Look who’s talking about lawmakers, Georgia

Georgia’s state Capitol

Georgia’s state Capitol

Politico: Could Dems reclaim Georgia Governor’s Mansion?

Politico across the country, is out on a familiar limb this week with an article that asks whether one of the two Staceys — Abrams or Evans — can bring the governor's office of Georgia back to the Democrats this year for the first time in 15-plus years. Why familiar? There were plenty of stories four years ago raising the possibility that Jason Carter, a grandson of Jimmy Carter's, could be the Democrats' winning ticket against then-one-term Republican Gov. Nathan Deal. The latest from Politico cites shifting demographics, engaged African-American voters and President Donald Trump's unpopularity as reasons Democrats say Georgia could elect a Democrat for governor this year. It also quotes an unidentified Republican strategist as saying the GOP has potentially weak offerings with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp.

Trend of Democratic women running for office draws headlines

Media outlets here and abroad — including The Toronto Star and star.com — are making headlines using data that show a huge uptick in the number of women running as Democrats for public office this year. The paper reports that a record 49 have announced or confirmed they are thinking of running for governor this year. This includes Stacey Evans and Stacey Abrams, two former legislators who are running in Georgia's open race for governor. The paper also cites data from the Center for American Women & Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick showing a 146 percent increase, as of Jan. 1, in the number of women planning to run as Democrats for the U.S. House of Representatives, compared with the same time in 2016 (313 vs. 127).

Social issues appear on legislative back burners not just in Georgia, but South

Georgia isn't the only Southern state where lawmakers appear to be largely steering clear of debates over controversial issues, such as bathroom access for transgender people and "religious liberty" bills, The New York Times is reporting. The potential reasons for this — for many it's an election year. Fear of corporate backlashes also could be playing a role. The newspaper points out that Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a bill in 2016 that would have shielded religious groups that refuse to employ or serve gays. It also quotes Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, as saying any legislation that "creates headwinds" for economic development is unappealing.