Howard Franklin Appears on The Georgia Vote
Ohio River South CEO Howard Franklin appeared recently with 11Alive’s Faith Jessie on The Georgia Vote, a weekly conversation with newsmakers about where the candidates stand on the issues Georgia voters care about. The panel discussion begins at 6:38.
Note: This is a synopsis of the video transcript.
Panel Introduction
Host: There is a whole lot to talk about this week. Time now for our politics roundtable. Today we have:
Mark Rowntree: Republican strategist, pollster, founder of Landmark Communications, and a veteran of Georgia campaigns and elections.
Howard Franklin: Democratic strategist and leader of the consulting firm Ohio River South, who has worked on campaigns throughout the Southeast, including Andre Dickens’ 2021 Atlanta mayoral campaign.
Shannon McCaffrey: Managing editor for politics and business at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a veteran political reporter.
Discussion Topic 1: The Politics of Data Centers
Host: I want to start with the topic of data centers and the politics surrounding them. Mark, coming to you—some of these rural, Trump-supported areas don’t want them, but developers say they could bring a lot of money to the state.
Mark Rowntree: Yes, they are turning into quite potent political issues. A lot of these rural areas are Republican and skew older. It will be interesting to see if county leadership supporting these data centers might be kicked out of power in a general election. Would Republican voters kick an elected Republican official out in favor of a Democrat over data centers? That’s what we’re going to look at this November.
Howard Franklin: A number of metro Atlanta counties are taking much more aggressive stances toward regulating data centers—insisting upon community benefit agreements and putting regulatory regimes together. There is a pretty clear line and divide between how Democrats in local elected positions and conservatives are tackling this.
Who knows how this will shake out, but the issue isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s been the topic du jour for at least the last year. With the way we’re using compute and AI, it’s going to continue to be an issue going forward. It’s cantankerous across local, state, and federal levels of government, and it’s amazing any of these get built right now with all the controversy.
Shannon McCaffrey: The AJC polled on data centers earlier this year. In our poll, Republicans and Democrats agreed on virtually nothing, but they did agree that neither side wants data centers in their own backyard. It was one of the few issues with true bipartisan agreement. Everybody uses AI and wants to use the internet, but where do you put them?
Discussion Topic 2: The Midterm Landscape & Campaign Strategies
Host: Pivoting into the overall political landscape, we have less than four months to go before the midterms. What are voters paying attention to, and what are you watching?
Shannon McCaffrey: We’re in a bit of a lull. Campaigns are starting to pick up on TV, but we’re not seeing them out in the field as much. The summer right after a runoff is a time when people regroup.
One interesting moment was about a week or two ago when Rick Jackson appeared at a Black-owned barbershop in College Park. He seems to be starting the pivot you typically see after a hotly contested primary runoff—moving into territory where he goes after more independent voters. He’s said from the beginning that he didn’t want to only appeal to white Republican voters, so we’ll see if that strategy is successful.
Mark Rowntree: A major event happened in the political world this week that has gotten almost no coverage: the release of financial disclosures showing candidate financial strength. It’s striking how poorly Keisha Lance Bottoms is doing in this regard. She only has $430,000 in the bank—there are state legislative candidates with more than that.
In many cases, there is a 10-to-1 margin of Republican financial strength over Democratic financial strength. For example, in the Insurance Commissioner race, Commissioner King has raised over $500,000, compared to $1,000 for his opponent. Keisha Lance Bottoms has had since May to raise money and has only raised $430,000. That shows a lack of focus.
Howard Franklin: We expect Rick Jackson to spend a massive amount of money on this campaign. You have a similar dynamic in the Senate race with Jon Ossoff, who has been exceptionally focused and raised a tremendous amount of money to consolidate Democratic support.
The big question is whether there will be crossover voters. The Republican gubernatorial candidate will have a massive financial advantage, while the Democratic senatorial candidate will have a massive financial advantage. Most voters won’t know who had the most money, but we’ll see how much campaign activity and advertising results from it.
[Interview: Everton Blair on the 13th Congressional District Race]
Discussion Topic 3: Campaign Finance & The Regional Economy
Host: Returning to our panel on campaign finances—Mark, picking back up on candidate funding.
Mark Rowntree: Rick Jackson has $4 million compared to Bottoms’ $400,000—a 10-to-1 gap. The main issue isn’t just Jackson’s funding; it’s why Bottoms has raised so little despite facing no primary opposition since May. If national Democrats don’t step in to bail her campaign out, it could be over by September.
Shannon McCaffrey: National Democrats are heavily focused on high-stakes Senate and Congressional races. Unless Bottoms demonstrates that her campaign is a low-risk investment, national funds may go elsewhere.
Additionally, Republicans hold a structural advantage following recent Supreme Court rulings allowing national groups to directly coordinate large-scale spending with candidates. Except for Jon Ossoff’s substantial war chest, Republicans hold a general financial advantage.
Howard Franklin: Keisha Lance Bottoms remains a prominent national figure capable of drawing support, including past backing from former President Joe Biden. We should expect the Democratic Governors Association to invest separately from Senate-focused funds.
Report Spotlight: Accelerating South
Host: Howard, you brought a new report today from Ohio River South titled Accelerating South. What are the key takeaways?
Howard Franklin: The report details how the American South has rapidly accelerated to become the cultural, financial, and political center of the country. Hundreds of corporate relocations are occurring as companies follow shifting populations, giving significant leverage to the region and its policymakers.
Mark Rowntree: The report confirms the ongoing population migration from states like California, Illinois, and New York into Sunbelt states.
Howard Franklin: One major takeaway is that Georgia has become a primary national political bellwether—accurately reflecting recent presidential outcomes and usurping states like Florida and Ohio.
Shannon McCaffrey: That dynamic is what makes covering politics in Georgia fascinating right now. The population and candidate profiles are constantly shifting.
Mark Rowntree: The Accelerating South report highlights that if the Southern states were combined as an independent entity, their collective $6 trillion GDP would represent the third-largest economy in the world.
Host: Accelerating South by Ohio River South out now to download. Panel, thank you all so much for coming in.
[Senate Update: Workforce Development Legislation]