Connect with us

Georgia

Drawn into friendly political fire, new Georgia redistricting maps prompt lawmaker reshuffling – Georgia Recorder

Published

on

Drawn into friendly political fire, new Georgia redistricting maps prompt lawmaker reshuffling – Georgia Recorder


When a federal judge gave the final OK to newly-drawn electoral maps last month, it spelled curtains for the political careers of at least four state reps who had been drawn into the same district as a member of their own party.

Two Democratic state representatives have agreed not to run against their colleagues, while a pair of Democrats and a pair of Republicans say they’ll let the voters decide in this spring’s primaries.

On Tuesday, Smyrna Democratic state Rep. Doug Stoner announced he will step down at the end of the year rather than face fellow Smyrna Democratic Rep. Teri Anulewicz.

The two have served together in local and state government.

Advertisement

“I have known Rep. Anulewicz for over 20 years as we have served together in the legislature and on the Smyrna City Council,” Stoner said in a statement. “She will serve my former constituents in the new House District 42 well. I look forward to finding other opportunities to serve my community.”

Stoner also served in the state Senate and was a candidate for the Georgia Public Service Commission in 2018.

In a statement, Anulewicz praised Stoner’s knowledge and policy understanding.

“I have no doubt that Rep. Stoner will continue to serve Georgia in the future, and I wholeheartedly support him,” she said.

Over in Gwinnett, Democratic Rep. Gregg Kennard has signaled he will not run against Democratic Rep. Sam Park, whose districts were combined in the new maps.

Advertisement

Park was the first Asian-American Democrat and the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia Legislature. He is the Democratic whip in the House and is considered a rising star in the party.

“Gregg is a good and honorable man and a friend,” he said. “I’m humbled and honored by his decision not to run against me. I look forward to doing my best to continue to serve the people of Gwinnett County and to build a better Georgia.”

But not all paired-up lawmakers are stepping aside so easily. Atlanta Democratic Reps. Becky Evans and Saira Draper both said they are not done trying to represent parts of Atlanta and DeKalb County.

“It was never a question,” Draper said in a tweet on X Tuesday. “The bulk of #HD90 hasn’t changed. Voters elected me because they saw the value of a voting rights expert in the legislature- and the work isn’t done. Protecting democracy has never been more critical.”

Draper assumed office last year. She is an attorney and voting rights advocate who has worked for the campaigns of President Joe Biden and Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. Evans took office in 2019. Before that she worked as an educator for a health care technology company and has a long history of volunteering for Democratic candidates.

Advertisement

“After a lot of thought and conversations with my husband, my family, my faith community and community leaders I know and admire, I know that my job here is not yet done,” Evans said in a Dec. 19 video announcement.

On the Republican side, Reps. Beth Camp and David Knight, the only GOP lawmakers to have been paired, have been resigned to a primary battle since before the proposed House map was passed, releasing a joint statement Nov. 28.

“I have the utmost respect for Rep.Knight and appreciate our working relationship,” said Rep. Camp. “This is an unfortunate situation, but I have faith that the best interests of all citizens of Lamar, Pike and Spalding will be served. It is my honor to represent my constituents.”

“I am saddened by the outcome of the new map which places me, along with my friend and trusted colleague Rep. Beth Camp, together in the new District 135,” said Rep. Knight. “No matter the future outcome of elections, I know the constituents of Spalding, Pike, and Lamar will be well represented.”

Knight was first elected in 2004 and serves as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education. Camp was elected in 2020 and serves as chairman of the Intragovernmental Coordination Committee.

Advertisement

In Georgia’s Congressional delegation, Democratic Congresswoman Lucy McBath, currently of the 7th District, announced plans to run in the 6th District after the new maps make the 7th less friendly to a Democrat.

“I refuse to allow an extremist few decide when my work in Congress is complete,” she said in a statement.

McBath may be getting used to running in new districts by now.

She was first elected to represent the 6th District from her Marietta home in the northern Atlanta suburbs in 2020, flipping what was previously a Republican stronghold.

In 2022, GOP state lawmakers drew the 6th District to favor a Republican, and McBath switched to the 7th District concentrated in Gwinnett, where she defeated fellow Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux and went on to win re-election there.

Advertisement

Current 6th District Congressman Rich McCormick, a Republican, announced he plans to run in the new 7th District.



Source link

Georgia

Over 12 players out for SEC championship game

Published

on

Over 12 players out for SEC championship game


The Georgia Bulldogs will be without several starters in the SEC championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide. In fact, both teams are extremely banged up entering Saturday’s SEC championship.

Georgia has six players out for the game and safety Zion Branch has an injury designation (questionable) that popped up on Thursday. It is unclear what Branch’s injury is. Alabama has eight players out for the game and four players that are questionable to play.

Georgia running back Chauncey Bowens has been battling injuries and has not had a carry since he left in the fourth quarter of the Texas game. Bowens does not appear on the injury report, but he’s clearly not 100%.

Bowens is not the only injured Georgia running back. Freshman Bo Walker is out. “Bo is not going to be with us,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after Walker was reportedly involved in a car crash. “He was required to have a surgery. He’ll be out for this game.”

Advertisement

Georgia’s running game will be missing a significant piece in center Drew Bobo, who left the Georgia Tech game with a foot injury. Bobo was seen with a boot on his foot and has been ruled out for the SEC championship. With Bobo out, Georgia is expected to start center Malachi Toliver.

Georgia is still without receiver Colbie Young. Georgia tight end Ethan Barbour is likely out for the year along with defensive lineman Jordan Hall. Defensive back Kyron Jones (foot) remains out. If Zion Branch is out, then Georgia will be without two key safeties. It is not all bad injury news for Georgia. Receiver Talyn Taylor no longer appears on the injury report.

SEC championship injury report

Georgia Bulldogs

  • Tight end Ethan Barbour: Out (ankle)
  • Safety Kyron Jones: Out (foot)
  • Wide receiver Colbie Young: Out (leg fracture)
  • Running back Bo Walker: Out
  • Defensive lineman Jordan Hall: Out (knee)
  • Center Drew Bobo: Out (foot/ankle)
  • Safety Zion Branch: Questionable

Alabama Crimson Tide

  • Defensive back Kameron Howard: Out
  • Defensive lineman LT Overton: Out
  • Running back Kevin Riley: Out
  • Defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick: Out
  • Offensive lineman Mal Waldrep: Out
  • Defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman: Out
  • Linebacker Jah-Marien Latham: Out
  • Linebacker Kelby Collins: Out
  • Running back Jam Miller: Questionable
  • Offensive lineman Kam Dewberry: Questionable
  • Tight end Josh Cuevas: Questionable
  • Tight end Danny Lewis: Questionable

Follow UGA Wire on Instagram or Threads for more Georgia football coverage!





Source link

Continue Reading

Georgia

SEC Championship injury updates: Alabama vs. Georgia Thursday availability report revealed

Published

on

SEC Championship injury updates: Alabama vs. Georgia Thursday availability report revealed


There’s one final game to be played this season within the Southeastern Conference, with the SEC Championship kicking off in Atlanta on Saturday. Now, two days out from the top-ten matchup, we have a better idea of who’ll be taking the field for Alabama vs. Georgia.

With this game, we have our final updates made to the SEC Availability Report. An initial one was already released on Wednesday, with another one to come on Friday, for the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs.

Kickoff is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Here is that updated injury report from the SEC for Alabama as well as Georgia:

Alabama

Advertisement

Georgia

On Wednesday, Alabama had the more notable of the two reports to start, with eleven designations in total and four of those still undetermined for the Crimson Tide. The most important of those were obviously with questionable designations on their offense for Miller, their leading rusher with 493 yards and three touchdowns, and Cuevas, their top tight end with 341 yards and four touchdowns, and on their offensive line with Dewberry. Other names like Riley, their second-leading rusher, as well as Overton and Kirkpatrick Jr. were then already labeled as out for ‘Bama.

Georgia then had six designations, with all of them already labeled as out for the SEC Championship. Young, their second-leading receiver on the season, Jones and Hall on their defense, and Bobo on their offensive line were the most notable of the six already to be unavailable for the ‘Dawgs this weekend when they’ll be back inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Georgia

ESPN predicts the winner of Georgia football vs Alabama

Published

on

ESPN predicts the winner of Georgia football vs Alabama


The Georgia Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1 SEC) face the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2, 7-1 SEC) on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 4:00 p.m. ET in the 2025 SEC championship. The Georgia-Alabama game will be televised on ABC in the latest meeting between the two SEC powers.

The SEC championship will be played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Last week, Georgia defeated Georgia Tech in the same venue that has haunted Georgia at times in the past, especially against Alabama. The Bulldogs lost to the Crimson Tide in the 2012, 2018, 2021 and 2023 SEC championships and in the 2017-2018 national championship in Atlanta.

Alabama continues to have Georgia’s number. The Crimson Tide beat Georgia in 2024 in the two schools’ first meeting of the Kalen DeBoer era. Alabama snapped Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak in a 24-21 victory over the Dawgs this season, which was Georgia’s only loss of the season.

“Looking forward to Saturday and the opportunity and challenge to face Georgia again this year,” DeBoer said ahead of the SEC championship. “It’s going to be an awesome environment, one our guys are excited about already. Really looking forward to it.”

Advertisement

Will Georgia beat Alabama? ESPN’s prediction

Georgia is a slight favorites against Alabama, which is a bit of a surprise considering Alabama’s success in the series. ESPN’s matchup predictor, which factors team performance, the football power index and other important variables, gives Georgia a 48.9% chance to defeat Alabama. The Crimson Tide have a 51.1% chance of beating Georgia.

ESPN’s SP+ also thinks Georgia will win. It predicts a 27-24 Georgia victory.

Georgia’s CFP chances

ESPN gives Georgia a 100% chance of making the playoff. Georgia’s real question for the playoff is can the Bulldogs get a first-round bye with an SEC championship loss? It would be unlikely for No. 3 Georgia to maintain a first-round bye, but if Texas Tech lost in the Big 12 championship, the Georgia could still have a bye in the playoff despite suffering an SEC title loss.

UGA has 7.6% chance of winning the national championship (fourth in the nation), according to the FPI. No. 9 Alabama has a 66.5% chance of making the playoff and a 2.8% chance of winning the national title (tied for eighth in the country).

Georgia football 2025 schedule

  • Aug. 30: vs. Marshall (W, 45-7)
  • Sept. 6: vs. Austin Peay (W, 28-6)
  • Sept. 13: at Tennessee (W, 44-41 in OT)
  • Sept. 27: vs. Alabama (L, 24-21)
  • Oct. 4: vs. Kentucky (W, 35-14)
  • Oct. 11: at Auburn (W, 20-10)
  • Oct. 18: vs. Ole Miss (W, 43-35)
  • Nov. 1: vs. Florida (W, 24-20)
  • Nov. 8: at Miss. State (W, 41-21)
  • Nov. 15: vs. Texas (W, 35-10)
  • Nov. 22: vs. Charlotte (W, 35-3)
  • Nov. 28: vs. Georgia Tech (W, 16-9)
  • Dec. 6 vs. Alabama (SEC championship) at 4 p.m. ET

Follow UGA Wire on Instagram or Threads for more Georgia football coverage!





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending