The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Politically expedient
■ Ferguson makes his mark in party fundraising: U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson of West Point, already the highest-ranking Georgia lawmaker in the House Republican Conference as chief deputy to GOP Whip Steve Scalise, is showing promise for a promotion if the party takes control of the chamber in this year’s midterms through his fundraising. He has collected $1.6 million so far for the GOP’s campaign arm for House races.
■ NRA sides with Kemp: Gov. Brian Kemp won’t have to wait this time: He got the National Rifle Association’s endorsement ahead of the GOP primary. In 2018, the NRA backed then-Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in advance of the gubernatorial primary. It then switched to Kemp after he bested Cagle in a runoff.
■ Carr gets big hand from group he once led: Peachtree Values, a group with ties to the Republican Attorney Generals Association, is spending $400,000 on an ad buy in support of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr in his GOP primary race. Carr faces John Gordon, a businessman who holds an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Carr was chairman of RAGA but resigned after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the organization had paid for robocalls to tell Trump supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to “stop the steal.” Carr said he had no knowledge of the robocalls, but he did not resign from the group altogether.
■ Law enforcement officials line up behind AG: Carr, seeking reelection as attorney general, announced he has support from a group of more than 100 Georgia sheriffs, district attorneys and local solicitors.
■ Democratic secretaries of state group takes side in primary:
State Rep. Bee Nguyen picked up the support of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State in her bid against four other hopefuls in the Democratic primary for secretary of state. ■ Public Service Commission
hopeful exits race: Russell Edwards announced that he is suspending his campaign for the District 2 seat on the Public Service Commission and added that he is backing his opponent in the Democratic primary, Patty Durand. Edwards’ name will still appear on ballots in the May 24 primary.
■ Farley gains endorsements in PSC race: Democrat Chandra Farley has picked up endorsements in her bid for Seat 3 on the Public Service Commission from the Committee for a New Georgia, a political arm of the New Georgia Project voter registration group, as well as the left-leaning Georgia Conservation Voters.
■ Labor giant hands out endorsements: The Georgia AFLCIO endorsed Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath in the 7th Congressional District primary. The group also announced it’s supporting Democratic state Rep. William Boddie in the race for labor commissioner, Democratic state Rep. Bee Nguyen in the secretary of state’s race and Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan in the contest for attorney general.
■ African American group offers its support: The Collective PAC, a political committee dedicated to helping more Black people get elected to office, is backing Democratic U.S. Reps. Sanford Bishop of Albany and Nikema Williams of Atlanta in their reelection bids.
■ Local officials get behind U.S. House hopeful: Marc McMain, who is running in the 10th Congressional District’s crowded GOP primary, has gained endorsements from Walton County Commissioners Bo Warren, Mark Banks and Timmy Shelnutt, and Barrow County Commissioners Billy Parks and Ben Hendricks.