Brad Raffensperger confirms he will seek higher office.
Republicans flock to annual dove-hunting event.
Republicans seek to defund underage drinking initiative.
Hyundai headwinds
In 2020, Gov. Brian Kemp, (at table, left) and Jaehoon Chang, then the president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Group, announced that the South Korean automotive giant was building an electric vehicle plant in Ellabell.
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
When Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled a $7.6 billion Hyundai Motor Group deal in 2022, it was hailed as the largest economic development project in state history — and the centerpiece of his push to make Georgia the hub of U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing.
But last week’s federal immigration raid, which led to 475 arrests, jolted both Georgia politics and U.S.-South Korea relations. The Bryan County plant, backed by nearly $2 billion in taxpayer-funded incentives, is under sharp new scrutiny.
The fallout is far from over — and the Hyundai raid could turn Kemp’s biggest economic development win into a liability.
Kemp has long defended the deal, slammed by critics for its 10-figure perks and its reliance on green energy tax breaks backed by President Joe Biden and targeted by President Donald Trump. Now, the crown jewel of Kemp’s economic agenda is drawing more fire from within the GOP.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins of Jackson, a leading GOP Senate candidate, mocked Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s support for the project, but didn’t mention Kemp. Awkwardly, an account backing former coach Derek Dooley — the Kemp-backed contender — echoed the attack.
Kemp has tried to walk a fine line. Unlike other Republicans, he didn’t release a statement praising Trump’s crackdown. Instead, his office said “all companies operating within the state must follow the laws of Georgia and our nation.”
Hyundai pledged to move forward, and South Korean officials said about 300 of their citizens detained in the raid will be released and repatriated.
The stakes go beyond Bryan County. Georgia is home to about 100 Korean-owned facilities employing 17,000 workers. South Korea is also the state’s third-largest trading partner at $17.5 billion a year. The governor has already made two trips there since he took office in 2019.
“Korea is not just a friend, but a key pillar of Georgia’s global economic strategy,” economic development chief Pat Wilson wrote recently in the AJC.
The politics are only intensifying. While Hyundai’s investment promises to create thousands of jobs and a transformed community, it has also strained the local water system, clogged local roads and worsened the shortage of affordable housing. Union leaders complain local workers have been sidelined for foreign contractors, deepening frustration in the community.
Democrats like Jason Esteves, meanwhile, are seizing on the raid to argue for tougher worker protections — a sign the fallout could reshape not just Kemp’s legacy, but the 2026 race for governor.
Esteves blasted the raid as a “politically motivated” move to bolster Trump while also saying state leaders must hold corporations accountable.
“When I’m governor, no corporation will get a blank check from my administration,” Esteves said. “I’ll strengthen worker protections, keep families safe, and fight against Trump’s political agenda.”
Things to know
Washington Metropolitan Police officers and military police soldiers with the District of Columbia National Guard kept watch Saturday as activists protested the federal takeover of policing there.
Credit: Alex Brandon/AP
Good morning! We’re 57 days away from elections for the Public Service Commission and municipal governments.
Here are three things to know for today.
U.S. Rep. Brian Jack is calling his last Columbus Clingstones games of the season, WTVM reported. The first-term Georgia Republican has honed a side gig delivering color commentary for the Braves minor-league affiliate.
Republican U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde was first elected to Congress with an anti-establishment message. But now some Republicans say he’s too much of an outsider, prompting challenges in next year’s GOP primary, Tia Mitchell reports.
Reaction among elected officials to Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to send the Georgia National Guard to Washington was split along party lines. But some military veterans said they were worried about the deployment, the AJC’s Greg Bluestein and Jeremy Redmon report.
What’s next?
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said he is not running for reelection.
Credit: AJC file photo
Not that it was a secret, but Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger made it official over the weekend: he won’t run for another term as Georgia’s top elections official.
In a statement to the AJC, Raffensperger said he and his wife, Tricia, “are prayerfully considering how we can best serve the state of Georgia. I will be seeking higher office.”
Raffensperger, who is expected to join the 2026 race for governor, had made his intentions not to seek a third term clear behind the scenes.
His longtime deputy, Gabriel Sterling, jumped into the race for secretary of state last week. Two other prominent Republicans — state Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington and business executive Kelvin King — are also competing for the GOP nod.
Georgia 2026
An annual dinner commemorating the start of dove hunting season in west Georgia — a mainstay of the campaign trail — drew a range of Republicans seeking statewide office over the weekend.
Attendees to the event hosted by Aaron McWhorter of NG Turf included: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor; Senate candidates U.S. Rep. Mike Collins of Jackson and former football coach Derek Dooley; and a half-dozen contenders for other offices. U.S. Rep. Brian Jack, R-Peachtree City, was also on hand, along with former Gov. Sonny Perdue, who’s now the chancellor of the University System of Georgia.
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Alcohol politics
Congressional Republicans are working to strip funding from an underage drinking initiative. But why they’re doing it has more to do with adult drinking.
The federal government publishes dietary guidelines about alcohol use every five years. During President Donald Trump’s first term, he rejected a recommendation from a scientific advisory committee that men should drink less alcohol.
When President Joe Biden was in office, Republicans feared he would change those guidelines and ordered a study about alcohol use. The Biden administration ordered its own study.
Those studies, perhaps unsurprisingly, had conflicting results. While the congressional study found both benefits and harm from moderate alcohol use, the Biden study found drinking increased the risk of death.
Republicans were suspicious. U.S. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, subpoenaed the Biden administration entity that conducted the study — the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking. But the administration never produced the additional documents.
Now, an appropriations bill moving through Congress aims to strip the committee of its funding, saying the Biden administration improperly used it “to carry out activities related to adult alcohol consumption.”
Wedding competition
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce recently announced their engagement.
Credit: TNS
Cities and states have long competed with each other for jobs and sporting events. Now weddings?
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement announcement was still reverberating through the internet when Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee made his pitch on X by reminding the couple that his state “has some of the best wedding venues in the world, just saying.”
Not to be outdone, Georgia U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter told the “Politically Georgia” podcast last week that the couple should tie the knot in Savannah.
“This is a storybook wedding, and they should have it in a storybook city,” he said.
Celebrity weddings have generated more problems than praise lately, with the recent nuptials of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren Sanchez prompting protests in Venice.
But the wedding of America’s premier power couple is sure to be different. For what its worth, Rhode Island appears to have the upper hand. Swift already owns a mansion there famous for hosting the singer’s annual Fourth of July parties.
Big time
Kelly Loeffler, who heads the Small Business Administration, will be in Duluth next week.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Republican candidates are flocking to the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Victory Dinner next week in Duluth. Featured speakers include:
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter of St. Simons Island, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Attorney General Chris Carr, who is running for governor.
Public Service Commissioners Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson, who are both running for reelection.
Kelly Loeffler, leader of the Small Business Administration and a former U.S. senator from Georgia.
The Sept. 15 event will cost $140 to get in the door. But if you’re feeling fancy, you could drop $25,000 to be a “presenting host” that comes with special recognition from the stage and access to a VIP reception.
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Listen up
State Sen. Blake Tillery (center) R-Vidalia, is a guest today on the "Politically Georgia" podcast.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, Republican state Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, joins the show to talk about his campaign for lieutenant governor, his record as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and his push to eliminate the state income tax. Then Georgia Behavioral Health Commissioner Kevin Tanner discusses Georgia’s suicide prevention hotline on 988 Day.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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.
Today in Washington
President Donald Trump will speak at a meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission.
The House has evening votes scheduled.
The Senate will vote on more of Trump’s nominations.
Shoutouts
Rep. Billy Hickman was on the AJC's list of best dressed state lawmakers in 2022.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Today’s birthday:
Ashley Jenkins, a faithful reader of this newsletter.
Belated birthdays:
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island (was Saturday).
State Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro (was Sunday).
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.
Before you go
Homicides in Georgia prisons are outpacing last year, which was one of the deadliest years on record, the AJC’s Chaya Tong reports.
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