Georgia Democrats are shifting their stance on Israel, poll finds

Only about one-third of likely Georgia Democratic primary voters believe supporting Israel is in the U.S. national interest. It’s the latest sign of a widening internal rift more than two years after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s latest poll showed younger, wealthier and more liberal voters were more likely to be among the 44% who say that supporting Israel should not be a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.

That’s a notable shift from the AJC’s 2023 survey, conducted shortly after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel triggered the devastating war. Back then, 54% of Georgia Democrats said supporting Israel was in the national interest.

The new numbers reflect a broader national reassessment of the decades-long U.S.–Israel alliance. A string of recent national polls shows support for Israel deteriorating among left-leaning voters amid the prolonged fighting in Gaza, where a ceasefire is now in effect.

But the trend is not universal. Among Georgia Republicans, support remains overwhelming and stable. About 85% say it’s essential that the U.S. back Israel, similar to the findings in 2023.

Friday news quiz

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Good morning! Today is your last chance to vote early in elections for the Public Service Commission and various local governments across the state. If you’re still in the mood to make choices, try our quiz on the week’s political news. You’ll find the answers at the end of this newsletter.

More than a million Georgians could lose access to the main federal food assistance program tomorrow because of the government shutdown. What other issue has been disrupting benefits?

A new AJC poll shows more than one-third of likely Democratic primary voters say they lack confidence the 2026 election will be fair and accurate. Why?

Fulton County officials are eyeing a $10 million tax break for a large development project. Why are some people worried about it?

Marcus Wiedower resigned from the state Legislature this week to focus on his real estate business. What legislative issue will be impacted by his absence?

Faith talk

Credit: Tony Dejak/AP

Credit: Tony Dejak/AP

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich is coming to the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta tomorrow to talk about his new book, “Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future.”

Kasich, a Republican, spoke with us recently about faith and politics. Here are some excerpts from our conversation, edited for brevity and clarity.

PG: Do you think churches and faith communities are becoming more political these days?

KASICH: Some of it, yes. … Obviously, my faith informs my views on a lot of things. But I don’t go seeking solutions to my decisions by, you know, studying some line in the Scripture. And furthermore, I don’t believe that the faith community should be using government or legislative efforts to try to impose their values. I believe the faith communities are about influencing, not legislating.

PG: You said on “Morning Joe” that you believed this book was coming out at exactly the right time. What did you mean by that?

KASICH: I don’t think it came out at exactly the right time. I was under the view that people were really tired of all the fighting and they wanted to put their fists down. I’m not so sure that’s true. We’re still fighting like crazy. It’s a book that … I think it becomes more relevant every day as people look at how to fix this problem.

Too many people in the country look at somebody else’s political party or philosophy, and they see it as an existential threat to themselves, which is really bad news. There’s a long way to go on this. I’m optimistic, over time, we’ll fix this — particularly if we get better leaders.

PG: Of all the stories in your book, does any one stick out as particularly poignant or meaningful?

KASICH: What I didn’t want to do was to have these just absolutely amazing stories because that seems to scare people. They say, “Well, I’m just a regular ol’ person. I could never do that.” So I wanted to make sure that we had simple ones, too. The great works of others don’t start as great works. They start as little simple things and they grow into something that’s really pretty remarkable. So you never know what you start and where it can lead.

SNAP acts

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Millions of people who rely on the main federal food assistance program are waiting to see if a judge will order the government to keep it funded.

The Trump administration says it will pause the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program tomorrow because of the government shutdown. On Thursday, a federal judge seemed skeptical of the administration’s arguments.

In the meantime, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office sent out a news release listing available food pantries. It also urged Georgians to contact Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and insist that they vote to reopen the federal government.

Here are how some other states are reacting:

This morning, Georgia House and Senate Democrats sent sent a letter to the state’s GOP congressional delegation urging them to fund health care subsidies and end the shutdown.

Campaign notes

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

The latest:

Listen up

Must see TV

Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC

Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC

Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will appear on tonight’s episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO Max. Then on Tuesday, she will join the hosts of “The View” on ABC.

“I don’t know how many things we agree on,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said. “But I know the one thing that she and I and all of us at this table agree on is this should not be affecting the American people.”

Greene has become more outspoken against fellow Republicans during the government shutdown. The Rome Republican pushed back on MAGA criticism questioning her decision to appear on shows hosted by people known for their left-leaning views.

“Here is my voting card and nothing has changed about me,” Greene wrote on X, sharing her A+ rating from a conservative organization. “I’m 1,000,000% America ONLY. Sorry I’m not sorry I don’t obey Republican men’s demands that I, as a woman, don’t remain seen but not heard.”

Today in Washington

Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Happenings:

Condolences

Kathy (Gayle) Holt Register, district director for U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, has died. She was 70.

Johnson said Register’s death was “unexpected but peaceful.” Register had been Johnson’s district director for since he first took office in 2007. She was also best friends with Johnson’s wife, DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson.

“Under Kathy’s leadership, my district staff has helped tens of thousands of constituents solve seemingly intractable problems,” Johnson said. “She ran the office with professionalism and an eye for service. That is what she did every day for more than almost 19 years. She will be missed as our leader, but also as a dear and close friend.”

Shoutouts

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

Today’s birthdays

Milestone

Before you go

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Answers to this week’s quiz: