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Vice President JD Vance in Georgia, major changes in Secretary of State's office | On The Record, Aug. 24, 2025
Geoff Duncan, Georgia’s former lieutenant governor, recently made headlines when he switched from a Republican to a Democrat — and now, he’s considering a run for the governor’s seat.
During this week’s episode of On The Record With Atlanta News First, Duncan spoke with Atlanta News First political reporter Doug Reardon about why he changed parties and what he wants to do next.
Also in this week’s episode:
- Vice President J.D. Vance spoke at a Republican National Committee meeting in Atlanta in favor of Trump’s recently passed “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
- A Georgia Senate committee met for the first time to discuss ways to eliminate the state’s income tax.
- Gabe Sterling, chief operating officer of the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, has stepped down from his role to pursue his own business.
- The Secretary of State’s office plans to purge about 480,000 names from Georgia’s voter rolls.
- Democrat Jon Ossoff is trying to keep his seat in the 2026 U.S. Senate race, but several Republicans want to replace him.
Republican turned Democrat may run for Georgia governor | Geoff Duncan goes On The Record podcast
Geoff Duncan, who recently made national headlines when he switched political parties, has confirmed he is considering making a Georgia gubernatorial run.
“We’re thinking about it,” Duncan said in an exclusive interview with On The Record With Atlanta News First, which airs Sunday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. “We haven’t made any firm decisions."
If Duncan does enter the race, he would join five other Democrats who are seeking their party’s gubernatorial nomination: former state Labor Commissioner and DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond; state Sen. Jason Esteves; state Rep. Derrick Jackson; former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; and businessman/pastor Olu Brown.
All are minority candidates with strong ties to Atlanta.
Earlier this month, Duncan - who had already been expelled from the Georgia GOP - said he has officially joined the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Georgia governor's race, Trump endorsement, CDC shooting | On the Record, Aug. 17, 2025
The last Democrat to hold a constitutional office in the state of Georgia was an inaugural guest in the debut episode of On The Record With Atlanta News First.
Michael Thurmond spoke with Atlanta News First political reporter Doug Reardon on whether Democrats can win support for their agenda in a state long dominated by Republicans and one that Donald Trump won handily in his historic 2024 presidential bid.
Also in this week’s premiere episode:
- President Donald Trump has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia’s nationally watched gubernatorial race;
- Attorney General Chris Carr has filed a lawsuit against the lieutenant governor, who just so happens to be the man he’s running against for governor.
- Did vaccine misinformation play a role in last week’s deadly shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?
- President Trump has ordered the National Guard into Washington, D.C., declaring a public safety crisis in the nation’s capital city. Could this happen in Atlanta?
On The Record is a new, weekly political show hosted by Atlanta News First anchor Rick Folbaum and political reporter Doug Reardon. It airs every Sunday at 11 a.m. on Atlanta News First.
The program - which can also be seen on Atlanta News First’s website and all of its streaming and podcasting platforms - features extensive interviews with Atlanta’s and Georgia’s most influential political leaders, newsmakers and analysts.
Governor's hopeful says Democrats can win in Trump-dominated Georgia | Michael Thurmond goes On the Record podcast
The last Democrat to hold a constitutional office in the state of Georgia was an inaugural guest in the debut episode of On The Record With Atlanta News First.
Michael Thurmond spoke with Atlanta News First political reporter Doug Reardon on whether Democrats can win support for their agenda in a state long dominated by Republicans and one that Donald Trump won handily in his historic 2024 presidential bid.
On The Record is a new, weekly political show airing every Sunday at 11 a.m. on Atlanta News First.
The program - which can also be seen on Atlanta News First’s website and all of its streaming and podcasting platforms - features extensive interviews with Atlanta’s and Georgia’s most influential political leaders, newsmakers and analysts.
Federal health officials say press exploiting CDC shooting for ‘political gain’ | Decatur Dish
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is accusing the media of exploiting a recent shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for “political gain.”
Sarah Boim with Fired but Fighting, a group of dismissed CDC workers who are banding together to fight for public health, came on the podcast to talk about the shooting and all that has followed.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish: https://decaturish.com/
New women’s commission aims to amplify inclusion in DeKalb County | Decatur Dish
The Junior League of DeKalb County is leading the effort to create the county’s first women’s commission, a new project designed to advance fairness, amplify inclusion and improve the lives of women and girls across DeKalb.
Gabrielle Rogers came on the podcast to talk about the project. She said the Junior League of DeKalb County has existed for 90 years and is currently prioritizing education, economic empowerment, health and wellness and more as the commission is formed.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish: https://decaturish.com/
Keeping it frank with Tucker Mayor Frank Auman | Decatur Dish
On this week’s episode of Decatur Dish, we got a rundown of what’s going on in Tucker with nobody other than the town’s own mayor, Frank Auman.
Auman joined the show to talk about the Tucker Town Green project, the city’s ongoing pickleball debacle, local business development and more.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish: https://decaturish.com/
Hot takes with DeKalb County Fire Chief Darnell Fullum | Decatur Dish
DeKalb County Fire Chief Darnell Fullum joined Decaturish Founder and Editor Dan Whisenhunt to talk about emergency response, department needs, and summer’s biggest fire risks.
Decatur Dish, co-hosted by journalists Dan Whisenhunt and Mariya Murrow, airs every Tuesday on ANF+ at 12:30 p.m.
'We the People' celebrates America's 250th birthday | Political Update
Three simple words, consisting of only 11 letters, formed the preamble to human history’s first test in self governance, an experiment still ongoing more than two centuries after a new nation’s founding.
On July 4, 2026, America will mark 250 years since a group of white men - doctors and bankers; lawyers and slave-owning farmers; scientists and soldiers; politicians and ministers - declared 13 quibbling, self-centered and wildly disparate English colonies devoid of British colonial rule in the New World.
To mark the upcoming 250th birthday of the United States of America, Gray Media, parent company of WANF Atlanta News First, is hosting a look at our country called “We the People.”
Public Service Commission primary runoff race results are in | Decatur Dish
Peter Hubbard has won the primary runoff for Public Service Commission District 3, defeating Keisha Waites. Hubbard, a Democrat, will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson in November.
Also, journalist and Decaturish contributor King Williams came on the podcast to talk about several topics, including DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson’s housing agenda, a major street project in Avondale Estates, and Lulah Hills, a planned mixed-use development at the site of a former mall.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish: https://decaturish.com/
Podcast: DeKalb postpones water rate increase + journalist arrested while covering protest | Decatur Dish
DeKalb County is delaying the implementation of a 10% water and sewer rate increase.
The rate raise was set to begin on July 1 but was abruptly halted over unfinished contract negotiations. DeKalb County Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry came on the show to discuss the situation, plus the county’s response to anti-ICE protests.
Also, get the latest on Mario Guevara, a Spanish-language metro Atlanta journalist who was arrested during a DeKalb County protest in June and taken into ICE custody.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish: https://decaturish.com/
Podcast: These new laws go into effect July 1 | Political Update
July 1 marks the beginning of a new fiscal year in Georgia. That also means a whole host of new laws go into effect. This year, measures ranging from new technological school safety tools to a measure allowing wrongfully prosecuted or convicted persons to be reimbursed for their legal costs, take effect very soon.
Podcast: Is Trader Joe’s finally coming to Decatur? A conversation with Tomorrow’s News Today | Decatur Dish
A local real estate news website, Tomorrow’s News Today, predicts Decatur residents may finally see a long-desired grocery chain move into the space once known as Baby Kroger.
Eli Zandman, founder of Tomorrow’s News Today, talks about the changing real estate landscape in DeKalb County — including the possibility of a Trader Joe’s.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish: https://decaturish.com/
Podcast: Tucker pickleball saga drags on, arrests at ICE protests in Brookhaven | Decatur Dish
Six people have been arrested during what was supposed to be peaceful protests against ICE operations.
Brookhaven police said chaos erupted after organizers and police tried to end the event. “Aggressors” damaged police three police cars by throwing rocks and fireworks at the vehicles, according to officers.
Meanwhile, the Tucker City Council voted 4-3 to rebid a controversial project that would add dedicated pickleball courts to the Tucker Recreation Center.
On Monday, the city’s manager said Tucker will reject “all proposals and not award a contract” for constructing pickleball courts.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish here: https://decaturish.com/
Podcast: Stone Mountain mayor addresses accusations she mishandled city’s bank accounts | Decatur Dish
Stone Mountain Mayor Beverly Jones spoke publicly amid a push from the city council to remove her from office over her alleged mishandling of the city’s bank accounts.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most! Catch weekly episodes every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish here: https://decaturish.com/
'Brave and bold' Decatur FC talks upcoming soccer season | Decatur Dish
Decatur FC, a semiprofessional women’s soccer team, looks forward to potentially setting more attendance records and continuing a high standard on the field during its second season.
Atlanta News First and Decaturish take you through your latest DeKalb County news headlines and the stories people are talking about most!
Catch weekly episodes every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com.
More from Atlanta News First: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/
More from Decaturish here: https://decaturish.com/