Political Rewind: The Political Aims Of Ga. GOP Leaders' Arizona Visit; Reed In Atlanta Mayoral Race

Published: June 10, 2021, 3:59 p.m.

Thursday on Political Rewind: Leaders in Georgia\u2019s Republican party traveled to Arizona this week to take a look at the controversial GOP-driven recount of presidential ballots in Maricopa County. The probe, which received vocal support from former President Donald Trump, has drawn Republican leaders from states nationwide.\n\nState Sens. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) and Burt Jones (R-Jackson) and state GOP chair David Shafer participated in a walk-through of ballot inspection stations at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix on June 8. Election integrity experts and some Arizona Republicans have derided the effort as 'political theater.'\n\nTheir visit came as yet another recount of votes in Fulton County awaits a final court ruling on whether it can move forward.\n\nMeanwhile, after weeks of speculation that he was considering a run, Kasim Reed has now taken the first steps to join the race for mayor of Atlanta. Reed filed the paperwork necessary to begin raising campaign cash yesterday.\n\nTonight, Reed is set to host a fundraising birthday party where he is likely to make official his bid for a third term. We asked our panel what his entry into the race means for the city and the state.\n\nAlso, the lawsuit challenging Major League Baseball\u2019s decision to move the All-Star Game from Cobb County to Denver is scheduled to be heard in federal court today. The suit demands that MLB return the game to Truist Park and asks for damages of $1 billion.\n\nPanelists:\n\nKevin Riley \u2014 Editor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution\n\nDr. Andra Gillespie \u2014 Professor of Political Science and Director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference at Emory University\n\nEdward Lindsey \u2014 Former Republican State Representative\n\nRep. Mary Margaret Oliver \u2014 State Representative (D-Decatur)