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Can Harris' momentum swing battleground Georgia?

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Can Harris' momentum swing battleground Georgia?


Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Atlanta on Tuesday night was nothing if not energetic.

In fact, if you ignored all of the “Kamala” signs and the cavalcade of Democratic power players, one could have mistaken it for a concert.

The crowd of thousands packed into the Georgia State Convocation Center danced and sang along to rapper Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” before Grammy Award-winner Megan Thee Stallion took the stage to perform — and coined the phrase “Hotties for Harris.”

“We’re about to make history with the first female president, the first Black female president,” she said as the introduction to her hit 2020 single “Savage” started to play, adding: “Let’s get this done, hotties.”

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As former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms put it: “This was the energy that we desperately need to get us forward to November.”

The energy at the Atlanta event was a stark difference compared to previous campaign events featuring President Joe Biden — and, among some of the attendees, between the two campaigns writ large.

“Just seeing from everyone, there is just a strong energy here that Joe Biden wasn’t bringing,” Georgia resident Ronald Ceesay told Spectrum News. “He was in his 80s, and he was an older candidate, even if he had that strong record, he was an older candidate.”

It’s undeniable that Harris’ ascent to become the likely Democratic presidential nominee has shaken up the stagnant race for president.

Biden won Georgia over Republican Donald Trump by less than 12,000 votes in the 2020 election, but polling showed the incumbent trailing the ex-president in key battleground states, particularly following the June debate that raised questions among Democratic about his mental acuity and fitness to serve.

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But in the days since Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, polling has shown the vice president has erased Trump’s lead, even overtaking him in some polls.

“I feel like [Biden] didn’t necessarily represent me as a Black woman,” said Georgia voter Tayler Louise. “I didn’t look at him and see myself and that’s usually where the pride comes in.”

“But now I’ve done a complete switch. I got on the red, white and blue,” she added. “I’m feeling a more sense of patriotism that I hadn’t felt before.”

Younger voters and Black voters will be key for Harris’ coalition if she hopes to deny Trump a second shot at the White House. Harris would be the first woman, Black woman and person of South Asian descent to become president. She’s also a generation younger than both Biden and Trump.

But some say she’ll need to look beyond those groups to build her coalition, working to attract voters who don’t typically vote for Democrats.

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“There’s a group of people that are disenfranchised with Donald Trump, conservative in nature, but ready to see somebody do something other than Donald Trump’s leadership style,” former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican who endorsed Biden and is now backing Harris, told Spectrum News.”

Duncan suggests that Harris speaks to “issues like immigration, border control, inflation, things that were tough for the Biden administration, talk with an articulate voice” in an effort to build a broader coalition.

Many Democrats had written Georgia off, as well as the other southern battleground state of North Carolina when Biden was in the race, but they have new hopes with Harris emerging as the party’s likely nominee.

North Carolina hasn’t voted for a Democrat for president since 2008, though it was the state Trump won with the most narrow margin in 2020. Both both states have seen population increases and changing demographics that could help Harris.

“Georgia is happy to receive all of this attention, because we are nestled and very unique in our positioning in the South,” said Tammy Greer, a professor of politics at Georgia State University. “And it brings more attention to the realities that states, and their voting patterns, are not dormant.”

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To be sure, Georgia is getting attention from both candidates, and has been since Biden’s narrow victory in 2020 and the subsequent wins by Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in January 2021, which flipped the U.S. Senate. It’s also the site of one of Trump’s four criminal cases. (Trump was indicted last year along with more than a dozen co-defendants by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, accusing them of creating a “criminal enterprise” to overturn the state’s election results in 2020; a few defendants pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors, while Trump and the remaining co-defendants pleaded not guilty. The case has been mired in delays.)

Trump’s campaign says it has over a dozen fully staffed offices in Georgia, while Harris’ campaign says it has 24 coordinated offices already in the state. 

Trump and running mate JD Vance will hold a rally on Saturday where Harris held her event on Tuesday, while Harris and her yet-to-be announced running mate will rally in Savannah, Ga., next week.





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No. 3 Georgia to Host Top-Ranked Auburn for Regular Season Finale – University of Georgia Athletics

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No. 3 Georgia to Host Top-Ranked Auburn for Regular Season Finale – University of Georgia Athletics


ATHENS – The third-ranked Georgia equestrian team will host No. 1 Auburn on Saturday at 12 p.m. to conclude the regular season. 
 
Georgia fell at Auburn 14-6 to wrap up the fall slate of their season. The overall record against the Tigers currently stands at 31-31, including a 13-7 record in Bishop.
 
During their National Championship run in the 2024-25 season, the Mane Dawgs faced off against Auburn on three separate occasions. Georgia was victorious at home, 11-9, before falling on the road, 11-8. In the quarterfinals of the NCEA National Championships in Ocala, the Bulldogs stunned the second-ranked Tigers, 13-4, en route to their eighth National Championship title.
 
Georgia returns to action following a trip to Blythewood, South Carolina, to take on the third-ranked Gamecocks. 
 
Top-ranked Auburn travels to Bishop after hosting No. 4 SMU at home the prior weekend. The Tigers defeated the Mustangs 13-7 and swept all four MOP honors.
 
Following the conclusion of the meet, Georgia will honor their seven seniors for their dedication and contributions to the program.

The meet will be streamed on SECN+ at https://gado.gs/e7v, and live scoring will be available at https://gado.gs/e7w.

 

HOW TO FOLLOW GEORGIA EQUESTRIAN: For complete information on Georgia equestrian, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGAEquestrian on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

JOIN OUR MANE DAWGS FUND: Mane Dawgs Fund contributions make a direct impact in supporting our student-athletes and equines at the Georgia Equestrian program. A gift to the Mane Dawgs fund helps provide resources such as equipment upgrades for our student and equine athletes, travel assistance, and enhance overall team experiences. Contributions to the Mane Dawgs provide benefits such as membership gifts and information about upcoming special events. Click here for more information.

 

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Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann

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Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann


Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann will be paid equally in 2026 after receiving raises, according to an Athens Banner-Herald report.

Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are coming off a second consecutive SEC championship season and College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal appearance.

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Georgia Lt. Gov. announces bill inspired by Charlie Kirk to protect student speech

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Georgia Lt. Gov. announces bill inspired by Charlie Kirk to protect student speech


Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones on Monday unveiled legislation inspired by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk that he says would expand students’ free speech rights in public schools, making Georgia the first state in the nation to pursue such a measure.

Jones announced the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act,” known as the TPUSA Act, on Monday as a priority for the 2026 legislative session. The proposal, sponsored by State Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah), would strengthen First Amendment protections for public school students by safeguarding their right to speak, organize, and express political and religious views on campus.

The bill is explicitly shaped around the work and legacy of Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA and its political arm, Turning Point Action. Jones and others have framed the legislation as a way to honor Kirk’s efforts to mobilize young conservatives and defend free speech in schools and on college campuses.

“In the spirit and memory of Charlie’s work, the TPUSA Act in Georgia would ensure that students’ First Amendment rights to organize, gather and speak are protected, regardless of their religious, political, or social viewpoints,” Jones said in a press release. “Georgia is leading the way as the first state in the nation to do it.”

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Founder and President of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk speaks during the Turning Point Believers Summit at the Palm Beach County Civic Center on July 26, 2024. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Miami Herald


Jones, who is running for governor and is endorsed by both former President Donald Trump and Turning Point Action, also emphasized his broader commitment to free speech rights as part of his campaign rhetoric. 

“Georgia is building on the work of Charlie Kirk to ensure students can speak, organize and express their beliefs freely,” Jones posted on social media. 

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The TPUSA Act would require public schools in Georgia to permit political expression before, during and after the school day to the same extent that non-political expression is allowed. It also would let students form political clubs and groups during non-instructional time, bar discrimination against groups based on viewpoint, and guarantee that students could wear politically themed clothing and accessories under the same standards that apply to other permitted attire.

Supporters say the legislation would ensure that school administrators cannot block students from engaging in peaceful political activities and that all viewpoints, partisan and nonpartisan, would have equal access to meeting spaces and facilities.

Sen. Watson said the move reflects the belief that schools should not restrict students’ free speech or prohibit them from organizing around their beliefs. 

“School officials should not have the power to enforce their own ideologies on students,” he said.

Josh Thifault, senior director at Turning Point Action, praised Georgia’s effort, asserting that Kirk “lived and died for the First Amendment.” He added that the legislation will benefit students “for decades to come” by removing barriers to student expression.

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