This week, the GOP primary for governor got even messier as Republicans – including Governor Brian Kemp – clashed on Trump-endorsed Burt Jones’ cost-raising tax scheme, and Jones intensified attacks on his opponents in what has become a fast-moving race to the right.
Here’s the state of play for this chaotic primary:
CARR DOUBLES DOWN ON ANTI-CHOICE RECORD: This race continued to lurch further to the right this week, as the GOP candidates continue to support extreme policies that are gravely out-of-touch with the needs of Georgians.
- Chris Carr doubled down on his longtime support for Georgia’s extreme abortion ban, and was introduced by Faith and Freedom Coalition Executive Director Mack Parnell as someone who “defended the Heartbeat Law every step of the way.”
- Carr isn’t the only one with an anti-choice record: all three leading Republican candidates for governor have all endorsed extreme abortion bans – and Carr’s opponents Burt Jones and Brad Raffensperger also have long records fighting to rip away Georgians’ reproductive freedom.
GOP IN DISARRAY AS KEMP, CARR GO AFTER JONES’ COST-RAISING TAX SCHEME: Governor Kemp, in his final State of the State Address on Thursday, “not-so-subtly” went after Jones’ cost-raising tax plan and indicated that eliminating the income tax would “create future budget holes with today’s one-time money.”
- Chris Carr (once again) slammed Jones’ plan this week at the Faith and Freedom Coalition luncheon, suggesting the plan was nothing more than a “political document.”
- In an interview with 11Alive’s Zach Merchant, Carr also slammed Jones for having a “long history” of enriching himself in public office.
JONES AND ALLIES HIJACK SESSION TO ATTACK RAFFENSPERGER: On Wednesday, Jones allies in the State Senate unveiled a resolution attacking Brad Raffensperger for his work as Secretary of State.
- And on Thursday, Raffensperger shot back in an AJC op-ed saying that the resolution is “embarrassing,” and that Burt Jones and his allies “should be ashamed of themselves for putting political ambition ahead of common sense and public service.”
- Raffensperger also argued that “[r]ather than focus on pressing issues like affordability, public safety and education” Burt Jones and his allies “remain obsessed with political theater that delivers zero tangible benefit to the people” of Georgia.
- This intensifying infighting comes after Jones released an ad attacking Raffensperger’s record, demonstrating just how fully Jones is leaning into his long record of MAGA extremism and election denial to defend himself against an onslaught of attacks.
DARK MONEY OUTSIDE SPENDING HITS $9 MILLION: The mysterious Georgians for Integrity has now flooded this race with $9 million attacking Burt Jones for his long record of self enrichment in public office.
- The ads have become “nearly inescapable to many Georgians” and have clearly rattled Jones, as he acknowledged at the Eggs & Issues breakfast hosted by the Georgia Chamber on Wednesday that he “felt like he was on TV as much as” prominent law firm “Morgan & Morgan.”
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