seek a second term after repeatedly clashing with other members. Four other notable Republicans were already seeking the nod in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, while state Sen. Cindy Holscher currently has the Democratic primary to herself.

NJ-Gov

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825, which the New Jersey Globe describes as one of the "most politically potent" unions in the state, has endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli over Democrat Mikie Sherrill in the November election for governor.

The organization, which has a history of backing candidates in both parties, supported Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago during his unexpectedly close campaign against Ciattarelli.

House

GA-01

Insurance executive Jim Kingston just launched a bid for Georgia's open 1st Congressional District, which was once represented by his father, Jack, for more than two decades.

Kingston, who says he's already raised more than half a million dollars, is seeking the GOP nod in the race to succeed Rep. Buddy Carter, who announced a campaign for the Senate last month. The elder Kingston flipped the once-Democratic 1st District in 1992 and held the seat until 2014, when he waged an unsuccessful bid for Senate; Carter replaced him in the House that same year.

The relatively small Republican field already includes far-right activist Kandiss Taylor and Chatham County Commissioner Patrick Farrell, who recently indicated he might do some self-funding. The race has been slow to develop, though, because of concerns that Carter might not stick with his plans to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff if Donald Trump endorses a different candidate.

NY-02

Democrat Patrick Halpin, who won a single term as Suffolk County executive in the 1980s, is "finalizing plans" to challenge Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino in New York's 2nd Congressional District, reports Newsday's Rita Ciolli.

Halpin, notes Ciolli, became the youngest person ever to serve as county executive when, as a 35-year-old member of the state Assembly, he unseated Republican incumbent Michael LoGrande. Four years later, however, he lost reelection and hasn't served in elective office since.

Now 72, Halpin has, however, remained active in public affairs, says Ciolli, and attended a "No Kings" rally last weekend in his hometown of Babylon. He reportedly plans to file paperwork with the FEC "in the next few weeks" and "is expected to have a greater ability to fundraise" compared to Garbarino's last two opponents.

Even with ample resources, though, the congressman will be tough to dislodge. Donald Trump carried the 2nd District, which includes western Suffolk County's South Shore and a small slice of neighboring Nassau County, by a 56-43 margin last year, and Garbarino dispatched Democrat Rob Lubin by an even wider 60-40 spread. He also outraised his challenger by a roughly four-to-one ratio.

Long Island Democrats nonetheless hope that the region, which has veered back and forth politically in recent years, is ready to shift back in their direction after moving sharply toward Trump in 2024.

TN-07

Republican state Sen. Bill Powers, who'd been considering a bid to succeed GOP Rep. Mark Green in Tennessee's 7th District, has pulled his name from contention.

Green recently announced that he intends to resign from Congress at some unspecified point in the future to pursue an unspecified opportunity in the private sector. Assuming Green follows through (and that's a big "if," because he said he'd retire last year only to reverse course two weeks later), that would trigger a special election.

Three Republicans are already running in that as-yet unscheduled election, and many more have expressed interest. A surprising number of Democrats have also floated their names. Despite the district's conservative lean—it voted for Donald Trump 60-38 last year—Democrats hope that the portion of Nashville that Republicans gerrymandered into the 7th will give them a motivated base of voters they can rely on in what could be a low-turnout affair.

WI-03

Here's something you don't see every day in Democratic politics: Businesswoman Rebecca Cooke, who was endorsed by the conservative Blue Dog PAC earlier this month, was also just endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Cooke is seeking a rematch against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden after losing by just a 51-49 margin last year, even though Donald Trump carried Wisconsin's 3rd District 53-46, according to calculations from The Downballot. She faces two opponents in the primary: Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge and former Eau Claire City Councilwoman Laura Benjamin.

Morning Digest: This Democrat who nearly flipped a tough seat in 2024 is seeking a rematch