Today's Runoff Voter Guide

Welcome to The Breakdown by King Williams, a newsletter covering Atlanta’s hidden connections to everything. I am a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and podcast host based in Atlanta, Georgia.

There’s another runoff ahead of the big election in November. Today’s runoff will set up the Democratic and Republican challengers for each race.

Other important info:

• For a better background on what each position does, click on my May 19th voter guide

• To check your voter registration status, your location, or get a sample ballot, click here.

• If you are having issues with voting, finding your location, your absentee ballot, disability-related issues, machine issues, ballot collection, or anything else, you must contact the Secretary of State immediately.

• You only have three ballot options: Democratic, Republican, or Independent. You cannot vote for some party representatives if you selected a non-partisan (i.e., politically labeled) Independent Ballot. This is especially important for the judges’ section, as they are non-partisan races. Read the summary section for each judge for a greater understanding.

• Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm today.

• You can bring a sheet of paper with your candidates listed or a printed-out sample ballot

This person will face off against Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms. Both men are MAGA but two differing flavors, the economic feudalism version (Jackson) and the stop the steal version (Jones).

Burt Jones was one of the state lawmakers who supported potentially overturning the 2020 election. He also has been the most openly pro-Trump upper level lawmaker in Georgia. His big idea, cutting income tax would leave massive holes in the state budget.

Rick Jackson is the billionaire CEO of Jackson Healthcare. He’s built himself into a Trump-like figure in Georgia by largely running the exact same playbook of culture war ads and talking points. Jackson seeks to one up Jones by cutting income and property taxes, making even larger holes in the state budget. This is a problem that will lead to more shutdowns, sell offs, and privatization of state owned properties. This would also lead to higher prices and greater statewide inequality as making Georgia’s wealthiest earners a near permanent overclass.

One of these men will face off against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff.

Derek Dooley is the son of famed University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley. He is running on dual-culture warrior plays as a “Kemp conservative” and the stoic-leader trope, based on his time as a former University of Tennessee football coach. His platform is “Georgia First,” mimicking the Trump administration’s current tenure.

Mike Collins is a current US Congressman representing the 10th district of Georgia. He is openly MAGA and hoping to level up with a longer-term, 6-year US Senate seat. His biggest claim to fame is getting the Laken Riley Act to pass, an immigration bill built on the slaying of a University of Georgia student killed by an undocumented man with a history of violence.

Both parties will confirm nominees today to challenge each other in November.

Democrats: Dana Barrett vs Penny Brown Reynolds

Barrett is a former Fulton County commissioner who refused to seat stop-the-steal conservatives to oversee the county’s elections. Barrett wants to use the SOS office to protect against fraudulent voter challenges and stacking of seats on election boards by Republicans.

Reynolds is a former Fulton County judge who is aiming to protect voting rights. Reynolds is seeking to use the courts, in addition to the SOS office, to protect voting rights.

Republicans: Tim Fleming vs Vernon Jones

Vernon Jones is a former Democrat and DeKalb County commissioner who went full MAGA and could incite animus toward all January 6th supporters. Jones is an interesting wrinkle because he could be a Clarence Thomas-type conservative, a black face for white political animus, should he get to the Secretary of State’s office.

Tim Fleming is a Brian Kemp acolyte who would likely follow in his predecessor’s shoes by reducing Democratic + Black turnout at the ballot box and helping oversee the likely new gerrymandered maps.

Both parties will confirm nominees.

Democrats: Josh McLaurin vs Nabilah Parkes

Both are state reps with differing visions of progressive ideas. McLaurin, the more small, day-to-day quality-of-life ideas and policies. Versus Parkes, who is putting all of her chips behind big-ticket ideas.

Republicans: John F Kennedy vs Greg Dolezal

Both Republicans are positioning themselves as the counterbalance to the ‘liberal’ agenda (and also potentially Governor Keisha Lance Bottoms) despite Republicans controlling every chamber in the state House and Senate.

Keisha Waites is a former state rep and Atlanta City Council member. Waites wants to build an anti-predatory task force to address insurance scams, insurance redlining, and senior-citizen protections.

DeAndre Mathis is a former zoning commissioner for the city of South Fulton. Mathis also promises to do the same as Waites, but would also include greater accountability for insurance firms for misconduct.

Incumbent Richard Woods seeks to continue Georgia’s path toward a consistently conservative-minded education system. Woods is running on improving literacy skills; he also stopped funding for AP African American Studies under the state’s “divisive concepts” law.

Fred Longgrear wants a greater emphasis on ‘school discipline’ and steering students towards trades; he also has conservative Christian evangelical groups backing him.

As the Republicans are moving closer to the vision outlined in Project 2025 of propagandized national education, depending on who wins, we will see a version of that one more based in conservative Christianity or conservative nationalism.

The Republican nominee for Labor Commissioner is already set; the Dems have two nominees, Michelle Sanchez vs Nikki Porter. Sanchez is running on reforming the unemployment insurance process and providing greater worker protections. Porter is an Air Force veteran whose biggest issue is creating an affordable child care plan.

This person will face off against Democrat Peter Hubbard in November.

Mehan wants to incentivize increased fossil fuel production to lower consumer costs. Tolbert wants no additional rate increases during his six-year term and lower profit margins for Georgia Power.

This seat was left open by the departure of Nabilah Parkes.

Carden is a banker and long-time Democratic organizer. Carden is seeking to counter state gerrymandering and Republican disenfranchisement in the Senate. If Carden wins, she would be the first flip of the 2026 elections.

Shaikh is a real estate broker and Air Force veteran. Shaikh is pushing for tax cuts and Republican initiatives in the legislature.

Get out and vote…again!

-KJW