Georgia
Georgia’s Supreme Court election: What to know ahead of the primary
Another Georgia election is right around the corner, and thanks to early voting, many residents have already cast their ballot. While partisan politics generally takes up the most airtime, one nonpartisan race has begun to make headlines this year: the battle over a state Supreme Court seat.
Though they are often much quieter than their partisan counterparts, judicial elections nonetheless play a crucial role in the lives of Georgia residents. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s judicial elections.
When are the next Georgia judicial elections?
Nonpartisan elections will be held as part of the Georgia state primary on Tuesday, May 21. Voters should check their My Voter Page at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ to view the most up-to-date information about their registration status, polling locations, and sample ballots.
Who is running for the Georgia Supreme Court in 2024?
Four sitting justices, John Ellington, Nels Peterson, Andrew Pinson and Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs are currently running for re-election. The newest member of the court, Andrew Pinson, is currently being challenged by former Democratic Congressman John Barrow.
Barrow recently made headlines by openly centering abortion rights in his Georgia Supreme Court campaign — a tactic that has made him the subject of an ethics complaint due to a state law that urges judicial candidates to “not make statements or promises that commit the candidate with respect to issues likely to come before the court that are inconsistent with the impartial performance of the adjudicative duties of judicial office.”
More: Mark your calendars: Here is every date you need to know to vote in Georgia in 2024
Barrow defended his position at the Atlanta Press Club Debates in April.
“Partiality has nothing to do with your opinions about the law,” he said. “As the root word implies, it entails feelings about the parties, being in favor of one party or another. The United States Supreme Court explained this a good while back when they said ‘impartiality,’ of the sort that judges should strive for, means you’re not going to favor one party over another.”
“Every person who’s expected to be a judge has to have strong feelings about the law,” Barrow continued. “If he doesn’t, he’s not qualified to serve on the court.”
Barrow filed a lawsuit in federal court in response to the complaint, arguing that it impedes his First Amendment right to free speech, but a judge has yet to issue a ruling.
Georgia elections: Important dates, how to register, and what to know ahead of 2024
What types of cases does the Georgia Supreme Court hear?
The Georgia Supreme Court is the highest judicial power in the state, and thus will review decisions in both civil and criminal cases made by lower courts across the state. The court has appellate jurisdiction over a wide variety of cases, including:
- Constitutionality cases
- Election contests
- Cases involving title to land, divorce, wills or equity
- Death sentence appeals
- Habeas corpus (unlawful detention) cases
- All cases involving extraordinary remedies
The nine justices will typically hear cases en banc, and assign one justice to write the court opinion. In order for a lower court decision to be overturned or reversed, at least five justices must concur.
How do Supreme Court elections work?
Unlike seats in the legislative or executive branch, justices on the supreme court are elected through a nonpartisan election process, and serve six-year terms. This year, four of the nine justices are running for re-election, with only one justice facing a primary challenger.
Although Supreme Court justices in Georgia are elected via popular vote, there is rarely an open seat on the court; new justices are almost always appointed by the governor to finish out their successor’s term, and will then run as an incumbent in the next election.
Though partisan politics don’t necessarily play a role in judicial campaigns, the overall composition of the court skews conservative. Out of the nine sitting justices, eight were appointed by Republican governors, including Pinson. The other was appointed to a state appellate court by a Democratic governor, and later won his seat unopposed.
Nov. 26 (UPI) — The prosecutor in the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump dropped the charges on Wednesday.
Pete Skandalakis, executive director of Georgia’s Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, who took over the case when Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis was disqualified, filed a motion Wednesday saying that he’s dropping the case “to serve the interests of justice and promote judicial finality”
“[The case] is on life support and the decision what to do with it falls on me and me alone. But unlike family members who must make the emotional decision to withdraw loved ones from life-sustaining treatment, I have no emotional connection to this case. As a former elected official who ran as both a Democrat and a Republican and now is the Executive Director of a non-partisan agency, this decision is not guided by a desire to advance an agenda but is based on my beliefs and understanding of the law,” he wrote.
Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in August 2023 to a racketeering indictment in their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Willis brought the charges after a phone call from Trump to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” the votes needed to give the state’s electoral votes to Trump.
Skandalakis addressed the call to Raffensperger in his motion.
“While the call is concerning, reasonable minds could differ as to how to interpret the call. One interpretation is that President Donald J. Trump, without explicitly stating it, is instructing the Secretary of State to fictitiously or fraudulently produce enough votes to secure a victory in Georgia. An alternative interpretation is that President Donald J. Trump, genuinely believing fraud had occurred, is asking the Secretary of State to investigate and determine whether sufficient irregularities exist to change the election outcome. When multiple interpretations are equally plausible, the accused is entitled to the benefit of the doubt and should not be presumed to have acted criminally.”
Willis was eventually disqualified because of a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor on the case. After she was disqualified, Skandalakis was tasked with finding another prosecutor to handle the case. When none was found, on Nov. 14 he took on the case himself.
Some defendants in the case — Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall — took plea deals after agreeing to testify. Trump later gave them all federal pardons.
Georgia Tech is facing its bitter rival on Friday afternoon on national television. It is a chance to show the country, despite two losses in the past three games, that the Yellow Jackets are a top team. Georgia Tech lost to NC State and Pittsburgh and is looking to close its season strong. They are 9-2 and have a chance to pick up a quality win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Georgia comes in at 10-1 on the season and has won seven consecutive games. The Bulldogs are in contention for a SEC Championship game spot and are the No. 4-ranked team in the country. The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 30 in total offense, averaging 430.3 yards per game. It will be a challenge for Georgia Tech to slow them down and try to come out with a win.
The Yellow Jackets are a big underdog in their matchup against the Bulldogs on Friday. According to ESPN’s FPI, Georgia Tech is only given a 13% chance to win, and the Bulldogs are given an 87% chance to win.
Georgia Tech fell to Georgia last year in one of the best games in series’ history in 2024. Georgia held on to win 44-42 in an eight overtime game. It was the game where Haynes King captivated the country with his play and valiant effort. King finished with 303 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He carved the Bulldogs defense on the ground with 110 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Head coach Brent Key talked about if the team has more motivation heading into the matchup after last year’s result.
“Yeah, I don’t know if it’s more motivation. I do not get into the motivating part of it. I get into playing the game for the right reasons. And then the 30 football team won’t even here. So years don’t carry over to each other. They’re completely week to week. It’s different. Look, I mean, all that matters is this week right now. Everything that’s happened in the past, everything that happens future next week. None of that stuff matters this week. Not one bit of it. Records, you know, wins, losses of late. I mean, no of that does. That’s what I told the team today.”
Despite the ACC Championship being a long shot, Georgia Tech can do a lot for moxie and continue to build its program. With a win, the Yellow Jackets will clinch their fifth ten-win regular season in program history and first win over Georgia since 2016. It’s a lot on the line for Georgia Tech on Friday afternoon.
•Georgia Tech Releases Depth Chart Ahead of Matchup With No. 4 Georgia
•Three Storylines To Watch On Friday As Georgia Tech Takes On Georgia
•Everything From Brent Key Ahead of Friday’s Game vs Georgia
•Georgia Tech Defensive Back Jy Gilmore Is Out For The Rest Of The Season
Utility rate increase possible if PSC approves Georgia Power request
Georgia Power wants to add more energy to the grid. But analysts with the state agency that regulates rates say that could mean your monthly utility bill could go up. Right now, the Public Service Commission is considering a request from Georgia Power to add 10-gigawatts to the grid.
ATLANTA – Georgia Power wants to add more energy to the grid — but analysts with the state agency that regulates utility rates say that could mean higher monthly bills for customers.
What we know:
Right now, the Public Service Commission (PSC) is considering Georgia Power’s request to add 10 gigawatts of energy capacity. The company says the expansion is needed to keep up with rising demand, particularly from data centers that could move into the state.
What they’re saying:
Public advocates warn that all that extra power could come at a cost to customers who are already paying more than they used to.
Giselle Graciano, who moved from Kansas to metro Atlanta earlier this year, said her monthly utility bills have been much higher than expected.
“Average bill, so far, has been around $90 to $110,” Graciano said. “Compared to where I came from, yeah — that’s a lot of money.”
In recent testimony, public-interest advocacy staff with the PSC said Georgia Power’s proposal could raise monthly bills by about $20.
“Definitely, a bit of a strain in terms of budgeting, especially in current economic conditions,” Graciano said.
Georgia Power has already raised prices six times since 2022, though the PSC approved a rate freeze through 2028. Consumer advocates worry customer bills could rise again once that freeze ends.
“I think it’s a travesty,” said Kimberly Scott, Executive Director of the advocacy group Georgia WAND. “We could see an increase in our rates come 2028, 2029.”
Public-interest advocates are urging the PSC to approve only about one-third of what Georgia Power requested, arguing it’s unclear if the potential data center contracts will actually materialize.
“The approach seems to be, if you build it, they will come. But what if they don’t?” said Bob Sherrier, Staff Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
The other side:
In a statement, Georgia Power spokesperson Matthew Kent said the company disagrees with staff testimony calling its demand projections speculative.
“We continue to work with the Georgia PSC to ensure that we have the reliable energy Georgia needs as our state grows while maintaining affordability for all customers,” Kent said. “It is due to these large-load commitments that Georgia Power was able to freeze base rates for the next three years.”
What’s next:
The Public Service Commission will hold hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 12 and is expected to vote on Dec. 19, just before newly elected commissioners are sworn in.
The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5’s Christopher King speaking with advocates and past FOX 5 reporting. He also reached out to Georgia Power for a statement.
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