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Georgia election results: GOP gubernatorial primary heads to runoff

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Politics

Georgia&#x27;s Republican gubernatorial primary is headed to a runoff next month after no candidate secured a majority of the vote.<ul><li>The winner of the runoff will face Keisha Lance Bottoms, who clinched the Democratic nomination with 57% of the vote. </li></ul>Why it matters: Incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited, so Georgia voters will elect a new governor this year.

Georgia primary results: Supreme Court, lieutenant governor

Candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, lieutenant governor and more must get voters back to the polls

Here&#x27;s what happened in Tuesday&#x27;s down-ballot races:🧑‍⚖️ Judicial races: Former Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan&#x27;s and plaintiff attorney Miracle Rankin&#x27;s efforts to oust Republican-backed Georgia Supreme Court Justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Warren failed.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Trump election interference case" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/26/georgia-drops-trump-election-prosecution" data-vars-content-id="c26131f2-8e29-4899-8496-07243b7d5fd9" data-vars-headline="Georgia primary results: Supreme Court, lieutenant governor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/26/georgia-drops-trump-election-prosecution" target="_self">Trump election interference case</a> prosecutor Will Wooten also lost his bid to unseat Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Trenton Brown. Brown was part of the appellate panel that disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.</li></ul>

Falling Water Park could be Atlanta's next fishing hole

Plans call for trails, boardwalks and fishing access near Campbellton Road and Therrell High.

Things to Do

An effort to turn a hidden forest and pond on the outer edge of southwest Atlanta into a new park is gaining momentum.Why it matters: The proposed Falling Water Park connects the community to 26.3 acres of deep woods and water a short walk from Campbellton Road.

Weekend events: Atlanta Jazz Festival, MomoCon, Brew at the Zoo

Memorial Day weekend will be packed with things to do around Atlanta.

It&#x27;s Memorial Day weekend in Atlanta, and there&#x27;s something to do for every cosplayer, beer lover and jazz fan in your life.Here are some events to add to your plans: 🧝 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="MomoCon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.momocon.com/" data-vars-content-id="29901d5d-d8a8-4df2-9e1c-ff1bff962852" data-vars-headline="Weekend events: Atlanta Jazz Festival, MomoCon, Brew at the Zoo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.momocon.com/" target="_blank">MomoCon</a> is back for its 21st year at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Atlanta Beltline bike and scooter lane proposal alarms rail advocates

Transit supporters say Council member Mary Norwood's idea would kill rail's future along the Beltline.

Transit

Atlanta Beltline transit advocates are breathing a sigh of relief after a City Council proposal to build separate bike and scooter lanes — which could threaten future rail plans — was pulled.Why it matters: Rail transit has been central to the Beltline vision for decades. But recent opposition from residents and developers concerned over costs, construction and compatibility has slowed momentum.

I-285 in Atlanta closes this weekend. Here's how to get around it.

Weather permitting, I-285 will be closed between the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (Exit 9) and Cascade Road (Exit 7) interchanges between Friday evening and Monday morning.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will shut down Interstate 285 on Atlanta&#x27;s west side this weekend as part of a project to rebuild that part of the highway.Why it matters: Closing a major interstate in a city that already suffers from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="traffic congestion" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/10/29/were-spending-more-time-stuck-in-traffic-in-atlanta" data-vars-content-id="da8f7203-7c4b-4c0b-a38b-f346fb99e647" data-vars-headline="I-285 in Atlanta closes this weekend. Here&#x27;s how to get around it." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/10/29/were-spending-more-time-stuck-in-traffic-in-atlanta" target="_self">traffic congestion</a> will make getting around even harder.

Self-driving pod system planned for Atlanta airport area

Leaders hope small on-demand vehicles can reach jobs and destinations MARTA doesn't currently serve.

The future of moving around outside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport might include your own little <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="autonomous pod" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/27/robots-driverless-cars-drones-waymo" data-vars-content-id="4d133399-2a96-478c-b2a0-6aed55718f76" data-vars-headline="Self-driving pod system planned for Atlanta airport area" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/27/robots-driverless-cars-drones-waymo" target="_self">autonomous pod</a>.Why it matters: The world&#x27;s busiest airport is surrounded by warehouses, cargo businesses, hotels, Delta Air Lines offices and more. It&#x27;s a 24-7 environment.<ul><li>A coalition of local businesses wants to try a cheaper, autonomous option that could connect the area and serve places and people that MARTA can&#x27;t reach.</li></ul>

Test drive: MARTA's new rapid bus line

The route runs from South Downtown to the Atlanta Beltline's Southeast Trail.

MARTA&#x27;s long-awaited <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bus rapid transit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/01/21/marta-bus-rapid-transit-camera-enforcement" data-vars-content-id="a7ba0191-d094-4e37-b9d0-d57eb2930a61" data-vars-headline="Test drive: MARTA&#x27;s new rapid bus line" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/01/21/marta-bus-rapid-transit-camera-enforcement" target="_self">bus rapid transit</a> route from South Downtown to the Atlanta Beltline&#x27;s Southeast Trail is up and running. <ul><li>And even in its unfinished first phase, it&#x27;s a fast and easy ride.</li></ul>

MARTA rolls out leaner, faster Atlanta bus network

Fewer routes come with more frequent service, plus on-demand zones for lower-density areas.

MARTA riders will see a brand <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new bus route map" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2021/11/09/atlanta-marta-new-bus-routes" data-vars-content-id="06f2ef9e-0c29-4783-bfbe-9b58a640c94c" data-vars-headline="MARTA rolls out leaner, faster Atlanta bus network" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2021/11/09/atlanta-marta-new-bus-routes" target="_self">new bus route map</a> tomorrow — a leaner, more efficient one, officials say — as the transit agency rolls out the system&#x27;s first comprehensive redesign since the 1970s.Why it matters: MARTA buses move hundreds of thousands of people every week to the places the heavy rail system can&#x27;t reach.<ul><li>Transit agency officials say the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="NextGen bus route redesign" data-vars-click-url="https://itsmarta.com/nextgen2.aspx" data-vars-content-id="06f2ef9e-0c29-4783-bfbe-9b58a640c94c" data-vars-headline="MARTA rolls out leaner, faster Atlanta bus network" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://itsmarta.com/nextgen2.aspx" target="_blank">NextGen bus route redesign</a> will put more people within reach of more hospitals, grocery stores, jobs and schools than before, and faster.</li></ul>

A new model is replacing traditional car buying and leasing in Atlanta

Multi-year car loans assume your life stays the same, but a more flexible model is emerging.

Partners

Buying or leasing a car still runs on a decades-old model — even as everything else about how we live has changed.The background: Work arrangements have grown more flexible and many households relocate more often than they did a generation ago, particularly in fast-growing metros like Atlanta, where tens of thousands of new residents arrive each year.<ul><li>For many drivers, especially those still figuring out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="how long they&#x27;ll stay in the area" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/11/19/young-people-in-atlanta-thinking-about-leaving" data-vars-content-id="9368c14e-ba10-4779-a870-c20db1ed2a58" data-vars-headline="A new model is replacing traditional car buying and leasing in Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/11/19/young-people-in-atlanta-thinking-about-leaving" target="_self">how long they&#x27;ll stay in the area</a>, committing to a multi-year car loan or lease no longer fits the way they live.</li><li>And yet, in a city like Atlanta, having access to a car is still essential for getting to work, running errands and navigating the region&#x27;s wide geographic footprint.</li></ul>

Cobb lawmaker wants 8-year freeze on transit tax votes

The bill would block counties from retrying failed transit sales tax referendums for eight years.

A Cobb County state lawmaker wants metro Atlanta counties to wait eight years before asking voters to approve another <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="transit sales tax" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/11/06/cobb-gwinnett-msplost-transit-tax" data-vars-content-id="28869e52-a63b-40a9-bbc1-92a3d51e08ff" data-vars-headline="Cobb lawmaker wants 8-year freeze on transit tax votes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/11/06/cobb-gwinnett-msplost-transit-tax" target="_self">transit sales tax</a> after a failed referendum.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The bill" data-vars-click-url="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73366" data-vars-content-id="28869e52-a63b-40a9-bbc1-92a3d51e08ff" data-vars-headline="Cobb lawmaker wants 8-year freeze on transit tax votes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73366" target="_blank">The bill</a> from state Rep. John Carson (R-Marietta) could dash local governments&#x27; transit dreams and delay meaningful investment in bus and rail service for nearly a decade.

Family of man killed while crossing Peachtree plead for crosswalk

Pradeep Sood, 67, was walking in a faded crosswalk between AmericasMart and Peachtree Center when he was struck by a vehicle on Feb. 11, 2025.

News

Family members of a man who was fatally struck while crossing Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta last year want the city to make good on its promise to make the thoroughfare safer for pedestrians.Why it matters: The death of Pradeep Sood, 67, reignited the long-running struggle over Atlanta&#x27;s desire to make city streets more accessible to pedestrians while also keeping vehicular traffic flowing efficiently.

Report: Waymo cars passed Atlanta school buses at least 6 times

Waymo has issued a software recall in response to a federal safety probe.

Business

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Waymo autonomous vehicles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/12/11/atlanta-self-driving-waymo-uber-ride-experience" data-vars-content-id="ada240bd-44d9-4d97-b8c6-dad9bda98067" data-vars-headline="Report: Waymo cars passed Atlanta school buses at least 6 times" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/12/11/atlanta-self-driving-waymo-uber-ride-experience" target="_self">Waymo autonomous vehicles</a> are coming under scrutiny after the robotaxis passed stopped school buses on several occasions in Atlanta.Why it matters: The latest mishap raises questions on how effectively self-driving vehicles can respond to a variety of issues that crop up on city streets.

I rode in a driverless Waymo in Atlanta. It was awesome

A smooth ride, a robot voice and total autonomy — here's what to expect in your first Waymo.

As a Gen X-er, growing up I dreamed about a future with flying cars. Back in October, I experienced the next best thing — a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="self-driving Waymo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/03/waymo-robotaxis-seattle-minneapolis" data-vars-content-id="2a7fb9fb-f6a5-402e-b9a3-7e384f2e86dc" data-vars-headline="I rode in a driverless Waymo in Atlanta. It was awesome" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/03/waymo-robotaxis-seattle-minneapolis" target="_self">self-driving Waymo</a>.Why it matters: The car drove itself, y&#x27;all.

Transit 🚗

Atlanta Beltline bike and scooter lane proposal alarms rail advocates

I-285 in Atlanta closes this weekend. Here's how to get around it.

Self-driving pod system planned for Atlanta airport area

Test drive: MARTA's new rapid bus line

MARTA rolls out leaner, faster Atlanta bus network