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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Emma Hurt, Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

Axios Atlanta

Axios Atlanta Thought Bubble

Georgia swing voters in our latest Axios Engagious/Schlesinger focus groups strongly support abortion rights — but say the issue alone likely won't decide who they support in November midterm elections.

Why it matters: That suggests real limits to Democrats' plans to convert public opposition to the Supreme Court's expected overturning of Roe v. Wade into a strategy to retain their congressional majorities.

Driving the news: This was a key takeaway from Axios' two online focus group panels Tuesday night.

They included 13 Georgians, all from the greater metro region, who voted for former Donald Trump in 2016, then Joe Biden in 2020. Three identified as Democrats, six as Republicans and four as independents.

A focus group isn't a statistically significant sample like a poll. But the responses help show what voters in crucial states think about key issues.

Details: All 13 participants said they supported keeping abortion legal. None said they would vote for Democrats in November as a "protest vote" based on the issue alone — though most said it would be one factor in their decisions.  

Most participants indicated other issues ranked just as high on their priority list, including inflation, the economy, taxes, climate change and guns.

Between the lines: Abortion politics may be more effective in turning out some reliable Democratic base voters for whom abortion rights are a highly motivating factor — including younger voters, college-educated women and people of color —   than in driving swing voters to the polls.

Billy C. of Atlanta said he planned to back Democrats in November before abortion re-emerged. When it comes to abortion, he said, there is "gray area" around what the law should protect and he'd look "negatively toward any candidates who are using this as a political platform just to gain notoriety" regardless of their party affiliation.

Kayla A. of Decatur said she's torn. Abortion rights are important to her, while on other issues, "I want to vote Republican because I agree on most of the other things that they stand for... I may do like I did for this election and vote for the Democrat because certain issues are just very important."

"It's not going to be the only reason, but it will play into my decision. There's never one reason why I vote for anybody," said Tashay K. from Atlanta, who identifies as Republican but plans to vote for Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock. 

But, but, but: On the other hand, participants said Republicans cannot solely count on their votes based on their frustration with inflation. While none of the 13 place the entire blame for inflation on President Biden, a majority said he bears some responsibility. 

What they're saying:  “Conventional wisdom has narrowed the midterm debate to abortion vs. inflation, but what we heard from Georgia swing voters upends that construct,” said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups.

"These voters all support Roe, but won’t knee-jerk vote for Democrats in November because of abortion; nor will they automatically vote for Republicans because of inflation.”

The big picture: These voters also were asked to weigh in on high-profile upcoming contests for U.S. Senate and Georgia governor and secretary of state.

Only one participant could recognize any of GOP Senate frontrunner Herschel Walker's primary opponents by image.

Only about half recognized Walker's photo, but when prompted almost all said questions about Walker's past, including allegations of domestic violence, were "concerning" to them, though most wanted to do more research on his background.

Of Walker's hopeful opponent, incumbent Sen. Warnock, most voters had a positive perception, using words like "reliable" and "authentic." 

Opinions of Gov. Brian Kemp had moved in a positive direction for a majority of the focus group participants since he took office, participants said. Several credited his refusal to give in to pressure from former President Trump to overturn Georgia's election results, though some said they found him "wishy-washy" or "trying to play both sides of the fence."

Kemp faces a primary challenge from David Perdue, a former senator who lost his 2021 re-election and falsely claims the 2020 election was stolen.

On the Democratic side, participants described hopeful Stacey Abrams as "a go-getter," "driven" and a "fighter," but also expressed questions about her motives and authenticity.

In the GOP primary for Georgia secretary of state, only four of the 13 could identify incumbent Brad Raffensperger by his photo, but those who could had a positive opinion of his handling of election pressure brought by Trump. 

None of the panelists recognized Raffensperger's Trump-endorsed opponent, Jody Hice. 

Georgia swing voters don't view abortion as a key issue

All 13 focus group participants said they supported keeping abortion legal. None said they would vote for Democrats in November as a "protest vote" based on the issue alone.

Illustration of two ballots creating the shape of a medical cross

Georgia swing voters in our latest Axios <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Engagious/Schlesinger" data-vars-click-url="https://engagious.com/swingvoters/" data-vars-content-id="3aeed1b3-041e-4aec-8200-579dfc2c7ecf" data-vars-headline="Georgia swing voters don&#x27;t view abortion as a key issue" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://engagious.com/swingvoters/" target="_blank">Engagious/Schlesinger</a> focus groups strongly support abortion rights — but say the issue alone likely won&#x27;t decide who they support in November midterm elections.Why it matters: That suggests real limits to Democrats&#x27; plans to convert public opposition to the Supreme Court&#x27;s expected overturning of Roe v. Wade into a strategy to retain their congressional majorities.

Politics

News

It turns out quite a few Axios Atlanta readers are crossing over in this primary election.

That means pulling Republican primary ballots even if you don't plan to vote Republican in November. 

What's happening: According to the AJC, thousands of Georgians who have voted Democratic in the past appear to have pulled Republican primary ballots this year. 

Georgia is an open primary state, meaning you can choose any ballot. 

The big picture: Most readers who responded to us said they are moderate Democrats or Republicans who started voting Democratic in the Donald Trump era. Almost all said they pulled the Republican ticket to make sure Trump-backed candidates stay off the general election ballot.

Several of you cited the absence of high profile contested Democratic primaries as another reason for the decision. 

What you're saying: "Whoever wins the gubernatorial election in November will be my governor regardless of party affiliation. So in the primary...I will vote for the Republican I can best live with," said Elyn M., who identifies as a moderate Democrat. 

"I just can’t live with the thought of Jody Hice being our secretary of state. He’s all but said he would cheat to help his candidates win. Raffensberger is the 'devil we know,'" said Diane L. 

Larry M. voted early in the Republican primary "armed with a list of the relevant endorsements from Trump with the specific intention of voting AGAINST them. My list was shared with friends and family."

Tom D. said he's voted Democratic since 2016 but plans to cast a Republican primary ballot. "I’m doing this to vote for the candidates who have shown courage and backbone in standing up to Trumpism. I realize that nearly all of my favored candidates will lose, but I want the party of the majority of my life to know that I’m still here."

Ann D. calls herself a moderate independent who voted Republican for years. "This year, however, I decided I would vote in the Republican primary for one reason:  I wanted a substantive way to say thank you to Secretary Raffensperger for doing the right thing at a critical time for this nation," she wrote. 

Axios Atlanta readers share their primary crossover plans

Thousands of Georgians who have voted Democratic in the past appear to have pulled Republican primary ballots this year.

Illustration of a red Maga-like baseball cap that reads "nope"

It turns out quite a few Axios Atlanta readers are crossing over in this primary election.<ul><li>That means pulling Republican primary ballots even if you don&#x27;t plan to vote Republican in November. </li></ul>What&#x27;s happening: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="According to the AJC" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/27739452.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" data-vars-content-id="84310ac9-d8a4-472b-9050-7a63dc35dd5d" data-vars-headline="Axios Atlanta readers share their primary crossover plans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/27739452.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" target="_blank">According to the AJC</a>, thousands of Georgians who have voted Democratic in the past appear to have pulled Republican primary ballots this year.

Sera and Jason Speegle worked in the restaurant industry for two decades.But in July 2021 they opened The Fountain on Acworth's Main Street and fulfilled a longtime dream for a business of their own.

What's happening: After first offering just evening cocktails, The Fountain recently added a morning shift with coffee and pastries to their repertoire. 

Details: The cafe hosts live music every Saturday and stand-up comedy twice a month. 

The big picture: Sera said their target audience is the "younger and different demographic" coming to Acworth these days. She says they love the area for its parks, its non-motorized lake and the fact that you're likely to hear multiple languages spoken on a daily basis.

Of note: After their careers in the craft cocktail industry, the Speegles' goal with The Fountain, Sera tells Axios, was not to be "so stuffy." 

"We were really sick of it having to be like you have to pronounce a certain type of word, a certain type of beer to be cool," she said. 

"If you want to order a Bud Light, order a Bud Light. But if you want a unique craft cocktail we're happy to do that too." 

Emma's thought bubble: The cookies were delicious. And that gorgeous skylight! Sera said it's original to the building. 

Acworth's The Fountain is great 'round the clock

After first offering just evening cocktails, The Fountain recently added a morning shift with coffee and pastries to their repertoire.

Sera and Jason Speegle worked in the restaurant industry for two decades.But in July 2021 they opened <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Fountain" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/thefountain_acworth/" data-vars-content-id="8c17165e-67ab-46c5-9d5d-77f685f380f5" data-vars-headline="Acworth&#x27;s The Fountain is great &#x27;round the clock" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/thefountain_acworth/" target="_blank">The Fountain</a> on Acworth&#x27;s Main Street and fulfilled a longtime dream for a business of their own.What&#x27;s happening: After first offering just evening cocktails, The Fountain recently added a morning shift with coffee and pastries to their repertoire.

Food and Drink

Former President Donald Trump’s GOP primary endorsements have had a mixed record across the country so far. Now, all eyes turn to Georgia and its Tuesday primary. And both sides are making their closing arguments with high-profile national surrogates. 

State of play: 18 months ago, Gov. Brian Kemp faced the worst of Trump’s ridicule and anger over the certification of the 2020 election. 

Now he's leading by more than 20 points in an average of public polls, has out-raised challenger David Perdue by a long shot and most recently has pulled in some big-name support, including former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Mike Pence, who will headline a Cobb County rally Monday night for Kemp.

Meanwhile, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will stump with Perdue tomorrow. But Trump himself has stayed out of the state since March, recently opting for a tele-rally for David Perdue. 

There has, however, been a roving "Real Georgia Speaks Team Trump Bus Tour" headlined by lower profile Trump allies pitching Georgia voters on the “Trump slate” of Republicans. 

The big picture: West Georgia Congressman Drew Ferguson, who is in House Republican leadership and has endorsed Kemp, tells Axios the governor has “had everything coming against him.”

“All of the media reports, the political world, and yet he's on the verge of not just skating by to victory but winning with a pretty commanding lead,” he said. 

Of note: Ferguson argues this race is not necessarily about the power of Trump’s endorsement, but looks to primaries without an incumbent for that answer, like the race for lieutenant governor.

Trail mix: Kemp told reporters at an event with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in Lawrenceville he's honored to have support from national Republicans. Ducey also faced Trump’s wrath during the 2020 election.

Ducey, who is also chair of the Republican Governors Association, said Kemp has “earned and deserves re-election. There's a lot of support for Gov. Kemp.”

The bottom line: Both camps argue that their respective candidates are the best option to beat Democratic hopeful Stacey Abrams in the fall. Team Kemp points out that he's already done it. 

The other side: “If we don’t have David Perdue on the main ballot, then the rest of the candidates like Herschel Walker are going to suffer as a result, and we will end up with a blue Georgia,” said Lynne Patton, an adviser to Trump’s PAC, on a Team Trump bus tour stop in Moultrie.

Trail notes: Georgia's final primary sprint

18 months ago, Kemp faced Trump’s anger over the 2020 election certification. Now he's leading by more than 20 points in an average of public polls.

Illustration of an elephant trunk and a donkey hoof reaching for a peach.

Former President Donald Trump’s GOP primary endorsements have had a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mixed record" data-vars-click-url="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/18/trump-backed-candidates-2022-primary-results-00032746" data-vars-content-id="c1947bff-80b5-4d7a-a281-5e9b20732c61" data-vars-headline="Trail notes: Georgia&#x27;s final primary sprint" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/18/trump-backed-candidates-2022-primary-results-00032746" target="_blank">mixed record</a> across the country so far. Now, all eyes turn to Georgia and its Tuesday primary. And both sides are making their closing arguments with high-profile national surrogates. State of play: 18 months ago, Gov. Brian Kemp faced the worst of Trump’s ridicule and anger over the certification of the 2020 election.

​​In the waning days of the 2022 primary, former Sen. David Perdue says he’s not concerned that Gov. Brian Kemp has nearly 12 times more cash on hand and is polling far ahead.

Perdue has said this is “exactly like 2014,” when he first ran for Senate as an outsider against several GOP candidates.

What he’s saying: While visiting Paulding County this week, Perdue reflected that back then, “Everybody said, ‘Oh, he's going to lose, he’s going to lose, and I had one message that said, Look, I'm running against these career politicians: If they were going to make a difference, wouldn’t they have done it already?’”

Yes, but: Unlike 2014, Perdue is now a former U.S. senator. Plus, in 2014, he had the benefit of the network of operatives and strategists built by his cousin, former Gov. Sonny Perdue. 

This time around, most of those alums are supporting Kemp. 

And Sonny Perdue hasn’t joined his cousin on the campaign trail due to his new non-political job as chancellor of the University System of Georgia — a role that was pushed through by Kemp.

Another yes, but: Jay Walker, a veteran of Sonny Perdue's campaigns and David Perdue's 2014 team who is now a senior adviser to Kemp, also tells Axios that things are different this time around.

“David Perdue did not have a big deficit, and he was ahead in the polls at this point in the 2014 primary campaign," he said. "We knew he was going to be in the runoff. There was no question.”

Trail mix: In these final days, Kemp has pulled in support from "anti-Trump" Republicans around the country, including Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and even former President George W. Bush, who’s hosting a fundraiser for Kemp in Dallas on Monday.

When Trump lashed out at this news, calling the governors “RINOs,” Christie responded in kind: “Insightful commentary about three Republican governors who were overwhelmingly re-elected by their people from a former president who lost to Joe Biden. Maybe the ‘R’ in RINO really stands for re-elected.” 

By the numbers: Early voting turnout continues to far outpace 2018 numbers. Per Georgia Votes, nearly 300,000 Georgians have cast ballots: 42% Democratic and 58% Republican.

Email Emma at emma.hurt@axios.com with what you think should be in next week’s Trail Notes.

Trail Notes: David Perdue's 2014 campaign vs. today's

Perdue has said his current campaign is “exactly like 2014,” when he first ran for Senate as an outsider against several GOP candidates.

​​In the waning days of the 2022 primary, former Sen. David Perdue says he’s not concerned that Gov. Brian Kemp has nearly 12 times more cash on hand and is polling far ahead.<ul><li>Perdue has said this is “exactly like 2014,” when he first ran for Senate as an outsider against several GOP candidates.</li></ul>What he’s saying: While visiting Paulding County this week, Perdue reflected that back then, “Everybody said, ‘Oh, he&#x27;s going to lose, he’s going to lose, and I had one message that said, Look, I&#x27;m running against these career politicians: If they were going to make a difference, wouldn’t they have done it already?’”

Emma Hurt

Featured stories

Acworth's The Fountain is great 'round the clock

Trail notes: Georgia's final primary sprint

Axios Atlanta readers share their primary crossover plans

Georgia swing voters don't view abortion as a key issue

Trail Notes: David Perdue's 2014 campaign vs. today's