By Jill Nolin | Editor
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Congressman Mike Collins met on the debate stage for the first time last night, and things got heated, even personal, at times. But there was also plenty of meaty debate on health insurance, data centers, the Iran war and more. Let’s get right to it.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (left) and Congressman Mike Collins participate in a debate Thursday at the Atlanta News First studio in Doraville. Photo credit: Atlanta News First/WANF
2026 ELECTION
By Ross Williams
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Congressman Mike Collins came out swinging on the debate stage Thursday night, discussing topics like the economy, healthcare and data centers in between brutal insults ahead of the November election.
During an hour-long debate hosted by Atlanta News First and Atlanta-based Gray Media, Ossoff, who is facing his first re-election challenge since taking office in 2021, repeatedly hammered Collins over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the war in Iran and a series of racist and antisemitic statements made by associates.
Mawuli Mel Davis (left) and Shean Williams (right), attorneys for Secoriea Turner's family, speak at a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 8. Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Maya Homan
The family of an 8-year-old girl who was killed during a period of civil unrest in Atlanta is urging Republican candidate for governor Rick Jackson to stop using her name and image in campaign material, calling the ads “deeply hurtful.”
Secoriea Turner was fatally shot in 2020 while riding in a vehicle near a Wendy’s where a man had been killed earlier by police. The fast food restaurant had become the site for demonstrations against police brutality and calls for social justice during Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ tenure as mayor of Atlanta. Secoriea Turner’s death was part of a wave of violence occurring at the time that prompted the governor to call in the Georgia National Guard.
Jackson has used photos and news coverage of the event as part of his campaign rhetoric, arguing that Bottoms failed to keep Atlanta residents safe.
Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Atlanta the day before Election Day 2020 and has returned a few times since then. On Thursday, ahead of the November 2026 elections, the former president released videos supporting Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for reelection. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Alander Rocha
Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign for governor got a boost Thursday with a heavyweight endorsement from former President Barack Obama.
In a video released Thursday, Obama praised Bottoms’ record as the former mayor of Atlanta and touted some of the Democrat’s campaign promises, saying that “there is a lot at stake in this election.”
News tips, feedback, question? Email us: [email protected]
FROM OUR DC BUREAU
ICYMI FROM THE RECORDER
Thanks for reading The Daily Record. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.