Posted inCapital B Atlanta, Politics & Policy, Rural Issues, State Politics, Voting

Amid Threats, Black Farmer Seeks to Flip Seat Once Held by Marjorie Taylor Greene

The standard uniform for most candidates running for public office consists of suits and loafers — maybe a blazer and some jeans. But Shawn Harris — the Black cattle farmer vying to replace former MAGA champion Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s U.S. Congressional District 14 — says he regularly wears a bulletproof vest on the […]

Posted inElections, Local Politics

Scandal, Growth, and a Crossroads: What’s at Stake in South Fulton’s Election

Andrea Jones is tired of hearing about the controversies surrounding South Fulton Mayor khalid “Kobi” kamau. The 51-year-old Jones is an Atlanta native who moved to South Fulton in 2015 because of the area’s more affordable homes and proximity to her family. She and other residents who spoke with Capital B Atlanta this week suggested […]

Posted inEducation, School Boards, State Politics

Why This GOP School Voucher Supporter is Running For State Superintendent

It’s been more than two years since a policy fight over a bill that created Georgia’s existing school voucher program severely damaged Mesha Mainor’s working relationship with state Democratic Party leaders, who vehemently oppose voucher programs, believing they pull too much money out of revenue-starved public schools. Now the former Democratic state House member, who joined the Republican Party […]

Posted inElections, Local Politics, News, Voting

Judge Fines Fulton Commission $10K a Day for Blocking MAGA Election Picks

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners has been ordered to pay $10,000 per day until its members vote to approve the appointment of a pair of controversial Republican nominees to the county’s board of Registration and Elections. Superior Court Judge David Emerson issued his ruling Wednesday afternoon following a contentious morning hearing in which attorneys […]

Posted inState Politics, Voting

Mass Registration Cancellation Puts Black Georgians’ Voting Rights at Risk

Alfreda Monroe hasn’t been inspired to vote for anyone since 2008, when Barack Obama ran for president the first time. But she doesn’t think choosing not to vote justifies having her voter registration canceled. The retired grandmother of six, who lives with her husband in Hinesville, was one of an estimated 478,000 inactive voters due […]

Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Politics

Low Turnout for High Stakes PSC Election Results in Key Runoff

A pivotal primary election marked by low voter turnout will be decided next month by a runoff race between two leading Democratic Party contenders. The Georgia Public Service Commission is a five-member elected body that determines rate prices for utility companies, including Georgia Power, the state’s largest electricity provider. Only about 205,000 Georgians out of […]

Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Services

Meet the Candidates Who May Decide What Happens With Your Electric Bill

Atlanta voters concerned about rising electric bills began casting ballots on Tuesday in a special election for the Georgia Public Service Commission, the administrative entity that regulates the state’s energy prices. At stake is how much people pay for power in a state with some of the highest utility costs in America. PSC commissioners have […]

Posted inPartner Content, Voting

Voting Rights Decision May Curb Push to Diversify Georgia, Alabama Utility Commissions 

Brionte´ McCorkle was “furious” when a federal appeals court ruled in late November that Georgia could keep its current method of electing its powerful utility regulators. She punched her kickboxing heavy bag so hard that it broke. “I busted the bag, I was that mad,” she said. But, McCorkle added, “We’re not going to let […]

Gift this article