On this week's edition of Political Breakfast, Georgia's Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones wants in on the 2026 gubernatorial race. 

Jones kicked-off his campaign for Georgia Governor in grand style and to the tune of 10 million dollars.

Jones loaned himself the money and made a pretty bold statement in doing so.

Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson discuss this strategic move along with host Lisa Rayam.

The team also discusses how money is paramount overall.

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Congress has narrowly approved President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill, with most Republicans voting in favor and every Democrat opposed.

Under the law, which includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, about 300,000 Georgians could lose health coverage, tax incentives for clean energy will be cut and states like Georgia may end up having to shoulder more of the costs associated with food stamps.

On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali speak with WABE Health Reporter Jess Mador and WABE Digital Editor MeiMei Xu about how Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will affect Georgia now that it’s law.

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On this week's Political Breakfast: Campaign fundraising is ramping-up. 

Strategists Tharon Johnson and Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam tackle the latest numbers in the 2026 Georgia Governor's race. 

On the Democratic side,  Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and state Senator Jason Esteves have surpassed the 1 million mark over roughly 2 months since both entered the race. 

For the GOP: Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones has loaned himself 10 million dollars while Republican Attorney General Chris Carr has raised more than 3-point-5 million since annoucing his bid in November. 

Do these numbers translate into the most competitive candidates? 

Plus, low voter turnout in the Democratic runoff for the Georgia Public Service Commission race. Brian and Tharon share why YOU should care.

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President Donald Trump just signed his so-called 'big, beautiful' massive tax and spending bill over the July 4th holiday weekend. 

Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam react to the latest. 

Plus, Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter wrote on X on Sunday that his granddaughters are safe after attending a summer camp in Central Texas that flooded over the weekend -- but one of their cousins has died.

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On this week’s special Independence Day encore episode of “Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast,” politics reporter Sam Gringlas takes listeners on a summer road trip to a pair of towns that helped shape former presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Georgia’s own Jimmy Carter.

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On this week's Political Breakfast, Republicans are mostly a united front and in support of President Donald Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful' massive tax and spending bill. 

Georgia Democrats say there's nothing beautiful about it, claming the bill will strip away people's healthcare and increase poverty while creating tax breaks for the rich. 

Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam react to the latest as lawmakers debate the bill in the U.S. House. 

Trump says he wants to sign the bill by the July 4th holiday.  It's sweeping tax cuts are estimated to add trillions more to the national debt. It also boosts spending on border security and defense, makes massive cuts to programs like Medicaid and shifts more responsibility for food assistance to the states. 

It would also slash clean energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act, that helped propel solar and electric vehicle manufacturing in Georgia.

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On today's Political Breakfast, we react to news from the AJC that Geoff Duncan may be running in the 2026 Georgia Governor's race as a Democrat. 

Duncan, now an official outcast after Georgia GOP leaders expelled him from the party, has long expressed frustration with President Donald Trump and those who support his administration. 

But strategists Brian Robinson, Tharon Johnson and host Lisa Rayam wonder: Is the party willing to accept him? Or has Duncan fallen off the radar? 

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A massive solar panel recycling facility called Solarcycle is coming soon to Cedartown, a small community in Northwest Georgia near the Alabama border.

Solarcycle got a $64 million tax credit through the Inflation Reduction Act to build a second facility that will make solar panel glass, but according to the company, the groundbreaking is on hold as Congress considers gutting the clean energy tax credits in the new federal budget.

On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali look at what this could mean for Cedartown and Georgia’s flourishing industries making electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels.

Plus, how the conflict between Israel and Iran is exposing divisions among Georgia Republicans and a look at the fall of the in-person campaign launch.

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On this week's Political Breakfast, the gang addresses the latest in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. 

Israel and Iran continued to trade attacks over the weekend, with U.S. officials saying both have violated a recent cease fire. 

U.S. bombs destroyed three nuclear sites in Iran, according to President Donald Trump. 

Republican strategist Brian Robinson, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and host Lisa Rayam bring it home to Georgia -- where one of Trump's most fierce supporters, GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, criticized the move.

Plus, supporters of Georgia Republican Attorney General Chris Carr released an attack ad against his potential opponent in the 2026 gubernatorial race: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

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Former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal drew national attention in 2016 when he vetoed a religious liberty bill that opponents said would lead to discrimination against LGBTQ people.

When a similar measure passed again this year, Governor Brian Kemp quickly signed it into law.

On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss what’s changed over the past decade with WABE's Patrick Saunders, who has been leading WABE’s annual Beyond Pride series, which takes a close look at LGBTQ issues in Georgia.

Plus, Georgia Republicans and Democrats are charting the future of their parties as state lawmakers grapple with a heated political climate following the assassination of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband.

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