U.S. officials have determined Russia was behind a video which purports to show Haitians claiming that they illegally voted for Kamala Harris, is fake and likely the work of a Russian troll farm. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other Georgia state election officials have labeled the video as disinformation.
The NAACP is calling on the Department of Justice to open an investigation into Georgia's online voter registration removal portal. President and CEO of the NAACP Derrick Johnson joins MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell to explain more.
Democrat Lucy McBath wins reelection to U.S. House in Georgia's 7th Congressional District.
Mcbath defeated her Republican challener, Mark Gonsalves with over 63% of the vote.
Candidate 8888888 Party88888888 Votes888888 Percent of vote
Lucy McBath*-8888 Democrat-8888 88,6898888- +63.9%
Mark Gonsalves888 Republican888 50,17488888 +36.1%36.1
The Associated Press reports that Democrat Nikema Williams has won reelection to U.S. House in Georgia's 5th Congressional District.
Williams defeated her Republican challnger, Christian Zimm with over 80% of the vote.
Candidate88888 Party-888 Votes88 Percent of vote
Nikema Williams Democratic 115,961 80.63%
Christian Zimm 8Republican8 27,863 19.37 %
A poll released Tuesday found Black voters in Georgia are dissatisfied with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
The survey, conducted by Black to the Future Action Fund and HIT Strategies, polled 1,200 adults in North Carolina, Georgia and California. The results found that 60 percent of Black voters in Georgia have unfavorable or very unfavorable views of Kemp.
Only 15 percent of respondents reported favorable views of Kemp, and 61 percent of Black voters in Georgia reported they are dissatisfied with the direction of the state.
“Republicans want you to think Black voters are flocking to them, but the reality is that Black voters are going to the polls with our priorities in mind – priorities that lift up our communities that the GOP doesn’t have policies for,” said Alicia Garza, principal of Black to the Future Action Fund, in a press release.
“Elected officials and candidates in these states must prioritize economic recovery, protecting voter rights and access and combating white supremacist violence to be responsive to their Black constituents,” she added.
The poll also showed Black voters’ top priorities this election cycle include inflation and cost of living, crime and gun violence.
Respondents also reported that things like white supremacy and nationalist violence, racism and discrimination and criminal justice reform, including police brutality, are getting worse around the country.
The Georgia Democratic Party announced former President Barack Obama is expected to attend an upcoming campaign event to suppot Stacey Abarms, Raphael Warnock, and other Georgia Democrats in Atlanta.
The event is set to start at 4 p.m. on Oct. 28, according to a a tweet on Twitter. As of yet no official location has been given for the event.
BIG NEWS: @BarackObama is coming to Georgia on October 28 to get out the vote for Georgia Democrats. Click the link below to sign up!https://t.co/PIBb1dbLY8
— Georgia Democrats (@GeorgiaDemocrat) October 15, 2022
In Georgia’s race for U.S. Senate, Raphael Warnock (47%) leads Herschel Walker (42%) by 5 points statewide. Warnock (47%) and Walker (45%) are closely matched among registered voters who say they definitely plan to vote.
Warnock’s lead over Walker is bolstered by independents (+9 points) and women. A 23-point gender gap exists. 52% of women support Warnock while 49% of men back Walker.
70% of registered voters with a candidate preference for U.S. Senate strongly support their choice. This includes 74% of Warnock’s supporters and 68% of Walker’s backers.
43% of Georgians have a favorable opinion of Warnock, and 40% have an unfavorable impression of him. Walker’s favorable rating is upside down (37% favorable to 41% unfavorable).
Democratic nominee for governor Stacey Abrams released the following statement after news that Brian Kemp’s agenda might shut down Atlanta Medical Center:
“Brian Kemp has once again placed his extremist agenda before the lives of Georgians. For the second time this year, a hospital will likely turn away patients, right in the heart of Atlanta. Sadly, whether you live in rural, urban or suburban Georgia, Kemp has united every region in a healthcare crisis of spiraling costs and declining access. His continued refusal to expand Medicaid will guarantee more hospitals shut down, and last-minute stop-gap funding or Medicaid waiver half-measures will not address the core, systemic issues facing Georgia’s imploding public health system. If the Atlanta Medical Center shutters completely or shuts down key services, this will be the sixth hospital to turn away patients on his watch. Every hospital that continues to serve patients who cannot pay because Kemp refuses to accept our tax dollars should be commended. But it is shameful – but not surprising – that Brian Kemp puts his far right partisan politics over what is best for Georgians, who desperately need their health care costs to go down and to have access to medical care.”
Under Brian Kemp, in addition to the potential closure of AMC, there are an estimated 19 rural Georgia hospitals at risk of closing any day, as Kemp refuses to fully expand Medicaid. Today’s announcement marks the sixth hospital that might close under Kemp’s watch – but this crisis continues to unfold with many more at risk due to Kemp’s dangerous agenda.
A new public opinion poll indicates that Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is leading Republican challenger and football legend Herschel Walker by double digits in battleground Georgia’s crucial Senate showdown.
The survey by Quinnipiac University released on Wednesday also suggests that the 2022 gubernatorial rematch between conservative Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger and voting rights champion Stacey Abrams is a dead heat.
Warnock leads Walker 54%-44% among Peach State registered voters, according to the poll which was conducted June 23-27. That’s a dramatic swing from Quinnipiac’s last poll in the Georgia Senate race, which indicated the contest was basically tied in January.
The survey indicates that Warnock’s overall 10-point lead is fueled by a 62%-33% advantage over Walker among independent voters, and a double-digit lead among females compared to Walker’s single-digit margin among males. Warnock leads 88%-10% among Black voters, while Walker wins the support of White voters 62%-35%.
Warnock enjoys a 49%-37% favorable/unfavorable rating, while Walker’s underwater at 37%-42%.
Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker are tied at 46% apiece according to recent polling.
But when it comes to support among Black voters it's not close as Warnock holds a significant edge.
Eighty-three percent of Black voters said they support the Democratic incumbent, compared to only 7 percent who are backing Walker.[SOURCE: THE HILL]
Warnock run strongest among black women, with Warnock ahead of Walker 91% to 3%. Warnock also leads among black men, with Warnock holding a 74% to 11% advantage over Walker.
During an appearance on Symone Sanders' MSNBC show Georgia gubanatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made news by announcing that she would raise teacher pay in Georgia.
“We invite anyone who wants to see Georgia move forward to come here, that means President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris” Candidate for GA Governor @staceyabrams tells @SymoneDSanders whether @POTUS and @VPOTUS will join her on the campaign trail. pic.twitter.com/ZheRM78BIE
— SYMONE (@symonemsnbc) June 12, 2022
Stacey Abrams responds to racist comments made by Georgia Republican candidate David Perdue in which he said that Abrams should "Go back where she came from".
A Message from University President, Dr. Tony Allen regarding the Delaware State University Lacrosse Team Bus Incident
To the University Community:
On April 20, an incident occurred in Georgia when the Delaware State University Women’s Lacrosse Team was returning home from a game in Florida. Traveling by contract bus, Georgia Law Enforcement stopped the team under the pretext of a minor traffic violation. The belongings of the student-athletes, including suitcases in the luggage racks beneath the bus, were searched by police and drug-sniffing dogs. Videos such as this one taken by one of the players clearly show law enforcement members attempting to intimidate our student-athletes into confessing to possession of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia.
To be clear, nothing illegal was discovered in this search, and all of our coaches and student-athletes comported themselves with dignity throughout a trying and humiliating process.
Our student-athletes, coaches, and the subcontracted bus driver are all safe. I have spoken with many of them, and in the course of investigating this incident in conjunction with our General Counsel and Athletic Director, I have also reached out to Delaware’s Governor, Congressional delegation, Attorney General, and Black Caucus. They, like me, are incensed. We have also reached out to Georgia Law Enforcement and are exploring options for recourse—legal and otherwise—available to our student-athletes, our coaches, and the University.
We do not intend to let this or any other incident like it pass idly by. We are prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. We have video. We have allies. Perhaps more significantly, we have the courage of our convictions.
News of this incident has hit social media in response to a May 4 article published in The Hornet Newspaper. Written by sophomore Mass Communications major and lacrosse player Sydney Anderson, the piece is thoughtful and well-written, supported by one of several videos taken of the incident. We have already begun to receive inquiries from local reporters. I would not be surprised if this story eventually extends beyond local coverage.
It should not be lost on any of us how thin any day’s line is between customary and extraordinary, between humdrum and exceptional, between safe and victimized. That is true for us all but particularly so for communities of color and the institutions who serve them. The resultant feelings of disempowerment are always the aggressors’ object.
This past January and February during the spate of bomb threats made against HBCUs, it was made clear then that personal nobility, individual virtue, and communal excellence do not exempt us from oppressive treatment. In fact, it seems the opposite holds true; too many people of color in this country, our students among them, experience what W.E.B. Du Bois dubbed “double consciousness,” a wasteful predicament in which people of color live doubly: in talented pursuit of their dreams and in self-conscious defense of their mental and, too often, physical safety.
However, as I said in January, we will never be bullied into believing anything other than what we are— Americans, learners, teachers, builders—useful and honorable people ready to soar. I am proud of our student-athletes, their coaches, the athletic department leadership, and the reporters and staff of the University newspaper. Our mission is a critical one and is as much a part of the American story as any.
Again, I say, “We shall not be moved.”
Together,
Tony Allen, Ph.D.
President
The first major debate for the Republican U.S. Senate race in Georgia was held on Saturday. Herschel Walker was a no-show.
Each of Walker’s top rivals criticized the GOP frontrunner for skipping the event and predicted that his strategy, which involves a regimen of mostly tightly scripted events and private gatherings, would leave him vulnerable against Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Since entering the race last year with Trump’s support, Walker has ignored his rivals and bypassed many large GOP gatherings, even if it meant alienating key activists and officials. He’s also indicated he won’t participate in debates until the general election.
In this instance, Walker cited the Horatio Alger Award ceremony in Washington as a scheduling conflict. The event ended Saturday morning, hours before the evening debate.
Walker has held wide leads in public polls, including an Emerson College/The Hill poll that pegged him near 60%. His opponents contend they have an opening to force him into a runoff, noting earlier polls had Walker hovering around 80%.
One time Democrats now turned republican, Vernon Jones has suspended his Georgia governor campaign and announced plans to run for U.S. Congress.
Jones, who was running for the nomination in the Republican primary against current Gov. Brian Kemp and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, made the announcement on social media on Monday.
“After much prayer & consideration I have decided that I can best serve the people of Georgia in the Congress of the United States,” Jones said in the announcement.
Stacey Abrams released a video announcing that she's running for Georgia governor again in 2022.
I’m running for Governor because opportunity in our state shouldn’t be determined by zip code, background or access to power. #gapol
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) December 1, 2021
Be a founding donor to my campaign:https://t.co/gk2lmBINfW pic.twitter.com/z14wUlo8ls
Herschel Walker filed paperwork on Tuesday to run for Senate as a Republican in Georgia, delivering a clear sign that former NFL star is seeking to challenge Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) next year.
Walker has floated a potential Senate bid for months, prodded on by former President Trump, a friend of Walker's who has indicated that he is all but certain to endorse the football star in the race.
An official campaign announcement could come within days, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Walker’s highly anticipated entrance into the race makes him the most prominent challenger yet to Warnock, who narrowly won a runoff election earlier this year against former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.).
Even before he filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, there were signs that Walker was likely to run. Despite living in Texas for years, Walker registered to vote in Georgia earlier this month using an Atlanta address.
Marcus Flowers is the Democrat running to defeat Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s 14th District. Flowers has spent his entire career defending the United States. First – he served as an active duty member of the US Army, followed by more than 20 years as a contractor or official for the State Department and Department of Defense.
Marcus has spent a decade in combat zones around the world and has worked on four continents. He has seen first hand the damage done by extremism and disinformation, and he WILL NOT let Marjorie Taylor Greene take us down the same path here in America. Her conspiracy theories may have made her famous, but they haven’t done a thing to help the people in this district.
Marcus’s values are those of this district: loyalty, duty, honor, respect, service, integrity, unity, courage, and fierce love of America and its Constitution. Marcus swore an oath at 18 years old to “Protect and Defend” that document, and he lives by that oath daily.
Marcus believes in bi-partisanship and bridge-building and does NOT believe in vilifying political opponents. He is pro-choice because he does not believe the government should be allowed into people’s bedrooms. He cares deeply about healthcare, the environment, equality, social justice, education reform, veterans’ issues, supporting our military, voting rights, and dozens of other issues on which Americans fundamentally agree.
Marcus is encouraged and inspired by the volunteers and grassroots donors who have already joined his campaign. With that kind of army, we cannot lose.
Learn more about Marcus Flowers and donate to his campaign: Marcus For Georgia
Via Twitter Former President Obama commended MLB for pulling its All-Star Game from Georgia in protest of the state’s new voting restrictions.
Congratulations to @MLB for taking a stand on behalf of voting rights for all citizens. There’s no better way for America’s pastime to honor the great Hank Aaron, who always led by example.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 3, 2021
After initially supporting the new Georgia voting law and now facing a movement to boycott his company, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in a memo to employees Wednesday that the law was “unacceptable” and “based on a lie” of widespread fraud in last November’s election.
Read his memo below:
Ed Bastian to Delta Colleagues Worldwide
Your Right to Vote
Just two weeks ago, we honored civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young by naming a building on our campus in his honor and establishing a permanent exhibit to his lifelong work in the lobby. The building was chosen because it is the first place most new Delta employees visit when they come to work for us, and we wanted them to see, on their first day, just how closely our mission of connecting the world intertwines with the work of heroes like Ambassador Young, a former Delta board member whose steady hand helped save our airline in the dark years following 9-11.
For all the pride we take in the achievements of Ambassador Young and other civil rights heroes – many of them from our hometown of Atlanta – we know that much work remains to be done to truly establish a just and equitable society. Last week, the Georgia legislature passed a sweeping voting reform act that could make it harder for many Georgians, particularly those in our Black and Brown communities, to exercise their right to vote.
Since the bill’s inception, Delta joined other major Atlanta corporations to work closely with elected officials from both parties, to try and remove some of the most egregious measures from the bill. We had some success in eliminating the most suppressive tactics that some had proposed.
However, I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values.
The right to vote is sacred. It is fundamental to our democracy and those rights not only need to be protected, but easily facilitated in a safe and secure manner.
After having time to now fully understand all that is in the bill, coupled with discussions with leaders and employees in the Black community, it’s evident that the bill includes provisions that will make it harder for many underrepresented voters, particularly Black voters, to exercise their constitutional right to elect their representatives. That is wrong.
The entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie: that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the 2020 elections. This is simply not true. Unfortunately, that excuse is being used in states across the nation that are attempting to pass similar legislation to restrict voting rights.
So there is much work ahead, and many more opportunities to have an impact. I want the entire Delta family to know that we stand together in our commitment to protect and facilitate your precious right to vote. That’s why we invested heavily in our get-out-the-vote efforts last year, and we can all be proud of Delta’s contribution to the historic voter turnout in 2020.
In the weeks and months ahead, we will be working with leaders across the political spectrum in states nationwide in this effort. We’re also closely monitoring legislation in Congress – named after the late Atlanta civil rights hero and Delta friend John Lewis – that will expand voting rights nationwide and working with the Representatives and Senators that represent our communities.
I know this result in Georgia has caused frustration, anger and pain for many members of our Delta family. I commit to you that as we move forward, Delta will continue to do everything in our power to hear and protect your voice and your rights, both in Georgia and nationwide.
Thank you for all you do for your communities, your loved ones, and for our Delta family, every day.
Ed
