Every Georgia county has now certified the results of the 2024 election. Historically, this has been a relatively uncontroversial procedural step. Since 2020, that hasn't been the case. But with Donald Trump's victory in Georgia, talk of election fraud has died down. In this week's edition of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali describe how the state is grappling with the fallout of the 2024 election. Plus, Georgia Democrats assess what went wrong,...

The General election is over and the dust has settled. Georgia Democrats are left wondering: What happened?   As they look inward and search for clarity, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam take a hard look at Democratic voter turnout in Georgia. What does the November 5th voter turnout mean for state Democrats moving forward? Plus, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis soared to re-election. But it seems, her elections...

On this edition of Political Breakfast, the team sorts through new developments in Georgia after the November 5th election. There are now calls for the chair of the state Democratic Party to step down after sweeping losses in the House.  U.S. Representative Nikema Williams insists she can handle the job even while running for reelection. But, a major push for change is reportedly coming from U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff.  Republican Strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic Strategist Tharon...

Former President Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States. Nearly 5.3 million Georgians voted, breaking the turnout record set during the 2020 election. Trump received 50.7% of Georgia's vote, turning the swing state red after President Joe Biden's victory four years ago. On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali explain how Trump won the Peach State. Plus, a look at the results of some competitive...

Political Breakfast goes live with Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam just hours after the Associated Press called a presidential victory for Donald Trump. Analysts call the victory an extraordinary political comeback for Trump, a convicted felon who still stands accused of election interference in Georgia back in 2020 and for sparking the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Despite all of this, Brian and Tharon analyze how...

Heading into November 5th Election Day, Georgia is already on-record with over 4 million voters casting early ballots in a highly contested presidential race. However, that's not the only important contest on the ballot in Georgia. There are city, state and county offices at stake too. Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam sort through some of the other prolific races that are drawing voters to the polls. See omnystudio.com/listener...

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are making their closing arguments with election day less than a week away. On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali preview what to expect on election night. Plus, a look at some of the competitive state legislative races in Metro Atlanta, an examination of Trump's complicated relationship with Governor Brian Kemp and how it could shape the outcome of the...

On this week's Political Breakfast, we're roughly a week away from Election Day, and Georgians are early-voting in record numbers according to the Secretary of State's office.  Polls still indicate a tight race between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The team wanted to engage with WABE listeners and voters in-person ahead of election day. Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson Republican strategist Brian Robinson joined me in front of a WABE studio audience and addressed their...

On this edition of Political Breakfast, Host Lisa Rayam asks Republican Strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson to share thoughts on the 11th hour of presidential campaigning in Georgia. A small swath of undecideds are at stake. Both flesh out their respective party's strategies to get those still "up in the air" to the polls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FBI is warning that extremists with concerns about the election could turn to violence in the coming weeks. In this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali take the political temperature in Georgia. Plus, former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama return to Atlanta and an explanation of those wordy and confusing ballot measures dealing with taxes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Political Breakfast, we talk about Campaign ads. The GOP ads on transgender rights seem to be dominating the airwaves leading up to the November 5th election.  While the the Democratic Party continues to focus on reproductive rights.....how is all of this factoring into a very tight race in Georgia? The Political Breakfast team talks about how the strategy plays out as Georgians head to the polls. Executive Director of the Atlanta Civic Circle Saba Long is in for Tharon...

Early voting is now underway in Georgia and over 300,000 voters showed up on the first day, more than doubling the previous record set in 2020. With less than three weeks to go until election day, WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss the latest election news in this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast." Plus, two Georgia judges have undercut a series of controversial rules passed by the State Election Board. The rulings amounted to a rebuke of the...

Early voting is underway in Georgia and former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are doing 11th-hour stumping here. Are their strategies turning-out voters and packing the polls?  Trump is hitting the Peach State a little more aggressively in these next three weeks ahead of Election Day on November 5th.  At the time of this Political Breakfast taping, Trump has three Georgia events penciled-in on his calendar: including two rallies in Duluth, and a pre-taped Fox town...

Georgia's growing Indian-American community is getting more politically involved, both as voters and as candidates. On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali take listeners to the Festival of India in Atlanta and discuss how this community could shape local and presidential races in Georgia. Plus, more drama with the State Election Board and actress and Smyrna native Julia Roberts campaigns for Vice President Kamala Harris...

Donald Trump is coming to a rally at Gas South Arena in Duluth on October 23rd, roughly 25 miles north of Atlanta. But opponent Vice President Kamala Harris already challenged the former president to another CNN debate that same night, taking place just miles away in Atlanta.  Trump has argued it's “too late” to have another presidential debate, because Americans have already started casting their ballots ahead of the November election. Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican...

Both Republicans and Democrats are crossing political lines and banding together to help those devastated by Hurricane Helene.  That's as another powerful Hurricane Milton already barrels towards the Florida coast, less than two weeks after Helene. Governor Brian Kemp and Donald Trump made an appearance together last week outside Augusta.  Host Lisa Rayam, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson discuss their first appearance together in years. That comes...

On this week's Political Breakfast, we discuss President Joe Biden traveling to Georgia Thursday to tour areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. Vice President Kamala Harris was in Augusta Wednesday to survey damage from the storm and former President Donald Trump made a stop in Valdosta earlier this week.  Thousands across the southeast are unaccounted for, and remain without power and water.  Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson wondered where were...

Climate reporter Emily Jones and environment reporter Marisa Mecke join politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali to talk about Hurricane Helene and how climate change is making extreme weather worse in this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast."

On this week's Political Breakfast, both presidential candidates Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are being criticized by their response to Hurricane Helene.  Harris and President Joe Biden approved emergency declarations for southeastern states including Georgia. But Republicans claim Harris should've cut her West Coast stumping schedule earlier and flown immediately back to Washington D.C., got on a plane and came to the southeast. Meanwhile, Trump visited Valdosta in wake of...

Politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss last-minute rules approved by Georgia's State Election Board despite opposition from Republican state officials and local election officials.

On this week's Political Breakfast, we start with former president Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance stumping in Georgia this week. The pair are traveling separately to cover more ground.  Plus, more political theater from Georgia's GOP.  Text messages surface that were sent by Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. The texts from Jones, a Trump ally, show he had no problem criticizing fellow state Republicans, including Gov. Brian Kemp.  Those were sent in the weeks after the 2020 election...

Politics reporter Sam Gringlas speaks with housing reporter Stephannie Stokes about the housing policies being proposed by presidential candidates and a new state law dealing with mass voter challenges and how it could affect voters experiencing homelessness.

On the latest edition of Political Breakfast, we hone-in on the role of women voters in Georgia, and the issues that will sway them. A recent Gallup analysis found that women aged 18 to 29 are more liberal than young women in the past on specific issues, particularly abortion and the environment.  All this as Vice President Kamala Harris has recently doubled-down on GOP candidate Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, and his past comments about how the Democratic party is being controlled...

On this edition of Political Breakfast, the team talks about the second assassination attempt on the life of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. What is this saying about the overall political climate?   Republican strategist Brian Robinson, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and host Lisa Rayam reminisce on a tumultuous time during the 1960s. Plus both applaud what Georgia state legislators plan to do to tackle gun control and safety issues here in Georgia, weeks after the...