The Battle Shifts from Ballots to Barracks in Georgia

A Blue Shock in a Red Stronghold 

Last Tuesday Democratic candidate Debra Shigley prevailed in the special election for Georgia’s deep-red 21st Senate District with almost 40% of the vote in a district where Trump bested Harris 70-30. She goes to a runoff against Republican Jason Dickerson. However, the third-place candidate, Republican Steve West, who is only below Dickerson by 67 votes, has demanded a recount in typical MAGA fashion by citing election fraud. This incredible performance by Shigley underscores the value of running an energetic campaign with a fantastic campaign team. Most Democrats in this district had never had a campaign knock on their door, and Shigley’s campaign knocked on over 30,000 doors in the district in just three months. All the while, the six Republicans in the race brutally attacked each other in an attempt to out-MAGA the field, allowing Shigley to run on a hopeful message for the future of Georgia. 

Even though the runoff on September 23rd will be challenging to win, Shigley’s outperformance despite limited institutional funding and attention demonstrates a path forward for progressivism in Georgia. So, we must continue to have hope and turn that hope into action by contesting every race seriously and showing up for the communities that need us. To help Debra Shigley win the runoff, consider volunteering or donating at her website here: https://www.debraforgeorgia.com/ 

Kemp Plays Politics With the Guard

Governor Kemp’s decision to deploy members of the Georgia National Guard to assist ICE is troubling, as it diverts state resources away from issues that directly affect Georgians. At a time when the state faces challenges such as hospital staffing shortages, public safety concerns, and the need for disaster preparedness during hurricane season, assigning the Guard to carry out administrative work for federal immigration enforcement feels misplaced. While these troops will not be conducting arrests themselves, the deployment raises concerns about the Guard being used for politically motivated purposes rather than for the immediate needs of Georgia residents.

This move appears less about safeguarding communities and more about making a national political statement. The National Guard’s primary role should be to support the state during crises and emergencies, not to advance partisan immigration policies. By channeling military resources toward this effort, Kemp risks undermining the Guard’s nonpartisan role and normalizing military involvement in political disputes. With pressing challenges such as affordable housing, healthcare access, and climate resilience demanding attention, Georgians deserve leadership that prioritizes their needs over political grandstanding.

Georgia Republicans Want Fewer Voters. Again.

Here we go again. Georgia Republicans are taking aim at the very thing that made our state a national leader in voter participation: automatic voter registration.

Since 2016, when then–Secretary of State Brian Kemp put the system in place, automatic registration has done exactly what democracy is supposed to do — it’s put more people in the game. Georgia’s voter rolls have grown to 8 million. Ninety-two percent of eligible Georgians are registered. That’s not just good that’s among the best in the nation. That’s what a healthy democracy looks like.

Now Republicans want to roll it back. Why? Because a handful of people didn’t know they were registered. Because a few ineligible registrations slipped through. That’s their excuse. And instead of fixing small problems with common-sense solutions, they’re reaching for the same tool they always do: make it harder to vote.

We’ve seen this movie before. SB 202 slashed absentee voting. Polling places were closed. Hundreds of thousands of registrations were purged. And each time, the justification is the same: “election integrity.” Each time, the effect is the same: fewer Georgians voting.

And let’s be honest: the strategy isn’t subtle. When the playing field is level, Democrats have proven we can win statewide — Senate seats, the presidency, you name it. Georgia is the nation’s newest swing state. The eyes of the country are on us, because what happens here helps decide what happens everywhere. Republicans know it. And instead of meeting voters head-on with ideas, they’re trying to rig the rules.

Here’s the truth: you don’t chip away at voting rights because you love democracy. You do it because you’re scared of it. You do it because you’ve run out of ways to defend your agenda at the ballot box.

Breaking the Playbook: Courage Over Fear

What ties all of this together is simple: power and participation. Georgia Republicans know their agenda can’t win in a fair fight, so they bend the rules — and they lean on fear. False alarms on campuses, attacks on voting rights, and political stunts with the National Guard are all part of the same playbook: to intimidate, exhaust, and discourage people from showing up.

But here’s the truth: courage is contagious. Every time we knock doors in a so-called “unwinnable district,” every time a young voter refuses to be silenced, every time we call out these tactics for what they are, we chip away at the fear they’re banking on. We know the intimidation will only escalate heading into 2026. And that makes our job even clearer: meet fear with organizing, meet intimidation with solidarity, and remind Georgians that democracy is strongest when we stand together, unafraid.