Jon Ossoff raises money for the Georgia Democratic Party.
Stock trading standoff
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks to reporters before the start of Georgia Service Academy Day at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta in March. (Ben Gray for the AJC)
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is facing criticism from Republicans for blocking progress on a bill that would limit members of Congress from purchasing stocks. But he says voting restrictions added by House Republicans made the measure poisonous.
“I will never vote to make it harder for eligible American voters to exercise their right to the franchise,” the Atlanta Democrat said.
The bill would prohibit members of Congress from buying new stocks, but it doesn’t require them to sell off what they already own and it exempts President Donald Trump altogether. Republicans added an unrelated provision requiring voters to present identification or notarized affidavit when casting ballots in federal elections — a key part of the SAVE Act that has repeatedly stalled in the Senate.
Ossoff, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and every other Democrat used the filibuster to keep the bill from proceeding to a final vote Wednesday.
A ban on stock trading is one of Ossoff’s major points of emphasis, born out of his criticism of Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue during the 2020 campaign. Ossoff said he stands by his position and sponsored a rival measure two years ago, with stiffer requirements, that has yet to see a vote on the Senate floor.
Still, that didn’t stop Ossoff’s opponent from accusing him of hypocrisy. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, posted on X that Ossoff is all talk and no action on banning members from trading stocks.
“Six years ago, Jon Ossoff ran a campaign on stopping insider trading in Congress,” Collins wrote. “But when push came to shove today, he folded. Georgia deserves a Senator more interested in putting more money in YOUR pocket, not theirs.”
Things to know
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, seen here during a news conference at the state Capitol in 2024. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)
Good morning! The midterms are in 34 days. Early voting begins in 12 days. Monday is the last day to register to vote. Here are three things to know for today:
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking to compel Georgia to hand over sensitive voter information, Caleb Groves reports.
Gas prices topping $4 a gallon have opened a new front in Georgia’s race for governor, with both candidates pitching tax cuts to ease the fuel squeeze on household budgets, Greg Bluestein reports.
The Libertarian and Green parties went to federal court Wednesday to challenge a Georgia law that gives some candidates a fundraising advantage, David Wickert reports.
Heavy hitters
Democratic candidate for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms (left) and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. (Greg Bluestein/AJC)
Keisha Lance Bottoms is leaning on some of the Democratic Party’s biggest names to help make her case for Georgia governor.
The latest is Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who joined Bottoms on stage at Emory University on Tuesday for a discussion of his new book that doubled as a conversation about governing styles and their political agendas.
“You are a governor in a deeply red state and yet you are able to get things done,” Bottoms said at one point. “How do you create unity under political headwinds?”
Beshear pointed to the power of the governor’s office.
“When you’re governor, you don’t have to have an act of the Legislature to do something,” he said. “I mean, your job is to deliver results.”
Beshear is just the latest potential presidential contender to boost Bottoms. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have also visited Georgia to boost her campaign, while former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg endorsed her.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona crisscrossed the state a few weeks ago, and former Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to campaign here at the end of the month.
Republicans are eager to turn that show of national Democratic support against her. Gov. Brian Kemp ticked off the list of national Democratic figures at a rally this week for Republican nominee Rick Jackson.
“They bring in these out-of-state politicians and celebrities to campaign for them,” Kemp said. “They raise money from their far-left donors to pretend like they won’t try to implement their crazy ideas right here in Georgia if they get a chance.”
Vote swag
The new "I Voted" sticker, designed by artist Steve Penley. (Courtesy)
Georgians who vote in the midterms could look a little different this year.
The secretary of state’s office unveiled a new “I Voted” sticker this week. Designed by artist Steve Penley, the new design features the Gold Dome with a backdrop of the Georgia flag and the words “I Voted” in white.
For years, Georgia has given out a peach sticker to voters. It’s actually illegal to give voters a receipt after casting a ballot. That’s to make sure voters can’t be paid for proving they voted — a problem that persisted in the early days of the country’s history.
But the optional “I voted” stickers come close to a receipt. The secretary of state’s office says 5 million of them have been printed and will be available when early voting starts Oct. 13 in all 159 counties.
We’re sure the change is likely to rankle some voters, who might prefer the iconic peach sticker. But don’t worry. Jonathan Raymond with 11Alive reports counties will have access to both stickers, so they can give voters a choice.
Talk about decision fatigue.
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Party boost
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks during a rally in Athens on Sunday. (Felix Scheyer for the AJC)
Politico reported he held a Sept. 16 fundraiser in Washington for the Democratic Party of Georgia and aims to hold several more.
It’s another sign that Ossoff is increasingly expanding his focus beyond his own race against Collins, who trails him in polling and fundraising, to help Democrats further down the ticket.
But Ossoff is careful not to sound like he’s taking his own reelection for granted. When we asked him last week about shifting resources toward more competitive contests, he pushed back on that premise.
“I take no vote for granted. I am not entitled to this Senate seat. The Senate seat does not belong to me,” he said. “It belongs to the people of the great state of Georgia, and I run every day like I’m behind.”
Outsider spending
A crowd of partiers gather on the beach for Orange Crush in Tybee Island in April 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
A record 175.6 million tourists visited Georgia in 2025, and they spent a combined $46.2 billion while they were here.
That’s a record for the state, breaking the previous record in 2024 by more than 2%, Kemp announced Wednesday during the annual Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference.
“Georgia’s incredible natural wonders, welcoming communities and unique attractions make our state a top destination for business and leisure travelers alike,” Kemp said.
Kemp said all that spending generated $5.3 billion in state and local tax collections. The governor’s office says tourism generates $84.1 billion in statewide economic impact and supports 473,837 direct, indirect or induced jobs.
No place like home
In a party-line vote of 47 to 41, the Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling to lead the Department of Labor on Wednesday. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
The U.S. Senate voted late Wednesday night to confirm Keith Sonderling as secretary of the Labor Department, the final action before a long midterm break.
“We are building a massive and unstoppable bipartisan coalition: Democrats, Independents and an ever-growing number of Republicans,” Ossoff said.
His counterpart, Warnock, is not on the ballot, but he said he will also be busy ahead of the election traveling the country supporting other Democrats. That includes Ossoff but also Senate candidates like former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Scott Colom in Mississippi.
Democrats hoping to expand the map of seats they could possibly flip this year have increasingly begun to turn to candidates like Colom they say are running strong in red states. Warnock said his own success in 2020 is a road map.
“Georgia elected that year not one Democratic senator, but two,” he said. “So, I have no doubt that Mississippi can get this done.”
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Listen up
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (right) greets new U.S. Rep. Everton Blair, D-Ga., at the Capitol in Washington last month. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy examine the backlash in Texas over a data center project tied to Georgia’s Republican nominee for governor. Plus, Tia Mitchell reports from the Congressional Black Caucus conference, where U.S. Rep. Everton Blair Jr. challenged Republican U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick’s outreach to Black voters.
You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Birthday party
Jimmy Carter, seen here in Atlanta in 1974. (AP)
Today would have been the late President Jimmy Carter’s 102nd birthday. His hometown of Plains is putting on a party.
The Americus Times-Recorder reports the two-day celebration includes a birthday concert at Maranatha Baptist Church, free trolley tours and screenings of “Carter Country,” the documentary by Bobby Buccellato celebrating Carter and his hometown. It will all be topped off with cake and ice cream on Main Street this afternoon.
Carter died shortly after his 100th birthday in 2024 and is buried in Plains alongside first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died in 2023.
Today in Washington
President Donald Trump will tour a truck manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas, then travel to Durant, Oklahoma, for a campaign rally with Republicans.
Shoutouts
Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Greg Dolezal, seen here in Buford in August. (Natrice Miller for the AJC)
Today’s birthdays:
Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Greg Dolezal, a state senator from Cumming.
Georgia House Minority Caucus Whip Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville.
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
Bikers ride along the Atlanta Beltline Southwest Trail in June. That month a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the completion of the longest continuous trail in the Atlanta Beltline. (AJC)
The puzzle that is the Atlanta Beltline’s main trail has been solved. With a 0.2-acre purchase in northwest Atlanta, the Beltline has acquired all the land it needs to complete its 22-mile contiguous trail loop that will encircle the city.
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