Chris Carr warns Democratic win would bring ‘Gavin Newsom-like’ policies to Georgia

As the Trump administration sends troops into Los Angeles over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is using the standoff to sharpen his case for governor — and draw a contrast with national Democrats.

At a campaign fundraiser in Atlanta last night, Carr blamed Newsom, a favorite GOP target, for the unrest surrounding immigration protests and warned donors that similar leadership in Georgia would be a disaster.

“If you have a governor that believes in what Gavin Newsom believes in, then businesses are leaving the state in droves,” said Carr, who then name-checked Georgia Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

“I think it’s annoying that we have Ossoff and Warnock as our senators, but there’s only so much they can do. Think about a Gavin Newsom-like governor in the state of Georgia — that would be dangerous.”

With Lt. Gov. Burt Jones expected to enter the race later this summer and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, weighing a bid, Carr is trying to make the most of his early start — and leaning into an electability message not often heard in Georgia GOP primaries.

“There is one candidate in this race that can beat every Democrat that’s being talked about out there, and that’s me. There’s one person that can win the primary, and there’s one person that can win the general [election],” he said. “Let’s make sure that we have a candidate that can win.”

Other tidbits:

Things to know

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Good morning! We’re a week away from the primary election for the Public Service Commission.

Here are three things to know for today:

Special election

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

The race is on to replace state Sen. Brandon Beach.

The Alpharetta Republican resigned last month after President Donald Trump appointed him U.S. treasurer. Gov. Brian Kemp called a special election on Aug. 26 to replace him, and the qualifying period ended last week.

With six Republicans and one Democrat on the ballot, it’s likely a runoff election will be needed on Sept. 23 to determine the winner.

Here’s a look at the candidates:

Senate shakeup

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Georgia Senate Republicans will meet by the end of the month to elect new leaders.

Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch and President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy both stepped down from their leadership positions after launching bids for lieutenant governor.

We’re told state Sen. Larry Walker III of Perry has the inside track on the president pro tem gig. State Sens. Jason Anavitarte of Dallas, Matt Brass of Newnan and Bo Hatchett of Cornelia are among the Republicans who could aim for Gooch’s post.

Assessment season

It’s that time of year when county tax assessors decide how much your house is worth for property tax purposes. But many counties had to delay sending out their assessments in part because of and a new state law.

House Bill 581, passed last year by the Legislature and later approved by voters, caps property assessments at the inflation rate for the previous year. But local governments can choose to opt out of the cap, as many school districts have done.

That has caused some headaches for assessors. In some places, the county commission kept the cap while one or more school districts opted out. That makes it tricky to send out accurate assessments.

“There are several counties that have had to push back from the date they typically mail out their notices,” said Theresa Gooch, chief appraiser in Gilmer County and president of the Georgia Association of Assessing Officials. “It’s a lot of work. I think at this point it’s just counties are working through it and just trying to make sure that they get the most accurate information out there for their property owners.”

Things could change again in the coming years. Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law giving local governments more time to decide whether to opt out of the exemption. The law also gives governments that did opt out a chance to opt back in.

Equal treatment

People who legally can’t make decisions for themselves sometimes get special treatment under Georgia law. But state lawmakers made no exceptions for Georgia’s two-year deadline for filing medical malpractice lawsuits.

Today, the family of a mentally disabled woman will argue that’s unconstitutional.

Michelle Hewett had to have her tongue amputated following a brief stay at Regency Hospital. Her family sued the hospital and one of its nurses for malpractice, but they filed the lawsuit after the deadline.

Hewett’s family says they deserve more time to sue because of her disability. They note people with mentally disabilities often get more time to file non-medical malpractice cases, so it isn’t fair to treat them differently in this case.

“The only purpose it serves is to unconstitutionally lock the courtroom door before the mentally incompetent party has an opportunity to open it,” Michael Hill, the attorney for Hewett’s family, wrote in a brief before the court.

Lawyers on the other side argue the state Legislature gets to make the rules, and overturning lawmakers “would be a startling blow to fundamental legislative authority.” Plus, they argue they have the law on their side.

The Georgia Supreme Court already ruled in 2010 that mentally disabled people aren’t entitled to more time. But Hewett’s family says times have changed since then, arguing that case “was not fully considered in the context of our evolving societal values.”

Listen up

Credit: Jeff Amy/AP

Credit: Jeff Amy/AP

Today on “Politically Georgia,” the hosts recap last weekend’s Georgia GOP convention. Plus, they’ll unpack the surprising emergence of Derek Dooley, son of the late UGA football coach Vince Dooley, as a possible Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

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.

You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Victor Hill’s return

Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill posted on social media that he will announce a run for Congress today, as first reported by 11 Alive News.

Hill didn’t say which seat he may target, and his posts were vague enough that there is a chance it could all be a ruse. He said he will share details on a YouTube stream later tonight.

Hill was convicted in 2022 of violating the civil rights of detainees in the county jail and spent 10 months in a federal prison before being released in the spring of 2024. He is still facing civil lawsuits related to the allegations of excessive force.

Clayton County is divided between two congressional seats: the 5th District represented by Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta, and the 13th District represented by David Scott, D-Atlanta.

Scott, who has faced concerns about his age and health for years, has already drawn several challengers.

Today in Washington

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Happenings:

Shoutouts

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Birthdays:

Recognition:

Transition:

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

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, voted “present” for two resolutions condemning antisemitism because she said Congress “never votes on hate crimes against white people, Christians, men, the homeless, or countless others.”

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.

This story has been corrected to reflect that the leadership elections in the Georgia State Senate will be held by the end of the month.