Georgia Tipsheet

At a Tuesday night panel in Athens, state Senator Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) voiced full-fledged opposition to this November’s proposed constitutional amendment on the authorization of charter schools.

According to the Athens Banner-Herald, Ginn is basing his opposition being “for the teacher.”

“Bureaucracy, we see, is not helping,” he added.

Meanwhile, Athens attorney Regina Quick, coming off a narrow primary victory over soon-to-be former state Rep. Doug McKillip, expressed concerns about the amendment. According to the Banner-Herald, the newly-elected Quick stated that “portions of this bill really bother” her and that she was opposed to “government run amok.”

The tandem join Georgia Superintendent of Schools John Barge in opposing the measure, which has enjoyed backing from many prominent conservative leaders across the state.

-Brandon Howell

Coming on the heels of Athens state Rep. Doug McKillip’s 64 vote defeat at the hands of primary challenger Regina Quick, the Georgia Democratic Party has swiftly laid claim to credit for Quick’s win.

A press release included this:

Election analysis suggests that well over 1,000 Democrats crossed party lines to vote against McKillip in the Republican primary. The Democratic House Caucus and the State Party helped promote the effort, and progressive activists in Clarke County enthusiastically responded.

“We’d love to have a Democrat running in that race, but redistricting made the seat much more conservative,” Berlon acknowledged. “Instead, we focused our efforts on increasing Democratic turnout in a Republican primary, an extremely difficult thing to do.” Ironically, the effort’s success came from many of the same Democratic incumbents that McKillip had once helped to lead. “The Democratic House Caucus’ political efforts were extremely effective this cycle,” said Berlon.

Last week, it was documented that House Democrats had blasted a mailer to Democrats in Athens urging them to hold their breath and “vote for anyone but Doug McKillip”. Quick’s campaign apparatus itself had previously disclosed donations from prominent Democratic lawmakers including Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) and Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), as well as Athens Mayor Nancy Denson.

 As the previously mentioned press release notes, McKillip switched parties shortly after running unopposed for a third term in 2010, then as a Democrat.

In an email, a state Republican operative had this retort, directed at the assertion that redistricting had made the seat too conservative for Democrats to field a candidate:

 …the new HD 117 (25% minority)  went just 54% for Deal in 2010. If that’s “too conservative” for them to field a candidate, I would hate to see the candidate recruitment in other swing districts.

Though McKillip possessed legal grounds to request a recount, he has declined to do so.

-Brandon Howell

[Full Disclosure: Prior to beginning my current job, I had a brief stint as McKillip's campaign manager.]

Hell hath no fury like a spurned legislative caucus.

Georgia House Democrats have begun openly encouraging north Georgia Democrats still-smarting from the two-years-old political defection of Rep. Doug McKillip to “do the unthinkable:” vote in next week’s Republican primary.

A new mailer funded by the caucus advises Democrats to storm the GOP contest to bounce McKillip from contention by casting a ballot for any of the Athens Republican’s rivals.

“We need every good Democrat to do the unthinkable,” the mailer’s reverse reads. “We need you to pick up a Republican ballot this Tuesday, July 31st, and vote Doug McKillip OUT of office. … Vote for anyone but Doug McKillip.”

But McKillip has but one rival in next week’s primary, GOPer Regina Quick.

And because state elections law only provides for the counting of write in votes only when an official notice has been filed with the secretary of state’s office by a write in candidate, Quick would be the sole beneficiary of such a crossover.

- James Richardson

A north Georgia Republican official condemned on Monday a new push-poll disguised as a local party announcement leveling State Rep. Doug McKillip as an insincere GOP convert.

Oconee County Republican chief Jay Hanley said in a statement exclusive to Tipsheet that his group had received numerous complaints this weekend of a new robocall that leaves the distinct impression “they are coming from the Republican Party.”

The pre-recorded message begins with a deceptive introduction from “Elaine from Watkinsville Republicans” before polling respondents on their preference in the primary contest between McKillip and Regina Quick.

Those who indicate support for Quick, an Athens attorney, are merely reminded to vote in the July 31 primary, while those who select McKillip are treated to a torrent of negativity on the Democrat-turned-Republican lawmaker.

“We condemn the use of this ‘push poll’ tactic, particularly when it is falsely made out as if it’s coming from the Oconee County Republican Party,” Hanley said in a statement.

That the attack was a pitch-perfect rendering of Quick’s often assault on McKillip’s partisan conversion left some local Republicans concerned her campaign had orchestrated the call to boost her margin in next week’s vote.

But whether or not the rumors were true, Hanley said, Quick must join in the protest.

“If Ms. Quick’s campaign is responsible for this call, we demand that the campaign cease and desist with the identification of ‘Watkinsville Republicans’ in the call and end the calls altogether,” he said. “If her campaign is not responsible, we call on her to join us in condemning the call and push polling tactics.”

- James Richardson

In an evening Oconee County fundraiser open to the public, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, flanked by a cadre of House colleagues, took to the stump for state Representative Doug McKillip.

McKillip, facing a primary challenge from Athens attorney Regina Quick, has had “more bullets and arrows shot at him” than any other incumbent Republican in Georgia, said the Speaker. At a forum Monday, Quick pivoted against the tax reform package passed by the General Assembly this year and subsequently signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal. Her opposition to House Bill 954, McKillip’s so-called “fetal pain bill”, has been documented throughout the campaign.

Ralston, joined at the event by House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, Majority Leader Larry O’Neal, Appropriations Committee Chairman Terry England and several other House members, spoke briefly in support of the incumbent Athens pol. Pointing out Quick’s campaign contributions from prominent Democratic lawmakers, Ralston quipped that “when you take money from the most liberal Democrats in Atlanta, I suppose you do have to adopt some of their positions, or take on some of their fleas”.

Here’s @BrandonDHowell‘s photo dispatch from Wednesday’s McKillip funder featuring virtually all of GOP leadership. twitter.com/GeorgiaTipshee…

— Georgia Tipsheet (@GeorgiaTipsheet) July 12, 2012

-Brandon Howell

Athens Republican lawmaker Doug McKillip is wildly outstripping rival Regina Quick in the cash dash ahead of the state’s July 31 primary, new campaign finance reports revealed Monday.

McKillip, whose 2010 Democratic defection is still eyed with suspicion by some conservative activists, reported $96,075 in donations in the three-month period that began April 1 and ended June 30.

He nearly quadrupled the fundraising effort of primary challenger Quick, who posted little more than $20,000 in the same period.

House bigs, including the speaker speaker pro temper, lobbyists and political action committees factored considerably into McKillip’s numbers, a review by Athens alt-weekly Flagpole.

Reports filed with the state’s campaign finance clearinghouse showed Quick trailing McKillip even more severely in cash-on-hand.

McKillip has stockpiled $115,024 as he enters the final leg of the primary contest, whereas Quick can lean on just $32,979 for voter contact–direct mail and advertising–efforts in the crucial days preceding the vote.

- James Richardson

As the battle for state House District 117 heats up, Atlanta-area Democrats are joining fellow party members in Athens, and even a former Republican lawmaker, in donating money to Republican Regina Quick. Tom Crawford reports that a recent Atlanta fundraiser’s host committee “included such Democratic lawmakers as Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) and Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), as well as former Atlanta City Council member Panke Bradley Miller. Bob Smith, a Watkinsville Republican who represented Oconee County for 12 years before stepping down from the Georgia House, was another of the honorary hosts for the event.”

Last month, the Athens Banner-Herald’s Blake Aued, brought the news that several prominent Athens Democrats were backing Quick, as well. Prominent donations came from Athens Mayor Nancy Denson and former state Sen. Doug Haines.

Quick, an Athens attorney, is running against three-term incumbent Rep. Doug McKillip, who switched parties shortly after the 2010 election. Democrats vowed retribution, going as far as holding seminars dedicated to defeating their former cohort, but failed to field a candidate in the newly redrawn 117th district. While the campaign cash that would have been flowing to a Democratic opponent will, in all likelihood, do well to keep Quick’s warchest full, time will only tell if accepting donations from such prominent Democrats will undermine her basis for challenging McKillip in a district that is decidedly Republican.

For his part, McKillip’s backing in the primary has consisted of public endorsements from such figures as House Speaker David Ralston, Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudges and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. Following his authoring and sponsorship of H.B. 954, the so-called “fetal pain” pro-life bill, in the 2012 session of the General Assembly, he also picked up the endorsement of Georgia Right to Life.

-Brandon Howell

Little over three hours into the first day of “qualifying half-week” for those seeking inclusion on the ballot in Georgia this coming November, a number of incumbent lawmakers have drawn primary opposition throughout the state. While many of these challengers had already declared their intent to run, paying the qualifying fee makes it offical and secures a spot on the ballot in the July 31st primary. Per the Secretary of State’s website:

• Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (GA-21) is set to square off, in the GOP primary, against Brandon Beach, a Chamber of Commerce CEO.
• Senate Majority Whip Cecil Staton (GA-18) has drawn primary opposition from Spencer Price, a Macon-area physician.
• State Rep. Doug McKillip (GA-117), a three-term incumbent, will square off against Athens attorney Regina Quick.
• U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-4) has drawn opposition from consultant Lincoln Nunnally.
• Steve Voshall, a businessman and founder of the Forsyth County Tea Party who announced his intention to challenge Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee Chairman Jack Murphy slightly less than two weeks ago, has yet to qualify.

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