Politically Georgia

Greg Bluestein is joined by Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy to break down questions from across Georgia, starting with a bill that would shift securities regulation away from the Secretary of State’s office as the state investigates the collapse of First Liberty Banking and Loan. They also take up concerns over kindergarten enrollment rules in Gwinnett County, weigh how much stock to put in election betting markets versus polling, and assess early signs of tension and strategy in Georgia’s emerging governor’s race. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of Politically Georgia, host Greg Bluestein is joined by Patricia Murphy to break down the FBI’s raid on Fulton County’s election warehouse, where federal agents seized hundreds of boxes of 2020 election materials. The move marks a dramatic escalation tied to former President Donald Trump’s renewed claims about the election. Greg and Patricia unpack what the raid could mean for Georgia’s election system heading into 2026, including fears among Democrats that it could pave the way for a state takeover of Fulton County elections. They also share reaction from state lawmakers, revealing sharp partisan divides and deep concerns about what comes next for voting rights and election oversight in Georgia. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AJC Washington bureau chief Tia Mitchell examines how a deadly federal immigration enforcement shooting in Minneapolis is reverberating through Georgia politics, as Democratic senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock threaten to block a government funding bill unless new limits on ICE are included. She explains why a partial government shutdown appears increasingly likely and how Republican challengers are seizing on the issue in a heated election year. The episode then features a recorded roundtable hosted by AJC reporters Maya T. Prabhu and Michelle Baruchman with state Reps. Yasmin Neal and Clint Crowe, both former police detectives. The lawmakers offer sharply different views on the Minnesota shooting, the role of ICE in Georgia, and how immigration enforcement affects public trust, while also identifying areas where bipartisan cooperation on public safety could still emerge under the Gold Dome. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein sits down with state Rep. Akbar Ali, the 21-year-old freshman lawmaker who just became the youngest member of the Georgia General Assembly. Ali talks about his rapid rise from community organizing to the Gold Dome, his first bill aimed at protecting planning time for public school teachers, and why affordability, health care, and economic opportunity are driving his agenda. Later, Patricia Murphy joins Greg to put Ali’s win in context, looking at how generational change is reshaping Georgia politics, why younger candidates are finding new openings with voters, and what Ali’s early success could signal for the next wave of leaders at the Capitol. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down the political fallout from a fatal federal immigration enforcement shooting in Minneapolis and why it’s sending ripples through Georgia politics. They explain how the incident has prompted rare pushback from some Republicans, unsettled longtime GOP allies like gun rights groups, and raised new concerns about civil liberties as immigration enforcement expands into U.S. cities. They also look at how immigration is shaping Georgia’s U.S. Senate race, with Sen. Jon Ossoff pressing Republican challengers to either defend or distance themselves from President Trump’s approach. Greg and Patricia walk through how candidates like Mike Collins and Buddy Carter are embracing the White House line, why Derek Dooley’s silence is drawing notice, and why immigration could become one of the most defining issues in a closely divided state heading into 2026. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell answer listener questions in this Monday mailbag episode of Politically Georgia. They start with whether Senate Republicans made a strategic mistake by voting against Affordable Care Act health care subsidies as costs rise for Georgians. They explain why Democrats forced those votes, how GOP candidates are defending them, and why the issue is likely to loom large in the U.S. Senate race. They also touch on a brewing fight over “academic redshirting” in Georgia schools, the state of the governor’s race, and growing scrutiny of mystery political ads targeting Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Greg and Tia break down what the law requires when it comes to disclosure, why the ads live in a legal gray area, and how dark money is already shaping Georgia’s 2026 elections. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Greg Bluestein is joined by Patricia Murphy for an in-depth conversation with Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. Carr lays out an anti-corruption proposal that he says would be the toughest in the nation, and explains why cleaning up state and local government is a central plank of his campaign for governor. Greg and Patricia discuss how Carr’s pitch fits into a crowded GOP primary, the growing voter frustration with ethics and transparency, and how his record as attorney general shapes his case for higher office as the 2026 governor’s race begins to take shape. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Patricia Murphy devotes the episode to education policy as Georgia’s legislative session gets underway. She speaks with Rep. Scott Hilton about expanding Georgia’s cellphone ban from middle schools to high schools, the early results from existing restrictions, and why lawmakers say limiting screen time is improving student engagement and mental health. In the second segment, Patricia is joined by Rep. Stacey Evans to discuss Governor Brian Kemp’s proposal to create Georgia’s first need-based college scholarship program. Evans explains why the investment could be a game-changer for students priced out of higher education and how rare bipartisan momentum may shape education funding debates in the months ahead. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down Governor Brian Kemp’s State of the State address, where he dipped deeper into Georgia’s surplus while warning future leaders against draining the rainy day fund. They analyze the political message behind Kemp’s final budget, including tax rebates, a surprise push for need-based scholarships, and why he pushed back on sweeping income tax elimination plans. Then, Greg and Patricia turn to the escalating money wars shaping Georgia’s 2026 races. They examine Sen. Jon Ossoff’s massive fundraising haul and the mysterious, multimillion-dollar anonymous ad campaign hammering Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. They explain why the source of the spending remains hidden, how it exploits gaps in disclosure laws, and why it has rattled candidates across the political spectrum. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special Martin Luther King Jr. Day episode, host Greg Bluestein is joined by Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy for a look back at one of the most consequential civil rights battles in Georgia politics. Producer Natalie Mendenhall tells the story of Julian Bond, who was elected to the Georgia House in 1965 but blocked from taking office by fellow lawmakers, sparking protests, national outrage, and a landmark Supreme Court ruling. The episode also features Natalie’s interview with Michael Julian Bond, who reflects on his father’s legacy, the personal toll of that fight, and why Julian Bond’s stand for free speech and democratic representation still resonates as Georgia lawmakers return to the Capitol today. Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions at PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices