Esteves endorsed by mother of woman who died after delayed abortion care

Jason Esteves’ campaign for governor picked up an endorsement today from Shanette Williams, whose daughter Amber Nicole Thurman died from abortion-related complications in the weeks after strict state limits on the procedure took effect.

The endorsement was a much-needed boost for Esteves, as the former state senator from Atlanta has lagged in the polls behind a trio of well-known Democrats.

Thurman died in August 2022 after waiting more than 20 hours for treatment at a metro Atlanta hospital following an abortion procedure in North Carolina. A state review later determined her death was preventable, according to ProPublica.

Her story became a rallying cry for abortion rights advocates during last year’s presidential campaign, when Democrats aired ads featuring Thurman’s family. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris also traveled to Atlanta to highlight what she called a “health care crisis.”

Williams called Esteves a “champion for women,” saying she trusted him to fight to overturn Georgia’s 2019 law that bans most abortions once a doctor can detect fetal cardiac activity, typically about six weeks into a pregnancy.

State Republican leaders stand by the law. Kemp, who signed the law in 2019, has criticized Democrats for spreading “falsehoods and misinformation” about the limits.

Good morning! It’s day nine of the federal government shutdown. Officially, Republicans and Democrats still aren’t talking to each other. But bipartisan clusters of lawmakers have been meeting privately. If there’s no deal by next week, U.S. troops could miss a paycheck.

The Rome Republican broke with GOP leaders earlier this week, criticizing them for not having a plan to address health insurance subsidies scheduled to expire at the end of this year. Democrats say they won’t vote to reopen the federal government unless those subsidies are extended.

“I think what people are hoping for is that her willingness to stand up and speak out will be the nudge other members of Congress need,” Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association, told us during a conference break at the Georgia World Congress Center. “Hopefully people will follow suit and listen to their constituents — like she’s listening — to see the real world impact.”

It’s one of several examples of Greene breaking party ranks, which is one reason Kennedy said she’s “not surprised anymore.” She added that Greene is providing “the voice of reason” — at least when it comes to this debate.

Now, the once sleepy suburb is locked in its first contentious battle for mayor, a sign of the city’s maturing politics. The race has a big moment tonight when WSB-TV partners with Rough Draft Atlanta to televise a forum featuring four candidates ahead of the start of early voting next week.

Council member Andy Bauman pointed to the city losing two public schools and some noticeable business closures, including The General Muir restaurant and deli, as a sign the city’s progress has stalled.

“The competition from other cities is getting tougher,” a narrator notes in a Bauman ad.

Council member Jody Reichel has criticized the city’s leadership for not doing a better job of attracting and retaining young families, calling for a “new vision” for the city.

Dontaye Carter, who owns a PR firm and unsuccessfully challenged Paul in 2021, is running a campaign focused on issues such as affordable housing and transportation.

The health care company Centene is suing Georgia after it lost a contract to manage the state’s Medicaid program. Now, a state lawmaker wants Georgia to investigate the company for how it has managed Medicaid.

State Rep. Doreen Carter, D-Lithonia, cited a Wall Street Journal analysis that showed the company received about $620 million in duplicative Medicaid payments nationwide. That included $92 million in Georgia.

Carter sent a letter to new Department of Community Health Commissioner Dean Burke, a former Republican state senator, asking him to “prioritize a thorough investigation into Centene’s practices.”

Today on “Politically Georgia” U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, explains her criticism of GOP leadership amid the government shutdown. Then the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman discusses new details in the Fani Willis investigation and Georgia election case.

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Ossoff’s campaign has more money than all three Republicans, raising $12 million in the last three months.

All seven Democrats in Georgia’s congressional delegation sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson asking him to call lawmakers back in session to address the government shutdown and expiring health insurance subsidies.

“Overwhelming majorities of Americans want Congress to act to prevent huge increases in health care costs and to end the government shutdown,” they wrote. “We urge you to call the U.S. House back to Washington immediately to engage in good-faith bipartisan efforts to address these issues.”

Earlier this week, every GOP member of the delegation signed onto a similar letter to U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Georgia Democrats.

Longtime Georgia political operative William “Billy” Kirkland was among the bloc of 102 people confirmed to new jobs by the U.S. Senate this week.

Kirkland previously managed campaigns for former Georgia U.S. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. He has also once worked for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

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A state agency now has until Nov. 14 to replace Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on the election interference case. Peter Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, had asked for more time.

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.