Primary runoff election; Delta Air Lines investigation; Special session

Summary

Georgia Today — June 16, 2026 Primary Runoff Election, Delta Air Lines Investigation, Special Legislative Session

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Episode Overview

On this episode of Georgia Today, host Peter Biello and GPB News reporters cover Georgia’s critical primary runoff elections, the end of a high-profile investigation into Delta Air Lines, and the political stakes as Georgia lawmakers convene a special session on redistricting and election laws. The episode brings on-the-ground voter perspectives, expert political insights, and coverage of rapidly unfolding stories at the intersection of democracy, technology, and social justice in Georgia.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Primary Runoff Elections: Voter Sentiments and High-Stakes Races

• Republican Intraparty Tensions:
  Two bitter GOP contests for governor and U.S. Senate come to a head, with significant implications for November’s general elections.
• Disillusioned Voters:
  • Ben & Trish Cumbus, Macon voters:
    “It kind of turned me off initially because when everybody started getting into the race, they immediately started trashing people.” (00:57, 01:05)
    • “You don't know what their positions are.” (01:05)
• Gubernatorial Showdown:
  • Lt. Governor Burt Jones received a last-minute endorsement from Gov. Brian Kemp, hoping to clinch victory over billionaire Rick Jackson.
    • Burt Jones:
      “We think that this is exactly what's going to put us over the top.” (01:36)
  • Jackson campaigned with Senator Ted Cruz, touting his outsider status.
    • Rick Jackson:
      “I'm an outsider. I'm going to go in and I'm going to make a change to this system.” (01:52)
  • The runoff’s winner faces Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.
• Senate Race:
  • Features two-term Congressman Mike Collins vs. first-time candidate Derek Dooley.
• Local Mayoral Contests:
  • Voters in Columbus, Augusta, and Athens decide nonpartisan mayoral races.
• Voter Perspectives:
  • Dustin Peters, Cherokee County:
    “I came out to vote today because it's important. I think there's a lot of issues out there in terms of the future of the state of Georgia. In particular, our Senate race is very important.” (02:18)
  • Rachel Schaefer, Fulton County:
    “I feel that there's some people running on the Democratic ballot who have previously been elected as Republicans or have been acting as Republicans… I really want to make sure we protect our right to vote here in Fulton County.” (02:39)
  • Candace Taylor, Fulton County:
    “I vote because I care what goes on in my community. I care about the rights of people and within the community.” (02:56)
• Trump’s Influence:
  • Republican primaries are seen as a test for Trump’s sway with Georgia GOP voters. (No direct quote, but referenced at 02:30)

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2. Redistricting & Special Session: The Political Fallout from Supreme Court’s Calais Decision

• Supreme Court Fallout:
  • The "Calais" decision has weakened Voting Rights Act protections, prompting an aggressive approach by Georgia Republicans in redistricting.
    • Amir Badat, Fair Fight Action:
      “Georgia is the first state in this post-Calais chaos to go after state legislative seats. So far, all of the states that have redistricted after Calais have redistricted their congressional maps, but Georgia has escalated the fight.” (03:39, repeated from earlier at 00:21)
• Vulnerable Seats:
  • 26 Black-majority state House and Senate seats identified as at risk. (04:09)
  • Black U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop (GA-2) is the likely primary target. (03:03, 04:38)
• Special Session Preview – Key Issues:
  • Sarah Kalis, GPB Politics Reporter (joins at 04:24):
    • Middle Georgia, especially Macon area and Gwinnett County, flagged for potential major boundary changes. (04:38)
    • 2021 maps previously ruled as violating the Voting Rights Act—precedent for upcoming changes. (04:38)
• Election Ballot Laws and Technology:
  • Upcoming July 1st sunset for QR code ballot scanning (Senate Bill 189). (05:25)
  • Options:
    • Extend QR code use for another year.
    • Move to new voting technology, but requires funding.
    • Hand-marked ballots debated, but audits reveal they are more error-prone than machine counts, per Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. (05:36)
• Timing and Feasibility:
  • Counties are warned to be ready; biggest challenge is funding and acquisition of equipment. (06:16)
• Republican Majority Leverage:
  • Analysts expect GOP to prevail in getting favorable maps and voting legislation, though internal Republican divisions remain possible, especially over ballot technology. (06:45)
• Local Property Tax Referendums:
  • Recent law allows counties to propose sales tax hikes to offset property taxes; Legislature must approve each county’s measure for November ballots. (07:19)
• Notable Quote:
  • Sarah Kalis:
    “The Republicans have a majority in both chambers. And so any fight that the Democrats put up is likely to not work out too well for them. The Republicans are likely to get their maps that they drew.” (06:45)

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3. Federal and Judicial News

• Judge Recusal in Election Case:
  • U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross recused herself from an election records case after DOJ raised concerns over impartiality due to attendance at Fani Willis event and prior misconduct. (07:53)
  • Notable details include Ross having been disciplined for unrelated inappropriate behavior.

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4. Delta Air Lines Investigation

• Delta’s 2024 IT Meltdown:
  • The Trump administration dropped its probe into Delta’s response to the global CrowdStrike outage that severely disrupted IT systems and stranded travelers. (08:48)
  • The investigation found the airline issued timely refunds and offered adequate support. No penalties. (09:19)
    • Chase McGee, GPB:
      “The agency determined that Delta passengers received prompt refunds and adequate help with baggage and other concerns.” (09:19)

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5. Energy News

• Nuclear Plant License Extensions:
  • Plant Hatch reactors, operational since the 1970s, cleared to run into the 2050s after federal safety review; together with Vogtle, these plants generated 30% of Georgia Power’s output last year. (09:53)

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6. Weather and Sports Roundup

• Storm Watch:
  • Texas Gulf storm system may become the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season; heavy rain and flash floods forecast for Georgia later in the week. (10:18)
• College World Series Highlight:
  • Georgia Bulldogs face elimination after first loss in 10 games.
  • Historic note: Georgia’s Colby Branch and Oklahoma’s Kyle Branch became the first brothers to play against each other on opposing teams in CWS history. (11:00)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “It kind of turned me off initially because when everybody started getting into the race, they immediately started trashing people.”
  — Ben Cumbus, on negative campaigning (00:57)
• “You don't know what their positions are.”
  — Trish Cumbus, on disappointing campaign discourse (01:05)
• “We think that this is exactly what's going to put us over the top.”
  — Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, on Gov. Kemp’s endorsement (01:36)
• “I'm an outsider. I'm going to go in and I'm going to make a change to this system.”
  — Rick Jackson, Republican gubernatorial candidate (01:52)
• “Georgia is the first state in this post-Calais chaos to go after state legislative seats…”
  — Amir Badat, Fair Fight Action (03:39)
• “The Republicans have a majority in both chambers. And so any fight that the Democrats put up is likely to not work out too well for them.”
  — Sarah Kalis, GPB reporter (06:45)

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Important Timestamps

• [00:31] — Overview of election runoffs and contentious GOP races
• [01:30] — Sarah Kalis on gubernatorial campaign strategies and endorsements
• [02:18-03:03] — Voter perspectives from Cherokee and Fulton counties
• [03:39-05:15] — Redistricting fallout post-Calais decision; analysis by Amir Badat
• [04:24-07:50] — Sarah Kalis interview on special session, ballot law changes, property tax referenda
• [07:53] — Judge Eleanor Ross recusal in election records case
• [08:48] — Chase McGee reports on closure of Delta investigation
• [09:53] — Nuclear plant re-licensing news
• [10:18] — Storm and severe weather tracking
• [11:00] — College World Series historic sibling rivalry

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Tone and Context

The episode maintains a sober and factual tone, presenting in-depth reporting and on-the-ground voices to help listeners navigate Georgia’s volatile political landscape. The interplay between voter concerns, expert analysis, and ongoing legislative and legal developments paints a comprehensive picture of a state at a pivotal political and social crossroads.

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, voters share their thoughts on today's primary runoff election. The Trump administration drops an investigation into Delta Air lines. And as lawmakers return to Atlanta to draw new district lines, black lawmakers brace for the worst.

[B]

So far, all of the states that have redistricted after Calais have redistricted their congressional maps, but Georgia has escalated the fight.

[A]

Today is Tuesday, June 16th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Georgia Republicans will end two bitter intraparty fights today as they decide who will face Democratic opponents in races for governor and U.S. senate. Two Macon voters, Ben and Trish Cumbus, were among Republicans disappointed by the tone of the gubernatorial race between Lt. Governor Burt Jones and billionaire Rick Jackson.

[C]

It kind of turned me off initially because when everybody started getting into the race, they immediately started trashing people.

[D]

You don't know what their positions are.

[A]

The Senate race pits two term Congressman Mike Collins against first time candidate Derek Dooley. Voters in Columbus, Augusta and Athens also will settle non partisan races for mayor. The candidates running for the Republican nomination for governor made their last pitches to voters yesterday ahead of today's primary runoff elections. Sarah Kalis reports.

[E]

Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones is hoping a last minute endorsement from Governor Brian Kemp will give him a boost.

[C]

We think that this is exactly what's going to put us over the top.

[E]

Camp gave Jones his stamp of approval Sunday and campaigned with him on Monday. Meanwhile, his opponent Rick Jackson was on the campaign trail with Senator Ted Cruz and Alpharetta, highlighting his credentials as a businessman.

[C]

I'm an outsider. I'm going to go in and I'm going to make a change to this system.

[E]

Jones won more votes than Jackson in the primary election, but the race was close. Whoever wins the runoff will face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms in November. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis.

[A]

Many voters focused on high profile races when casting ballots. Today. Dustin Peters voted in metro Atlanta's Cherokee County.

[F]

I came out to vote today because it's important. I think there's a lot of issues out there in terms of the future of the state of Georgia. In particular, our Senate race is very important.

[A]

Republican primaries could show how much pull Donald Trump has with GOP voters in Georgia. Rachel Schaefer voted in Fulton County. She said she pulled a Democratic ballot.

[G]

I feel that there's some people running on the Democratic ballot who have previously been elected as Republicans or have been acting as Republicans and especially given their actions towards Fulton county's election board. I really want to make sure we protect our right to vote here in Fulton County.

[A]

Candace Taylor also voted in Fulton County.

[H]

I vote because I care what goes on in my community. I care about the rights of people and within the community.

[A]

Tune in to Morning Edition in All Things Considered on GPB Radio tomorrow, as well as this podcast for the latest on primary runoff results. Black lawmakers in Georgia are bracing for the worst as Republicans prepare to gavel in a special session to redraw political maps tomorrow. The effort is the latest after a US Supreme Court decision called Calais weakened protections for black voters and other minorities under the Voting Rights Act. Democratic and black U.S. congressman Sanford Bishop is the most likely congressional target. But Amir Badat of the left leaning Fair Fight Action says other lawmakers also can expect changes.

[B]

Georgia is the first state in this post Calais chaos to go after state legislative seats. So far, all of the states that have redistricted after Calais have redistricted their congressional maps, but Georgia has escalated the fight.

[A]

The group estimates 26 black majority state House and Senate seats are at risk. So far, GOP leaders have not released proposed maps.

[I]

Georgia lawmakers will convene for a special session beginning Wednesday.

[A]

On the agenda are a few key

[I]

issues with potentially huge consequences for elections, notably the redrawing of congressional and state legislative district maps and ballot laws.

[A]

With me now for a preview of

[I]

the special session is GPB Politics reporter Sarah Kalis. Welcome.

[D]

Thank you for having me.

[I]

Sarah. We've seen other states start to redraw voting district boundaries. Which districts in Georgia are most likely to change in ways that have significant consequences for voters?

[D]

Well, middle Georgia is thought to be the most vulnerable to changes right now. I think especially in that Macon area. We're seeing that there could be some possible changes with both state House and and state Senate seats, as well as U.S. congress. Congressional District 2, which is Sanford Bishop seat, is thought to be the most vulnerable to being flipped to Republican. And also Georgia's 2021 maps were thrown out because they violated the Voting Rights act back in 2023 and they had to redraw the state's maps. And so we saw a lot of changes when that redrawing happened in both middle Georgia around that Macon area again and then also up in Gwinnett county in metro Atlanta. So we could see some changes in some of those districts as well.

[I]

The Voting Rights act, of course, all but gutted by the Supreme Court recently. So you think Georgia lawmakers might take another look at those 2021 maps?

[D]

I think they Certainly will take some inspiration from those original maps.

[I]

What about election ballot laws? Under Senate Bill 189, which passed in 2024, QR codes cannot be used for the official ballot count after July 1st. So what are lawmakers planning to do here?

[D]

Well, they have a couple of options. We saw a bill during the regular session that would have essentially just kicked that deadline down the road that did not get a vote in the Senate before they adjourned sini di. So we could see something similar come back that would just kick that deadline back to next year. So we would just continue to use those QR codes through the elections later this year. They also could try to fund a different solution. The secretary of state's office says that they're going to need money if they're going to implement a different solution to how we vote. Handmarked paper ballots have been tossed out by some groups. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that in the most recent audit of ballots, most errors were actually found in those handmarked paper ballots. The machine counting was found to be a lot more accurate.

[I]

Even if there is enough resources to put a change in place, is there enough time? Can counties adjust to any change the lawmakers make?

[D]

Well, they've been told to be ready to adjust to a change. The big fighting that I've seen has come down to funding. They're saying that if they're going to make a change, they need to have the money to make that change and they need to have the right equipment.

[I]

With respect to those two things, we just spoke about changing voting district boundaries and ballot laws. Are Republicans expected to get what they want here given that they are the majority in the state legislature?

[D]

That's the expectation. The Republicans have a majority in both chambers. And so any fight that the Democrats put up is likely to not work out too well for them. The Republicans are likely to get their maps that they drew. Now where we could see some infighting with Republicans are if someone becomes vulnerable if their district is redistricted to have more Democrats in that area. And then we also could see that Republicans are not a monolith, especially when it comes to this voting legislation. We've seen some push really hard for the hand marked paper ballots and some maybe not be so sure.

[I]

And finally, lawmakers are considering questions surrounding local property tax.

[A]

What's up for debate there?

[D]

So this would be in a relation to a law that passed this past regular session. And so basically lawmakers have to approve any local property tax measure that comes through. And so counties will have the option to put a referendum on their ballot that would essentially say we're going to raise sales tax for 1% and we're going to use that money to reduce your property tax. And the Legislature has to go through and manually approve every county that says they want to do that. And so we could see some of those counties come up during the special session and that referendum be on their ballots in November.

[I]

All right, GPB Sarah Kalis, thank you so much.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

A federal judge has recused herself in a fight over Georgia election records after the U.S. department of justice raised questions about her ability to be impartial. The DOJ sought to remove U.S. district Judge Eleanor Ross from the case. The department cited her reported attendance at an event for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who prosecuted President Donald Trump. Ross today filed an order recusing herself, writing that she was doing so out of an abundance of caution for the potential perception of bias. The judge was disciplined after an investigation found that she had sex with a police officer in her chambers, attended the partisan event and then lied when confronted with the allegations. The Trump administration is dropping an investigation into Atlanta based Delta Air Lines over its response to a computer meltdown that stranded travelers and cost the carrier a half billion dollars. GPB's Chase McGee reports the 2024 CrowdStrike

[J]

outage affected IT systems worldwide, but Atlanta based Delta was crippled much longer than other airlines. Then Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced a probe into long waits for help and reports that unaccompanied minors were stranded at airports. A U.S. department of Transportation spokesman says that investigation is now closed without penalties. The agency determined that Delta passengers received prompt refunds and adequate help with baggage and other concerns. For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee.

[A]

Two aging nuclear reactors in southeast Georgia have been cleared to operate until the 2050s. The reactors at Plant Hatch near Baxley came online in 1975 and 1979. Georgia Power said yesterday that the U.S. nuclear Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended their licenses until 2054 and 2058. The federal renewal was based in part on safety and environmental reviews. Plant Hatch and another nuclear plant near Augusta together produced about 30% of Georgia Power's energy last year.

[K]

Each story you hear on Planet Money starts with a what happens if we refund tariffs? Why are groceries so expensive? At npr, we stand for your right to be curious, because the forces shaping our world can be hard to see. Follow NPR's Planet Money wherever you get your podcasts and start seeing how the economy really works.

[A]

A cluster of storms along the Gulf coast of Texas could become the first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The National Hurricane center in Miami says the storm system is expected to bring intense rain to southern states, including Texas and Louisiana. Some forecast models show the system heading into Georgia later this week. The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City says it is too early to determine wind or severe impacts from the storm, but the office is predicting heavy rains and a flash flood risk for north and central Georgia on Thursday and Friday. In Georgia sports, the Georgia Bulldogs face elimination in the College World Series tonight. Georgia fell to Oklahoma 43 last night as UGA makes a historic run in the series. Monday's loss in Omaha was the team's first loss in 10 games. They won 20 of their previous 21 games, but now move to the losers bracket. They'll face Texas in a rematch at 8pm The NCAA says last night's game, featuring Georgia senior shortstop Colby Branch and Oklahoma sophomore second baseman Kyle Branch was the first time that two brothers played against each other in the same game in the College World Series. That's it on this edition of Georgia Today. Tune in tomorrow for the latest on the election runoff results and check gpb.org news for updates on that and on updates to any of the stories you heard on the podcast today. Make sure you subscribe to this podcast, too. It's a great way to stay updated on all things Georgia news. And if you've got feedback, send it to us by email. That's the best way to reach us. The address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thank you again for listening. We will see you tomorrow.

[B]

Sam.