Peach Pundit Podcast

Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms finally face off in the Georgia governor's race, and Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway have plenty to say about the debate, the candidates' competing visions, Medicaid expansion, minimum wage, data centers, and whether Georgia plumbers really drive Mercedes.

Then things get serious. Georgia State Election Board Executive Director James Mills has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in Georgia elections, raising troubling questions about statutory authority, sensitive voter information, and the independence of Georgia's election system. Scot reveals what SEB member Salleigh Grubbs told him about the letter she was supposed to review before it was sent.

Also this week:

A Georgia Democratic House candidate recycles campaign photos from her failed California Senate campaign.

Raphael Warnock hits the campaign trail across America, but skips Georgia. Is 2028 already on his mind?

Katie Britt and Raphael Warnock team up to help the Atlanta Braves.

Two Democratic lawmakers endorse Republican Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.

An arrest follows alleged death threats against Congressman Mike Collins and his family.

Georgia lawmakers get hands-on demonstrations of potential replacement voting systems.

Early voting approaches as Republicans confront difficult polling and turnout questions.

Plus, Joey Votto is a national treasure. Scot is prepared to fight Braves Country over it.

Join Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway for Georgia politics, election news, political analysis, and commentary with a healthy dose of irreverence.

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#GAPOL #GAGOP #GeorgiaPolitics

Georgia election policy takes center stage as Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway tackle a packed week of Georgia politics.

A federal judge has dismissed the Department of Justice lawsuit seeking an unredacted copy of Georgia’s statewide voter registration list from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Georgia Secretary of State

Georgia officials are also investigating Democratic State House candidate David Dillie after voting records surfaced involving both Georgia and Nevada. Dillie denies casting the Nevada ballot. Georgia Recorder

Then Scot breaks down the DVS-order problem, why researchers are concerned about protecting ballot anonymity, and the tradeoffs involved in the competing solutions being considered in Georgia.

Scot and Buzz also discuss the State Election Board’s authority following the Georgia Supreme Court’s nondelegation ruling, the debate fight between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms, 11Alive’s coverage of the governor’s race, the 2020 protests in Atlanta, Georgia’s new “I Voted” sticker and Brian Kemp’s latest suspension of the state motor-fuel tax.

Plus, somehow, the Atlanta Hawks and Iowa Hawkeyes become relevant to Georgia politics.

Former Georgia State Representative Wes Cantrell joins Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway to discuss his new book, The Job I Never Wanted, and the unlikely path that took him from political outsider to eight years in the Georgia House.

Wes tells the story of the Sam Teasley phone call that started it all, why he initially had no interest in running, what surprised him once he entered the legislature, and what his years in politics taught him about faith, political relationships, legislative fights and his own mistakes.

Then Atlanta News First anchor Rick Folbaum joins the show for a behind-the-scenes look at Georgia’s October gubernatorial and U.S. Senate debates. Rick explains the modified town hall format, how undecided voters are being vetted, how he is preparing to moderate the October 6 debate between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms, and why he believes the moderator should never become the story.

After Rick, we return to Wes for the rest of his story and a candid look inside the Georgia House.

Georgia’s 2026 campaigns are starting to get real attention, and Scot and Buzz break down where things stand.

This week: the massive advertising gap between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jon Ossoff’s multimillion-dollar investment in the Democratic Party of Georgia, and what it says about the organization of the two parties heading into November. They also discuss former Mike Collins staffer Jessica Hayes receiving national recognition, new questions surrounding the Chatham County elections office, Mitchell Horner’s growing push for local government accountability, and new Georgia Tech research on the economic impact of data centers.

Plus, Scot unveils his experiment to build a college football ranking system from scratch, with no preseason rankings, recruiting rankings, conference prestige, or previous-season assumptions.

Georgia politics is colliding with college football this week on Peach Pundit the Podcast.

Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway start with the SEC showdown involving LSU, Lane Kiffin, and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr before turning to the 2026 campaign trail.

They break down Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon’s relationship with Republican nominee Rick Jackson, the challenge of turning out Trump voters, and the roughly 200,000 Georgians who have shown they are willing to split their tickets. They also discuss Mike Collins, Jon Ossoff, Donald Trump, and the RNC’s unusual midterm convention.

Then Scot and Buzz dig into Rick Jackson’s newly announced “Intelligent Medicaid Expansion” proposal, including Georgia Pathways, work requirements, private insurance, federal Medicaid funding, health care price transparency, telemedicine, and the unanswered questions surrounding the plan.

Also this week: Georgia’s search for a new voting system, the Georgia Supreme Court’s major property rights ruling involving Blue 42 Organics, Democratic attacks on Republican lawmakers Scot Hilton and Deborah Silcox, and another troubling chapter in the debate over Flock Safety cameras and privacy.

Peach Pundit the Podcast brings you Georgia politics, policy, campaigns, elections, and plenty of opinions from Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway.

Something new is coming to the Peach Pundit platform.

This is the pilot episode of Outspoken, a new podcast hosted by longtime Georgia conservative activists and political veterans Julianne Thompson and Rob Adkerson.

Julianne and Rob have spent years in the middle of Georgia and national politics, from the Tea Party movement to campaigns, grassroots organizing and Capitol Hill. Now they’re bringing those experiences, perspectives and a willingness to say exactly what they think to a new show.

And they’re starting with a big guest.

Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, joins Julianne and Rob for a wide-ranging conversation about the 2026 midterm elections, the political environment facing Republicans, turning out younger voters, the future of the conservative movement, support for Israel and the rise of antisemitism on both the left and right.

After the interview, Julianne and Rob turn their attention back to Georgia, including the debate over data centers, artificial intelligence, China, local control and how Republicans communicate their ideas to voters.

This episode is a pilot, and we want to know what Peach Pundit viewers think.

Watch it. Tell us what works. Tell us what doesn’t. And tell Julianne and Rob what you want them to tackle next.

If you like what you hear, subscribe to the Peach Pundit channel and help us welcome Outspoken to the platform.

In this episode:

• Ralph Reed on the 2026 midterms

• Georgia’s governor and U.S. Senate races

• Republican turnout and the youth vote

• Israel and the fight against antisemitism

• The ideological direction of the Democratic Party

• Data centers, AI and competition with China

• Local control and community input

• How conservatives can communicate more effectively

Outspoken is hosted by Julianne Thompson and Rob Adkerson and presented on the Peach Pundit platform.

#GeorgiaPolitics #GAPol #Outspoken #PeachPundit #RalphReed #Georgia #Conservative #Midterms #Election2026 #Politics

Georgia Democrats say taxpayers have been left out of the property-tax conversation. Scot wants to know why those same Democrats voted against giving local taxpayers a chance to decide the issue themselves, and why the AJC failed to make that contradiction a central part of its coverage.

Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway also break down Keisha Lance Bottoms’ push for more debates with Rick Jackson, her proposal to remove local sales taxes from groceries, and the complications created by voter-approved SPLOSTs, E-SPLOSTs and existing bond obligations.

The episode also examines the Catoosa County Schools financial audit and State Rep. Mitchell Horner’s effort to address shrinking reserves before they become a crisis.

Then it’s on to Georgia’s growing data-center fight. A lawsuit involving Meta’s Newton County facility raises concerns about groundwater, noise and development, while Raphael Warnock and other Democrats call for a moratorium on new data centers. Scot and Buzz argue over the risks, economic benefits and whether local regulation offers a better answer.

Plus, DHS launches election-fraud investigations, Georgia’s voter rolls face a new audit, Chris Carr jumps into the LSU-SEC eligibility fight, and Peach Pundit mourns the unforgettable Hee Haw.

It’s Georgia politics, policy, media and a little college football with Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway on Peach Pundit the Podcast.

Georgia has beef with Trump, literally.

Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway dig into President Trump’s tariff-free Argentine beef proposal, the backlash from Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and the cattle industry, and what the fight says about tariffs, food prices and American farmers.

They also examine another damaging controversy involving someone in Mike Collins’ political orbit and what it could mean for his race against Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Plus: Rick Jackson vs. Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jackson’s National Guard comments, Burt Jones’ lingering feud, Georgia redistricting, the growing debate over Flock cameras and privacy, Brian Kemp’s Public Service Commission appointment, the fight over data centers, and a remembrance of Dolly Parton.

Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway cover the stories, personalities and policy fights driving Georgia politics on Peach Pundit the Podcast.

Jon Ossoff wanted to land a punch on Donald Trump. Instead, his reference to traveling “with Natalie” created a controversy of its own, with even Democrats questioning why a U.S. senator would drag a young White House staffer into the political mud. Scot and Buzz break down the comment, the reaction, and what it tells us about the opening stages of Georgia’s U.S. Senate campaign.

The Georgia governor’s race is tightening, with recent polling putting Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms within striking distance. We also dig into the attacks on Jackson over the $35 million loan that helped keep an Alabama hospital alive and the rest of the story behind that deal.

Then Scot has had enough of the claim that Georgia is “leaving billions on the table” by refusing to expand Medicaid. With Washington now carrying more than $40 trillion in debt, federal money is taxpayer money and borrowed money. The promised 90% federal match still has to be paid by somebody.

Finally, Dinesh D’Souza settles the lawsuit brought by the Georgia voter falsely portrayed in 2000 Mules, and a new Census Bureau report estimating 24,000 noncitizen votes in the 2020 election raises some interesting questions about methodology, naturalization records, voter rolls, and what the numbers actually mean.

Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway cover Georgia politics, elections, healthcare policy, the 2026 campaigns, and the stories behind the headlines on Peach Pundit the Podcast.

The Democratic Socialists of America are expanding their footprint in Georgia, and Scot and Buzz examine what that could mean for the future of the state Democratic Party. They dig into the DSA platform, its growing presence in Georgia politics, and whether socialist ideas are moving from the party’s fringe toward its mainstream.

Also this week: Donald Trump reportedly tries to broker peace between Burt Jones and Rick Jackson; Dublin City Schools faces a potential board removal amid years of missing audits and serious financial problems; Democrats claim they have a path to flipping the Georgia House; and Rick Jackson posts strong fundraising numbers while rolling out an economic opportunity agenda.

Plus, the Georgia Supreme Court takes up a fascinating case over whether the state should have to compensate innocent property owners when police activity damages their property, and Georgia’s new Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee begins the work of determining what replaces the state’s current voting system.

And yes, Gov. Brian Kemp apparently listens to the podcast.

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