Originally posted by MCO Group on October 9th, 2026

01. Gov. Kemp Issues Updated State of Emergency

Governor Kemp issued an updated State of Emergency for all 159 counties in preparation for Hurricane Isaias, that enables emergency management teams to make necessary arrangements and position needed resources ahead of the storm's impact. He has also directed the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to activate the State Operations Center beginning early Friday afternoon. Forecasters expect Isaias to make landfall on the Gulf Coast Friday evening, with potential impacts continuing through Saturday. Impacts could include strong wind gusts and heavy rain throughout the state, potentially leading to spin-off tornadoes, downed trees and power lines, flooding, and other effects.

02. Early Voting Starts Monday in Georgia, Key Races Heat Up

Election Day in Georgia is less than a month away, and early voting starts Monday, October 13th across Georgia. Split-ticket voting is likely this November, as the Democrat leads in the Senate race and the Republican has a narrow lead in the governor's race.

• Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, and Republican healthcare CEO Rick Jackson are battling it out for Governor. Bottoms easily won her Democratic primary and polled strongly at the beginning of the summer, but Jackson, after winning his primary runoff against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, has made significant ground in the final weeks of the election. Polls show this race is too close to call, and it may come down to a few key voting blocs.
  
  
• At the national level, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is running for reelection to his U.S. Senate seat against Republican Congressman Mike Collins, a Trump-endorsed candidate. Ossoff has been gaining national attention not only as he calls out the Trump Administration over high prices, the war in Iran and Trump's relationship with his aide Natalie Harp, but also as 2028 plans start to swirl. Collins, on the other hand, has the backing of the president as he battles a House ethics investigation and accusations of close ties to white supremacy.
  

03. Kemp Expands Relief for Motor Fuel Tax and Vehicle Weight Limits

In consultation with Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Speaker of the House Jon Burns, and Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper, Governor Brian Kemp amended the State of Emergency Order issued last week to include waiving penalties for the use of off-road "dyed" diesel, providing further relief to Georgia's truckers and farmers. This is in addition to the suspension of the state motor fuel tax and the removal of state weight limits on commercial vehicles included in the Executive Order dated 09.26.28.01. For the duration of the State of Emergency, there will be no state penalties incurred for selling, delivering, or using dyed fuel oil for on-road vehicle use. With this new action, Governor Kemp has also extended the original State of Emergency and its suspension, which will now run through November 5th.

04. Governor Candidates Spar Over Economy, Data Centers & Trump

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson clashed Tuesday night during their only scheduled debate of this fall’s race for governor in Georgia, taking aim at each other on economic issues, data centers and President Donald Trump.  The hourlong, town-hall-style debate was largely civil, featuring live and taped questions from voters. Jackson frequently ripped his opponent over her record as mayor, while Bottoms attacked his praise of Trump.

05. Hyundai to Invest $560M in West Point Manufacturing Facility

Hyundai Transys will invest nearly $560 million to expand its manufacturing capabilities in West Point, Georgia, creating 320 new jobs as part of its ongoing efforts to support global automotive customers with operations in North America. The company currently supports roughly 1,250 jobs at its West Point facility. The expansion will include facility upgrades to plants one and two, as well as the construction of a third plant, supporting added production capacity for electrified powertrains for hybrid vehicles.