The 10 biggest Georgia political headlines of 2021
The 10 biggest Georgia political headlines of 2021
A look at the top 10 political headlines of 2021
Another exhausting year in Georgia politics is about to come to a close. A lot has happened this year.
As 2021 began, America listened in shock to a phone call featuring President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the defeated President pressured Raffensperger to overturn then-President-elect Joe Biden’s 12,000-vote victory in the state.
Our state was the subject of national attention in January as two high-stakes runoff elections were set to decide control of the U.S. Senate — and the fate of Biden’s agenda.
Atlanta is about to swear in a new Mayor. The fight for racial justice continues is almost certainly going to continue into 2022. And a new set of political maps are set to reshape Georgia politics for the next decade.
As this year comes to a close, let’s take a look at some of the year’s biggest political headlines in our state.
1. Trump/Raffensperger phone call
I don’t need to remind all of you that Georgia was an important state during the 2020 campaign. The election produced razor-thin contests up and down the ballot.
Joe Biden became the first Democrat to capture Georgia’s electoral votes since 1992, winning the state by a narrow 12,000-vote margin. President Donald Trump’s lawyers and allies insinuated, without evidence, that the loss was due to widespread fraud and made several unsuccessful attempts to overturn the results.
Then, we all listened to a stunning phone conversation in January. President Trump personally called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, frantically urging the Republican elections chief to overturn his loss in the state. “I just want to find 11,780 votes,” Trump told Raffensperger. “The people of Georgia know that this was a scam.”
The phone call is now being used as evidence in a criminal inquiry into the former President. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis launched an investigation into the Trump campaign’s attempts to overturn the election. “This investigation includes, but is not limited to, potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election's administration,” Willis said.
The entire phone call can be heard here.
2. Georgia’s new Senators
One of the biggest changes in Georgia politics compared to this time last year: Georgia has two new Senators.
Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock were on the winning ends of two star-studded runoff elections earlier this year. The pair defeated Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. The former was elected to the Senate in 2014, while the latter was appointed to fill the seat held by the late Sen. Johnny Isakson, who stepped down due to his battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Ossoff, an investigative journalist, gained national prominence in 2017 after falling short in a congressional special election that shattered fundraising records. Warnock is the pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. With his victory, he became the first Black U.S. Senator in Georgia history.
Both Democrats are proteges of the late civil rights icon John Lewis. Ossoff worked in Lewis’ congressional office while in high school. Lewis was a longtime parishioner at Ebenezer, and Warnock helped eulogize the late Congressman in July 2020.
3. City Hall Shakeup
A major shakeup is brewing at Atlanta City Hall.
In the spring, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that she would not seek re-election to a second term in office. The news came as a shock to many political observers, as Bottoms had just held a fundraiser with President Joe Biden and was touting internal polling that found her with a commanding lead. Furthermore, every Atlanta mayor since Maynard Jackson was easily re-elected.
Around a dozen candidates competed to succeed Bottoms, including her predecessor, former Mayor Kasim Reed. Reed was narrowly locked out of the runoff, finishing behind City Councilman Andre Dickens and Council President Felicia Moore.
Dickens won the runoff election in a landslide. The citywide councilman is set to inherit a city that has been plagued by a rise in COVID cases, an increase in violent crime and a movement to split up the city.
He will take office on Monday, January 3.
4. The ongoing fight for justice
These last few years, the country has had serious, and at times uncomfortable conversations about racial injustice. Georgia has been at the center of these conversations.
In November, three Glynn County men were convicted in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. In February 2020, the three men were caught on video chasing down Arbery while he was out for a jog. The ultimately fatal encounter sparked a national outcry and led to new hate crimes legislation, as well as an overhaul of the state’s citizen’s arrest statute. The men are now facing decades in prison and are also awaiting trial on federal charges. The District Attorney who first oversaw the case was defeated for re-election and is now facing criminal charges herself in connection with the investigation.
In March, two Atlanta area spas were targeted in a shooting spree in what was one of the worst attacks against the Asian-American community in recent history. Robert Aaron Long was taken into custody and is facing charges in two counties. He has pleaded guilty to charges in Cherokee but not guilty in Fulton, where he is facing the death penalty. The shootings sparked nationwide protests and increased awareness to attacks and threats against Asian-Americans, which have grown during the pandemic.
Make no mistake: Georgia has a long way to go in the fight for equal justice. These tragedies were horrific, but it is my hope that the movements that they inspired will continue into 2022 and beyond.
5. S.B. 202
One of the most important bills that passed during this year’s legislative session: S.B. 202.
The Republican-backed bill made major changes to Georgia’s election laws following an election cycle where Democrats scored major victories. The bill aimed to reduce access to dropboxes, require photo identification for absentee ballots and allow the state election board to overhaul county election offices. It also removes the Secretary of State as a voting member of the state election board.
Democratic opponents say that the legislation harkens back to the days of Jim Crow, with some even going as far as calling “Jim Crow 2.0.” You may remember that state troopers arrested a lawmaker who was trying to witness the bill signing. The charges against her were ultimately dismissed.
Lawsuits against the bill were filed almost immediately after it was signed. The Department of Justice even filed a federal lawsuit against the law, claiming that it disproportionately impacts Black voters.
A judge recently denied a request to dismiss any legal challenges to the bill, paving the way for a courtroom showdown in 2022 ahead of another important election.
6. The (political) battle lines are drawn
This year, Georgia state lawmakers undertook the once-in-a-decade process of redrawing the state’s political boundaries.
The process, known as redistricting, is required to take place at the beginning of each decade after the completion of the decennial census so that political boundaries can accurately reflect population changes.
Oftentimes, the party that controls state government will use the process to cement their grip on power, a tactic commonly referred to as “gerrymandering.” It appears that Georgia Republicans were no exception this year.
Georgia’s congressional delegation currently comprises of 8 Republicans and 6 Democrats. GOP state lawmakers redrew the congressional map to help the party expand its dominance in the delegation. The 6th district, currently held by Democrat Lucy McBath, becomes a reliably Republican seat under the new map. The 7th district, held by fellow Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux, becomes a solidly blue district. McBath announced that she will run for re-election in the new 7th district, setting up a bitter intra-party clash between the two Democratic newcomers.
Republicans also attempted to cement their majorities in the state legislature. Several Republican lawmakers who have faced competitive races in recent years now find themselves facing more conservative constituencies. Some incumbents are also finding themselves in districts with another colleague, forcing them to make awkward decisions about their political futures.
7. Trump looms large over GA GOP
Ever since his razor-thin defeat in Georgia, reshaping the state Republican Party has emerged as a top priority for former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2022 elections. He has already endorsed a slate of candidates seeking statewide office.
Perhaps the biggest recruitment victory for the former President was Herschel Walker, who announced in August that he will seek the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate. A former UGA football star, Walker has known Trump for several decades and has emerged as one of his most prominent African-American supporters.
Trump is also planning on heavily campaigning against Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in next year’s primary. He continues to hold a grudge against the pair for refusing to overturn Biden’s victory. Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue is challenging Kemp with Trump’s endorsement, and far-right U.S. Rep. Jody Hice is taking on Raffensperger with the backing of the former President.
Trump’s influence is also pushing at least one powerful Republican to the sidelines. Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan announced earlier this year that he would not campaign for a second term. He faced the threat of a primary challenge after repeatedly criticizing Trump's behavior following the 2020 election. In the race to replace Duncan, the former President has thrown his support behind State Sen. Burt Jones.
I guess you could say that Georgia is definitely on Trump’s mind.
8. She’s back
A familiar face will be returning to the political spotlight in 2022.
2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Georgia House minority leader Stacey Abrams announced in December that she will run for governor once again in 2022, putting an end to months of speculation about her 2022 plans.
Abrams became a national superstar during her 2018 campaign as she aimed to become the first Black female governor in American history. She narrowly lost to then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp but refused to concede defeat, alleging that Kemp used his power as Secretary of State to purge voter rolls in the months leading up to the election.
Since her loss, she has launched a new voting rights organization and has established herself as a champion for voting rights. Some Democratic activists credit her hard work for the victories in the presidential and U.S. Senate contests.
Facing no credible primary challenge, Abrams will spend the next several months taking advantage of a divided Georgia GOP. But while the general election is set to be one of the closest races in the country, it remains to be seen if she can overcome what is shaping up to be a sour political environment for her party.
9. COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic is about to enter its third year. How do things look in Georgia as we end 2021?
In short, not good. The new Omicron variant is leading to case numbers that we have never seen since the beginning of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Georgia reported nearly 14,000 new coronavirus cases, a new daily record. The state’s seven-day moving average is also double what it was as the end of 2020.
In total, there have been nearly 1.4 million cases of COVID-19 in Georgia since the pandemic began. We have unfortunately lost more than 26,000 Georgians to the virus.
But the vaccines are providing us with some encouraging news. Nearly a year after vaccines first became available, more than half of Georgians have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 3 in 10 have received the booster dose. However, those numbers remain far behind the national average: more than 3 in 5 Americans have been fully vaccinated.
Gov. Brian Kemp, who himself has been fully vaccinated and boosted, announced on Tuesday that he will once again deploy national guard troops to overwhelmed Georgia hospitals, but has said that he will not be imposing any new restrictions or mandates. He has spent most of this year taking the Biden administration to court over federal mask and vaccine mandates.
COVID-19 has reshaped Georgia politics for the last two years, and it looks like it will be following us into the new year.
10. Georgians we lost in 2021
We said goodbye to several great Georgians this year.
In November, former U.S. Sen. and Vietnam war veteran Max Cleland passed away after heart complications. Cleland lost three limbs while fighting in Vietnam. While he was reduced to a wheelchair for most of his life, it did not stop him from standing up for what he felt was right, even if he faced ugly personal attacks.
We also said goodbye to former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, who passed away in December after a years-long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. If you were to look up the word “statesman” in the dictionary, you would probably find a picture of Isakson. He is the first and only Georgian to serve in the Georgia House, the Georgia Senate and both chambers of the U.S. Congress.
In October, beloved WSB-TV evening anchor Jovita Moore lost a brave battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron passed away in January.
These are just some of the Georgians we lost far too soon. They left indelible marks on this state and their legacies will live on forever.
Click here for a look at more Georgians we lost this year.