Post-Labor Day questions hanging over Georgia politics

ajc.com · Greg Bluestein · September 9, 2026

# Post-Labor Day questions hanging over Georgia politics

Author: Greg Bluestein Published: 2026-09-09T09:30:00+00:00 Source: ajc.com (ajc.com) Language: en

## Story

2 hours ago

Labor Day once traditionally marked the start of campaign season. That hasn’t really been true in Georgia, where campaign season never seems to end.

But the holiday has brought a more urgent tone from the candidates. The top contenders are suddenly rolling out more events, policy plans and attacks as the Nov. 3 election draws closer.

This week alone, all four nominees in Georgia’s marquee races are making big moves.

- Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins is set to speak Wednesday at the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas. - U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms scheduled a joint rally in Athens on Sunday. - And Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson unveiled what he calls “ intelligent Medicaid expansion.”

er’ew gnihctaw esoht eht eht .hcterts secar snoitseuq ni nwod tseggib era ereH

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff waves to a supporter after speaking at a campaign rally last month. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

## Will Collins drag down the GOP ticket?

rehtehw eseht eht eht selggurts gnilbmur teiuq no s’eenimon hcum tsuj t’nsi ni truh woh enoyreve esle syad dluoc selcric nac taeb .tollab ehT nacilbupeR ffossO s’tI POG .snilloC

nediw ot rieht eht gninnur thgir cilbup ,llop ylnepo ,won ycrem-on rojam sdael gnipeek si ni sdloh .pag gnisiardnuf yreve gnitbuod .ecnatsid dengised gnihsurc egnahc .secnahc nac ngiapmac erofeb era era dna egatnavda a a emoS snacilbupeR ytnelP srehtO ffossO .rebmevoN ’snilloC snilloC tuB

detuot hguot ylpmis ngis gniwohs yltnecer noitisop llop stniop egatnecrep no fo tsuj ti devorpmi woh sih mih sah reilrae tigid-elbuod .ticifed dniheb ,emoceb esuaceb na a a ffossO nI snilloC 7

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tahw .yrotciv ?tekcit eht eht eht revoekat hsimaeuqs serocs yas yawanur erutcip tuo fo fo t’nsi fi sneppah rehtraf nwod a a emoS snacilbupeR ffossO esuoH aigroeG citarcomeD dnA

,niw yhw gniyrt ot ot ot eht eht eht maet epahser liaverp lacitilop no ton nigram gnipeek tsuj sti si si spleh .sag toof nialpxe hguone nwod etamilc ngiapmac yb tub gib .tollab a tahT s’ffossO siH

Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson, seen here at rally in Perry last week. (Riley Bunch/AJC)

## Can Jackson hold the GOP base without losing swing voters?

sraey .raey stekcit siht kniht rieht taht tilps ylhguor rebmun rehgih neve dluoc neewteb eb dna stsylana ,oga .kconraW .S.U emoS .neS nacilbupeR leahpaR pmeK .voG snaigroeG ruoF citarcomeD nairB 000,002

elihw sretov esoht yrots drocer yalp revo mret-eno no .royam gnikam gninael si sih reh erianoillib-ot-erac-retsof rof tcerid yb gnirettab sa osla a a noskcaJ smottoB atnaltA

s’pmurT“ ll’uoy niw ohw elihw sretov detov owt gniyrt ot semit eerht eht taht lacitpeks gnimialcorp .tnediserp revo ro ton s’ti tnednepedni ”ronrevog etirovaf ysae eb osla tsniaga tuB

— yhw os ytefas tup cilbup no no hcum serusaem ssel yletal spleh sah raf nialpxe sisahpme dna dna ytilibadroffa .pmurT tahT noskcaJ

htiw htiw ohw gnihsaw stuot ot eht llits gnitrats ffonur .lavir s’tnediserp ecaep fo naem ekam si epoh stuodloh sih sih sih sih sdnah t’nseod tsurtsid ,gnisselb dna seilla ,adnega .pmurT tahT AGAM .tL ,senoJ noskcaJ eH .voG truB

kcilS“ gnikrow htiw revetahw ralupopnu seirt ot ot ot ot eit rieht ecaps drocer .tnediserp gniriap revo tsuj sih flesmih mih drah esare troffe etaerc detrecnoc ssenisub neewteb skcatta sa era dna na a ,pmurT ”kciR noskcaJ starcomeD tuB

Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor, speaks during a news conference in Lawrenceville last week. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

## Can Bottoms counter the Jackson messaging machine?

gnihtemos no fo aidem royam .yletal sah remrof ztilb neeb a ehT atnaltA

yllacitiloP“ htiw noinu tisnart ot eht ,sexat maerts ydaets hceeps snwod-tis stuollor tnecer slasoporp ycilop tsacdop gnisuap ,steltuo rehto srezinagro fo gnirewol edulcni evah yrecorg .gnidnuf .stneve tnempoleved atad retnec ngiapmac gnitsoob neeb ta dna dna dna demia a a erehT robaL reH ”aigroeG yaD

tahw yltrap tsuj od sngiapmac retfa s’tahT robaL .yaD

htrow .stnaw pu ot s’ereht dneps deppans ylpmis ytilaer stekcop fo erom noillim .hctam level .ti fi sih eh laicnanif hguone peed tonnac nac yub dniheb ta era dna osla ydaerla ,emitria a a noskcaJ s’eH tuB smottoB 78$

syaw ot ot .hguorht rehto sah dnif kaerb smottoB

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fo dnik mih sevig enutrof .ytilibixelf tnereffid a s’noskcaJ

htiw demit-llew stnaw sretov ot ot meht eht llet smus yrots llits gnireggats dneps .tuollor ycilop ytnelp revo ro fo .raeh eh eh etareneg eerf yltcaxe egarevoc nac nac tnemecnuonna dna osla .niaga a revO eH tuB

ohw sretov ot hguorht esoht eht erunet revo txen .royam seussi ecudortni semoh reh erachtlaeh remmah morf retsof gnigrof .eripme nac nac yob decnuob erofeb sa da a ehT enO smottoB atnaltA

tuonrut deledom evissam enihcam .erutcurtsarfni s’eh stoorssarg gnidliub retfa a ,elihwnaeM s’pmeK

htiw ohw pu ot ot eht eht eht eht lacitcat stes ecrofnier no fo tsom yenom ti ti gnitseretni sah ?dnuorg etareneg thgif :llaf hguone etepmoc etadidnac yub htob noitnetta dna a tahT naC smottoB

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins, seen here during an event in Rome with President Donald Trump in February. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

## Will Collins try to pivot from base-first politics?

ot ot eht eht eht kaeps erar eno no fo mretdim ll’eh sdaeh .tneve ,noitnevnoc eb ta ta nehW yadsendeW snacilbupeR nacilbupeR s’ytraP aigroeG sallaD snilloC

siht ediwetats gnittis .tuo rehto eno tsuj si si yreve .rednetnoc tuoba oS noskcaJ

AGAM“ .sraw ”roirraw raw edart ot ot eht eht eht .trats nur duorp no gnol flesmih sah morf morf stif yreve etabed tsac ngiapmac kcab sa a pmurT tahT narI s’eH snilloC

htrow sretov nrut ot ot ot .taht repus spahrep tuo sdeen sdeen sdeen laitnediserp-raen lanoitan tsom rojam cigol dedaol .slevel si .noisufni ,yltnatropmi eh .sronod ediced hsac ta a a s’pmurT s’erehT CAP AGAM eH aigroeG POG snilloC ,dnA

— deirrow ohw ohw sretov yrev eht eht eht eht taht taht hcus tilps yldetaeper tnatculer sdeen edam evol stnednepedni ylgnisaercni ehcadaeh evah sah morf rof colb t’nera era dna ydaerla a .pmurT pmurT er’yehT snacilbupeR snacilbupeR snacilbupeR aigroeG .POG snilloC tuB

krow nediw rehtehw yrt ot .emit rieht taht ediwetats noitseuq .yramirp eno seenimon erom speek si nac s’ngiapmac ngiapmac gnitteb tsrif-esab erutrepa retfa a a ehT nacilbupeR tsoM snilloC

A video from President Donald Trump’s visit to Wheeler High School is played during a Cobb County School Board Meeting in Marietta in July. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

## What effect will Trump have on the rest of the ticket?

.raey dluow sretov yrev ot siht eht no fo hcum ekil t’nsi .si fi eh ,esruoc evaheb tollab sa ,pmurT aigroeG starcomeD tuB

sretov ot siht rieht eht cigetarts gnirps tneps .esnes gnivorp yramirp llop .ecnamrofrep fo fo edam ytlayol ylekil .mih dnuof devorppa s’pmurT tahT snacilbupeR POG nA CJA %18

”AGAM“ ohw .gninaw s’ere

Read the full story at ajc.com

Georgia News

September 2026