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Georgia gubernatorial race: Democrat Stacey Abrams

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 18:24:37 -0400

The candidates for Georgia governor are pulling out all the stops with less than one week left before the official election day.

Turnout for early voting suggests the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for Presidential Elections.

FOX 5 Senior Anchor Russ Spencer sat down with Democrat Stacey Abrams as she hit the campaign trail Wednesday discussing one-on-one the issues she believes the next governor will be facing.

Watch the extended interview with the candidate above

FOX 5 talks with new owner of Tyler Perry's former estate

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 19:32:40 -0400

One of Buckhead's newest multi-millionaires has made headlines around the world for buying Tyler Perry's 35,000-square-foot mansion on the Chattahoochee River.

David Turner set a record this spring for the most expensive private home purchase in Georgia history. In a FOX 5 exclusive, Turner told FOX 5's Russ Spencer he finds it interesting that most people are more fascinated by his money and his home, than by his claim to heal the sick in God's name.

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE FOR FULL STORY!

Russ Spencer goes One-on-One with Democratic Nominee Stacey Abrams

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:44:21 -0400

Earlier this week, FOX 5’s Russ Spencer interviewed the two Republicans in the runoff for Georgia Governor, Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp.

Now, we hear from the Democrat one of them will face in November, Stacey Abrams, who made history in May as the first African American woman nominated for governor in the U.S. by a major political party.

This is their extended conversation about the issues, her experience, and, yes, her tax debt. Abrams faces a big hurdle.

In recent statewide elections for governor and U.S. Senate, the Democratic candidates have lost by a remarkably consistent margin: 200,000 votes.

Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 22:49:42 -0400

Some extraordinary young people were recognized tonight by the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Atlanta.

Deion Kelly of the Peachtree Club won the youth of the year and has a free ride to Trinity College.

The other winners Tuesday night were Zada Rivers of the Fuqua Boys and Girls Club, and Damiah Johnson, who will be heading to Duke next year.

FOX 5 Senior Anchor Russ Spencer had the honor to emcee the award ceremony again this year.

Congratulations to them, their families, and the club staff who love them, too!

WATCH: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle talks issues with Russ Spencer

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:47:25 -0400

Here’s an opportunity to hear from the candidates for Georgia Governor at length and unedited.

Fox 5’s Russ Spencer sat down for half hour interviews with Republicans Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp – and the Democratic nominee, Stacey Abrams.

Excerpts of Lt. Governor Cagle’s interview aired on TV on Monday. Secretary of State Kemp’s will run Tuesday, and Abrams on Thursday.

They address the politics of the campaign and the issues that dominate the race, including taxes, immigration, guns, and President Trump.

Early voting began today in the runoff election, which is three weeks from tomorrow, July 24.

Secretary of State runoff: Full interview with Republican candidate Brad Raffensperger

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 22:07:18 -0500

Early voting has begun in the run-off to fill Governor-elect Brian Kemp's role as Secretary of State, and the race is getting national attention.

President Trump weighed in Monday on Twitter in support of Republican Brad Raffensperger saying he's tough on crime and borders, loves our military and vets, and he will be great for jobs.

WATCH: Secretary of State runoff: Full interview with Democratic candidate John Barrow

The race is also in the spotlight because of Georgia's close election and concerns about voter suppression and voter fraud.

Raffensperger and Democrat John Barrow both sat down with FOX 5's Russ Spencer for one-on-one interviews.

Click the video at the top of the page to watch the full interview with Republican Brad Raffensperger

Dick Williams reflects on 4 decades in Georgia journalism

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 20:18:58 -0500

He has been a fixture of Atlanta journalism for the last four decades. Friday, Dick Williams, the host and moderator of "The Georgia Gang" for most of its 36 years, announced he is retiring.

The 75-year-old Williams said it is time to call it a career. And what a career it has been!

FOX 5 Anchor Russ Spencer sat down with Williams to look back at his life in television and print journalism.

Bio: Dick Williams | More: The Georgia Gang

Charity BMW raffle for Ronald McDonald Houses

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 22:20:32 -0500

Two supporters of the Atlanta-area Ronald McDonald Houses got an early Christmas gift when they won the charity's BMW raffle.

FOX 5 Senior Anchor Russ Spencer had the privilege again to shepherd the four finalists through the process and with a twist this year.

BMW provided two vehicles for the cause, helping to raise more than $100,000 for Atlanta's two houses, where families of sick children can stay while they're being treated at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite or at Egleston, more than $50,000 of them since 1979.

Lindsay Bellasi's smile lit up the showroom when the key she pulled from the bowl started the convertible.

Board member Richard Sparkmon won the second BMW for his friend Keith Schoeman, who couldn't be there Wednesday.

The raffle has raised more than $1.5 million for the Ronald McDonald houses over the years.

Secretary of State runoff: Full interview with Democratic candidate John Barrow

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 12:01:29 -0500

Georgia's Secretary of State is the top election official in the state.

That's one reason why the runoff between Republican Brad Raffensperger and Democrat John Barrow is getting so much attention.

WATCH: Secretary of State runoff: Full interview with Republican candidate Brad Raffensperger

After a first round that saw problems at the polls and questions about people being purged from voter rolls.

Former Congressman John Barrow and Republican Brad Raffensperger both sat down with FOX 5's Russ Spencer for one-on-one interviews.

Click the video at the top of the page to watch the full interview with Democrat John Barrow

5 Most memorable stories of 2016 - Russ Spencer

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 18:11:18 -0500

“One of the great stories of the year for me…was the story of Fred Barley, the homeless teenager who biked all the way from Conyers to Barnesville because he wanted to better himself. He wasn’t asking for help from anybody," answered anchor Russ Spencer.

This story reached millions of people and tens of thousands reacted on Facebook.

Just two weeks after the story broke, people from all over had raised more than $200k to support Fred in his goal of obtaining a college degree. The Facebook group "Success for Fred" was created and currently has more than 37,000 members. As Russ posted, "some stories strike a nerve."

The thing that was most incredible to seasoned journalist Spencer was that “He didn’t expect to get this help…and all of these blessings just fell in his lap.”

Russ summarized the phenomenon nicely:

Select which anchor's pick for Most Memorable Story of 2016 you would like to see next by clicking or tapping the link below their picture or NEXT.

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Sec. of State Brian Kemp talks election with Russ Spencer

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 18:03:40 -0400

Here is the full, unedited half-hour conversation between Sec. of State Brian Kemp and Fox 5’s Russ Spencer, as we enter the last three weeks before the runoff election for the Republican nomination for Governor.

Kemp stakes out conservative positions on immigration, the second amendment, and abortion – and defends his record as the state’s chief elections officer.

Kemp trailed Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle by 13 percent in the May vote, but both candidates know Gov. Nathan Deal won from a similar position eight years ago.

You can watch Cagle's interview here. Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams's interview with Russ will air on Thursday.

Arthur Blank sits down with FOX 5's Russ Spencer

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 16:38:17 -0500

These are busy times at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home to the most popular team in major league soccer and, of course, to the Atlanta Falcons.

App users: View full article here

The Falcons would like nothing more than to play in the Super Bowl in their own Stadium in February.

FOX 5’s Russ Spencer sat down with owner Arthur Blank at the stadium Monday

“It's an honor to host the Super Bowl in Atlanta and it’s an honor to host it in our stadium. So, I would probably… five times that honor if we're playing in the game. But you know. It's a long way, a long season,” Blank told Spencer.

This is Arthur Blank's 18th year as Falcons owner, after 23 years running Home Depot. He's learned a lot about how to win and what customers care about.

Spencer: “You're making a splash by reducing concession prices and it's becoming a bit of a national trend. What was the strategy behind that?”

Blank: “There's been a lot of contributions by our fans to help us build this building and to attend events here. Soccer game, football games, concerts, other events. Private events of a variety of kinds. So we want to find ways to say thank you to the fans, to say ‘I appreciate you and I appreciate your commitment not only of your financial resources but of your time, your energy, your passion.’”

Fans have responded. With food and beverage prices cut in half, Mercedes-Benz Stadium now sells as much in the first quarter as the Georgia Dome sold in an entire game.

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Spencer: “Let me ask you about the [national] anthem. You've been very supportive of the players and their First Amendment right and you said this is a work in progress. Of course, the president brings it up every opportunity he has. How do you think this should ultimately be resolved?”

Blank: “Well, I think the best way it can be resolved, which is, I think the major step is that the NFL and the NFL p.a., the union, the players’ union, are sitting and talking together about this. That didn't happen in the past.”

Spencer: “What do you want?”

Blank: “Well, what I want is really two things. I would like our players to stand. I think that's the right thing to do.”

Blank said he and other owners are working with players to address, with both money and political action, the social issues they care about.

Blank: "It's about the issues. And we want to make progress in those issues. We want to move it from protest to progress. And I think that of course, the league that's happening.”

Spencer: “You understand though why the president's complaint resonates with a lot of Americans.”

Blank: “Yeah, I do understand that. And I think that we can't focus, in my opinion, humble opinion, in the most respectful way, we can't respond to what the president is saying necessarily. We have to respond to what we know the real issues are.”

On a lighter note, Blank is enjoying the record-breaking performance of his other professional sports franchise.

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Spencer: “Are you at all surprised by the success of Atlanta United? For decades, soccer had a hard time getting off the ground. You get in the game and it explodes. I mean come on!”

Blank: “Yeah. I would say I had every confidence that it was going to be very successful. It's just a great opportunity to be here with everybody else and to have the five most attended games in the history of the sport and the average attendance is 57,000 plus a game. The closest is 40,000. And the rest of the league is at less than 27,000. I mean, we're thrilled about that.”

Arthur Blank said Major League Soccer is thrilled about Atlanta’s success, too. They are confident that it can be replicated across the country.

Stacey Abrams sits down with FOX 5 Atlanta

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 21:42:29 -0400

Stacey Abrams is keeping Georgia Democrats -- in fact, Democrats everywhere -- in suspense about her political future.

App users: View full interview here

She had planned to decide by the end of March whether to run for U.S. Senate, but business got in the way.

It's been a whirlwind for Abrams since she narrowly lost the governor's race to Brian Kemp.

She's being recruited by national Democrats to challenge David Perdue for his Senate seat in 2020 and promises an answer shortly.

She delivered the Democratic Response to President Trump's State of the Union Address in February and is considering her own run for president.

Abrams has been on a nationwide tour promoting her book "Lead from the Outside" while Georgia Democrats who are considering a Senate run themselves wait to see whether she'll jump in.

Stacey Abrams talks about why she thinks she's qualified to lead the nation and responds to the promised investigation of her campaign for governor by the newly appointed director of the state ethics commission.

Abrams sat down Tuesday afternoon with FOX 5 Senior Anchor Russ Spencer. Watch the video below for the full interview.

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Georgia gubernatorial race: Republican Brian Kemp

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 16:18:52 -0400

The candidates for Georgia governor are crisscrossing the state with less than one week left before the official election day.

Turnout for early voting suggests the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for Presidential Elections.

FOX 5 Senior Anchor Russ Spencer sat down with Republican Brian Kemp at his home outside Athens to talk about the issues including Democratic claims that he would make it harder for people who are sick to get health insurance.

Watch the extended interview with the candidate above

Cagle, Kemp square off in GPB runoff debate

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 22:32:41 -0400

The two Republicans who want the GOP nomination for Georgia Governor squared off Thursday night in a debate. With less than two weeks before the runoff vote July 24.

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp are each running as “Trump Conservatives,” emphasizing their fidelity to the second amendment, immigration enforcement, and lower taxes.

In the debate at Georgia Public Broadcasting, things got testy when the candidates addressed the secret recording of Cagle admitting to supporting a private school tax credit that he called bad policy because it was good for him politically.

Cagle pointed out that most Republicans supported the bill in question and tried to turn the tables on Kemp.

FOX 5’s Russ Spencer sat down with both candidates for a half-hour interview. Those interviews can be found at FOX5Atlanta.com/YouDecide.

DeKalb County launches $250K cleanup to remove illegal tires

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 15:55:44 -0500

DeKalb County officials are ramping up efforts to eliminate illegal tire dumping, announcing a $250,000 cleanup initiative targeting eight of the county’s worst dump sites.

County leaders say the initiative has already resulted in the removal of more than 37,000 tires from neighborhoods, commercial corridors, wooded areas, and private property.

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson called the progress a major step forward.

"DeKalb County has removed or caused to be removed more than 37,000 illegally dumped tires from residential communities, from commercial corridors, from wooded areas," she said.

So far, four sites have been cleaned, and the remaining four are expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Officials say the crackdown is also producing results beyond cleanup. In recent weeks, the initiative has led to two warrants connected to illegal dumping activity.

Illegal dumping — especially tires — remains one of the county’s most persistent environmental and public safety issues. Leaders say the problem extends beyond DeKalb and requires state-level action.

Police Chief Greg Padrick urged lawmakers to impose tougher penalties, particularly for large-scale dumpers.

"Well, it’s a misdemeanor crime at this time, and we wholeheartedly support the legislation to make these felony crimes for large-scale dumping. So misdemeanor is less than a year and up a fine," he said.

CDC shooter’s mental health struggles captured on police body camera

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 22:13:55 -0400

Newly released body camera footage from September 2024 shows the night the alleged CDC shooter was taken to the hospital after his father called police, saying he was trying to get ahold of guns and was suicidal.

Alleged CDC shooter reported to police

Police reports show the suspected CDC shooter, Patrick Joseph White, had police called on him three different times about being suicidal between September 2024 and July 2025. In at least one of those calls, White's father told dispatchers that White had gotten a gun.

The calls took place on Sept. 7, 2024; April 25; and July 21. Two of the three calls were made by Patrick's father, Kenneth. One call was made by a crisis line worker who spoke with White.

After the first call, Patrick was taken to Kennestone Hospital for treatment, but he refused help the other two times.

Alleged CDC shooter involuntarily committed to hospital

In police body camera footage from that first call, Cobb County officers are seen speaking with Patrick and his father inside their Kennesaw home after the 911 call.

Officers arrived on scene just after midnight on Sept. 8, 2024. When officers walked into the White home, Patrick was upstairs but can be seen pulling up his shirt to show officers that he was unarmed.

White tells officers he's in serious pain and explains the back surgery he'd had about a decade prior.

"I'm in a lot of physical pain," Patrick tells officers.

His father told officers in a separate room that Patrick had been dealing with the pain for a while. He said they took him to several doctors who couldn't find anything wrong with him.

Kenneth said he and his wife had just gotten home from a trip to see their other son and returned to find the house a mess. Kenneth kicked Patrick out but said his wife later found him back at home trying to get into a gun safe.

"I've got the keys back. All guns have been accounted for and inventoried," Kenneth said. "We are moving all my firearms to my son's in South Carolina. ASAP. I can't have them here anymore."

EDITOR'S NOTE: The guns used in the shooting belonged to Kenneth, according to the GBI, but FOX 5 doesn't know if those guns were in the home at the time of this incident.

Officers asked Patrick about trying to get a gun. He told them it "was a cry for help."

"It wasn't loaded," Patrick said. "I didn't have any intention to get hurt."

Patrick spoke with officers about his belief that the COVID-19 vaccine caused him and his dad to become ill.

"Basically, me and my dad have been severely ill ever since they took the COVID shots," Patrick said. "They made me take it, and I've never been... You don't feel like you're the same. And I try to tell them, and they call me... some sort of a conspiracy theorist."

Patrick went on for several minutes discussing his thoughts on the vaccine and saying that it’s what killed people, not the actual virus.

Kenneth said Patrick had been saying he was going to kill himself for weeks. "It's like emotional blackmail," he said. Kenneth said he was battling cancer at the time and reached a breaking point that night.

Officers told Kenneth that Patrick should go with medical personnel for the night.

Patrick was involuntarily committed that night. At the end of the video, you can see him getting into an ambulance. EMTs told officers he was going to Kennestone Hospital. A police report submitted following the event said the same thing.

Family members thanked the officers for treating Patrick with kindness and care. One of the responding officers even told Patrick he could talk to him anytime if he needed to.

CDC shooting 11 months after call

The shooting at the CDC began just before 5 p.m. on Aug. 8 outside the CDC.

The CDC's director said four buildings were hit by bullets. GBI officials said White hit the building almost 200 times after firing about 500 rounds.

DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was killed while responding to the shooting.

White died by suicide inside a CVS just across from the CDC campus.

According to the GBI, the guns used in the attack belonged to White’s father. White allegedly broke into a safe at his family’s home to obtain them.

Cybercrime soars nationwide: Georgia residents face $420M in losses

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:04:47 -0400

Cybercrime is surging nationwide and hitting Georgia residents and businesses with increasing force, according to a new report from the FBI.

At a press conference Thursday at FBI headquarters in Atlanta, state and federal officials outlined alarming trends and emphasized the urgent need for public education to help combat fraud and digital theft.

The FBI received more than 850,000 cybercrime complaints in 2024, with reported losses totaling $16.6 billion — a 33% jump from the previous year. Georgia ranked 11th in total complaints, with potential losses estimated at $420 million, marking a 40% year-over-year increase.

Among the most costly types of cybercrime were cryptocurrency scams. In Georgia, crypto-related losses spiked 66% in 2024, reaching nearly $200 million. Other major threats include phishing schemes and personal data breaches.

"The reality of the situation is criminals are smart and technology is evolving, and we have to stay ahead of it," said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who joined the FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation to present the findings.

"Criminals are increasingly using the internet to victimize individuals and businesses here in Georgia, as well as hijacking networks, crippling critical infrastructure, and robbing virtual exchanges," said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.

"As technology advances, so do the methods that are used to perpetrate cybercrimes," Carr said. "And the networks are often overseas."

Officials say elderly residents are among the most frequent victims. Carr encouraged Georgians to use state-provided online resources to learn about common scams. The GBI also warned against enticing but suspicious investment offers, noting that no one is immune.

"It doesn't matter what we do or what our title is — we all can be victims if we're not careful and we’re not educated on what to do," said GBI Director Chris Hosey. "We need to share that with everybody around us, our communities. The education, I think, is a key aspect — and not being afraid to report it if you do find yourself a potential victim or a victim."

FBI officials stressed that timely reporting is critical.

"The sooner someone reports having been potentially scammed, the better chances authorities will have to keep their money from being stolen," Brown said.

Visitors from across the country pay respects to Rosalynn Carter at the Carter Center

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 18:23:08 -0500

People from across the country visited The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on Monday.

Audrey Meas and Gian Andiojo paused to sign a condolence book for the Carter family in honor of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Sunday at her home in Plains, Georgia.

"Actually, we have been planning to visit the library for the past week now," Meas told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes. "So yesterday, before I booked it, that's when we heard the news. We were saddened, but at the same time, we were really honored to be here to honor their legacy."

The Carters' humanitarian work spans generations and serves as an inspiration to the pair, who traveled to Atlanta for volunteer work.

"We are actually here to do voluntary work for our church, and we are here to help out the community, just like the Carter family. Just like Mrs. Carter," Adiojo explained.

Just like Mrs. Carter, a true servant leader who earned great admiration for her mental health advocacy and years of philanthropic work.

"It is a sad time," said Rick Olson. "It's wonderful to see the impact that she had in life. The Habitat for Humanity is the thing that sticks in my mind as they left the presidency. The wonderful work that they did within that."

Arizona resident Greg Stock reflected on the Carters' great partnership during their 77 years of marriage, as President and First Lady, and in the decades that followed.

"And I always liked that he said they were partners. I get a little emotional about it," Stock said.

An emotional time for many, whose thoughts and prayers are with the Carter family in their time of sorrow.

"Condolences, of course. No matter what age the family is grieving and my sincerest sympathies," visitor Stella Buno said.

FOX 5 has more on how you can honor the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter.

WATCH: Troup County deputy rescues elderly couple from burning car

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 13:12:43 -0400

A Troup County sheriff's deputy risked her life to rescue an elderly couple who were trapped inside a burning vehicle during a storm on June 30.

Deputy Carrla Querry said she was just responding to a two-car accident that Friday. She had no idea how bad things were going to get.

It took mere seconds for the smoke to turn into flames.

Then, someone pointed out there were two people trapped inside.

WATCH FULL VIDEO OF RESCUE (WARNING: MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME VIEWERS)

People who have seen the heroic rescue note the inspiring way the Querry was able to physically and verbally encourage the crash victims to live.

She, along with citizens at the scene, busted out the windows of the burning vehicle and safely removed the occupants.

After the pair was safe, Querry moved her patrol car, revealing the enormity of the blaze. Three minutes later, the fire rescue team arrived.

"The most important things is: I asked God to help me, and He sure did," Querry told FOX 5.

The conditions of the rescued man and woman are unknown at this time.

Mongol Derby: Georgia man takes part in world's longest horse race

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 23:18:59 -0400

A retired firefighter from Athens-Clarke County celebrated his newfound freedom, and lifelong love of horses, by competing in the toughest horse race in the world.

At 57-years-old, Bishop resident Stan Michael was the second-oldest competitor in the world's longest horse race, the Mongol Derby. The 10-day, 1,000-kilometer race is a test of endurance through the Mongolian Steppe. According to organizers, the course recreates the horse messenger system developed by Genghis Khan in 1224. The first Mongol Derby took place in 2009, and has continued annually since then.

"You can ride from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., and you typically change horses three or four times," Michael said. "And you change horses at least 28 times to complete the whole race."

Michael retired two years ago after 27 years with the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department. Around that time, his wife and daughter just happened to see a documentary about the Mongol Derby.

"I was just hoping to be able to finish, that was my main goal" he said. "There were 48 riders from the beginning, and I finished 8th out of 48."

Michael says he's been around horses for most of his life. He and his family thought it would be an adventure, and they say it certainly was.

"I've never been anywhere comparable to it. Just miles of grasslands and hills, no fences. You could just ride.

And at the end of the day, Nomads made sure he didn't have to worry about where he would put his head down.

"We would just ride up on a horse at 7 o'clock at night and ask them could we stay there for the night," he said. "They would automatically take care of your horse and ask whether you need anything to eat. That was one of the best things about the race was meeting the Mongolians and learning about their culture and their way of life."

Not only the people, but Michael says he got to learn about the hordes, too: semi-wild and born to run all day.

"The original Mongolian horse, they've been riding over there since Genghis Khan. They're amazing horses," he said "The stamina is beyond compare to any other horse."

It's an experience Michael says he and his family will not soon forget.

Dick Williams, long-time leader of 'The Georgia Gang', passes away

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 19:21:49 -0500

Dick Williams, a fixture of Atlanta journalism for the past four decades has died, FOX 5 has learned. He was 77.

Williams was the leader of the Georgia Gang for most of its nearly 40 years – the majority of them on FOX 5.

His long career included successful stints in television, newspapers, and politics large and small.

Williams sat down with FOX 5 in March 2019 in his office at the Dunwoody Crier, which he owned and ran for more than 20 years until health problems intervened.

"I can say that I am proud to have been part of the creation of the city of Dunwoody and the city of Brookhaven," he said. "And those are concrete accomplishments our coverage led to. We provided the community all the facts."

It was the capstone of a long career that saw him lead television newsrooms down the East Coast in the 1970s, ultimately landing at WXIA in Atlanta.

Williams then became a reliably conservative voice as an editor and eventually a columnist for the Atlanta Journal.

He brought a newspaper reporter’s sensibility to the Georgia Gang, which began in the early 1980s to sort fact from fiction in the Atlanta child-murders case and turned to politics when Wayne Williams went to jail.

Dick Williams’ conservative kinship with Newt Gingrich led him to write a book about the Georgia congressman when he became House speaker in the ’90s.

And he had a life beyond work and politics.

A generation of Georgia high school basketball players knew him as a referee for 30 years, including eight state tournaments.

Williams was married for 40 years to Rebecca Chase Williams, a former national correspondent for ABC News -- and former mayor of Brookhaven.

They have two daughters, Chase and Clare.

Sen. Warnock delivers 'sermon' on Senate floor

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 02:01:42 -0400

Senator Raphael Warnock, who is still the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, delivered a sermon of sorts on the Senate floor on Wednesday in opposition to a wave of Republican-backed measures out of concerns of voter fraud.

Warnock is a co-sponsor of national legislation that he says would protect voting rights across the country.

"We are witnessing right now a massive and unabashed assault on voting rights and voter access unlike anything we have seen since the Jim Crow era," Warnock said Wednesday. "One person, one vote is being threatened right now. Politicians in my home state and all across America, in their craven lust for power, have launched a full-fledged assault on voting rights" and on "democracy itself."

Georgia’s first Black senator held the floor for more than 20 minutes beginning with a history lesson point out that two "arch-segregationists and unabashed adversaries of the civil rights movement" represented the state the year he was born.

In that same era, Warnock said, his mother worked in tobacco and cotton fields — generations after the Civil War and the 13th Amendment had ended slavery.

"Because this is America, the 82-year-old hands that used to pick somebody else’s cotton went to the polls in January and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator," Warnock said, reprising a line he used in his victory speech.

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The two U.S. senators at the time the 51-year-old Savannah native was born were Richard Russell and Herman Talmadge. Warnock quoted violent, racist rhetoric from Talmadge and his father, Eugene, a Georgia governor that "blood will run in the streets of Atlanta" if schools were desegregated.

"I now hold the seat, the Senate seat, where Herman E. Talmadge sat. That’s why I love America," Warnock remarked.

But the senator accused Republicans in Georgia and across the country of responding to his election and the election of President Joe Biden by trying to turn back the clock in what he called the most massive assault on voting rights since the Jim Crow era. He argued they were trying to reopen those chapters with "draconian" restrictions.

He blasted the assertions that the 2020 elections were "rigged" and that it is a "big lie of voter fraud as a pretext for voter suppression." He added that "the same big lie led to a violent insurrection on this very Capitol," as Congress met Jan. 6 to certify President Joe Biden’s victory.

The first-term senator’s speech followed Senate Democrats’ introduction of a sweeping election law overhaul, called the "For the People Act," that could override many of the restrictive measures that Republicans are pushing at the state level. Warnock is the Senate bill’s lead sponsor. The House passed its version in the previous Congress and again last month on a 220-210 vote that fell along party lines.

Democrats cast their legislation as a way to render most of the state GOP moves moot.

Democrats’ federal bill, among other provisions, would make automatic voter registration the norm nationwide, effectively forbid racial and partisan gerrymandering of district lines, establish national baselines for absentee voting, make it harder for states to remove irregular voters from the rolls and expand public financing of elections.

Separately, Democrats in Congress want to restore key sections of the Voting Rights Act that required certain states and local jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination to receive federal approval for their local voting procedures. The Supreme Court gutted those provisions in 2013.

Republican lawmakers in Georgia and other states are considering severely curtailing absentee voting; eliminating automatic and same-day voter registration; and cutting back on early voting opportunities, including Sunday "souls to the polls" voting days that are especially important to Black churches where parishioners lean overwhelmingly Democratic.

Both the Voting Rights Act restoration and the wider bill face an uphill path in the 50-50 Senate as long the current filibuster rule requires major legislation to get 60 votes to pass.

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Warnock’s selection as Senate sponsor for the overarching bill is both symbolic and practical because of Warnock’s historical significance as a Black senator from the Deep South and because of how much minority voters could be affected by various voting law changes.

"He knows what voter suppression is like in Georgia. He knows what they’re doing now," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "I think he’s going to be a very persuasive voice for Democrats and Republicans" on the issue.

Elevating Warnock also is a recognition from Schumer of how important Georgia is in the national balance of power, with Warnock and his fellow first-term Democratic senator Jon Ossoff winning Jan. 5 runoffs in the state to force an evenly divided Senate that allowed Vice President Kamala Harris to become the tiebreaking vote.

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Warnock, who won a special election, must seek reelection for a full term in 2022. His bid will test whether Democrats have staying power in Georgia after decades of Republican dominance in federal elections.

At the least, the outcome of the legislative tussle over voting laws will shape voter turnout strategies for Democrats if they aren’t able to lean as heavily on absentee voting as they did in 2020.

Warnock didn’t acknowledge his own future political fortunes but used a considerable portion of his 22 minutes in the Senate well to weave his success and the ongoing legislative fights into the nation’s civil rights history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Sen. Warnock: 'I swore an oath to do one thing and that is to defend the Constitution'

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 23:00:37 -0500

The pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Reverend Raphael Warnock, has just spent his first full day as Senator Warnock.

The senator spoke with FOX 5 senior anchor Russ Spencer from his new office at Capitol Hill. He acknowledges the divisions in Georgia and the country but insists it is important that former President Donald Trump stand trial in the Senate.

"I think we have to remind one another that at the end of the day we are an American people we’re one people," Warnock said.

Warnock said his rise from a child born in Savannah public housing to the U. S. Senate is a testament to the greatness of this country. As are, he said, the firsts accomplished by the woman who swore him in Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris. And his colleague Jon Ossoff, the first Jewish man to represent Georgia in the U. S Senate.

Spencer: "It's hard to imagine a more consequential time politically. What is your top priority?

Warnock: "Well, my top priority is to make sure that the people of Georgia get the relief that they need in the midst of this global pandemic. That has then created an economic turned down of the likes of which we haven't seen in 75 years. So, we've lost lives and we've lost livelihoods. And people need relief, they need it urgently."

Spencer: "Are you all concerned that the emphasis perhaps on a senate impeachment trial of the former president is going to interfere with getting those things done? And with the unity that President Biden is called for?"

Warnock: "I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time. You know there a lot of things that those of us who run for office make promises regarding while we're running. We should keep those promises. But yesterday, I swore an oath to do one thing and that is to defend the Constitution. That's the one thing I swore an oath to do. And, um, these constitutional questions, they don't come up at our convenience."

Senator Warnock said he will sit as an impartial juror when the time comes.

Spencer: "[You] represent one of the most divided states in this divided nation. What do you say today to the Republicans who didn't vote for you who are going to see you on the ballot again in a couple of years who are concerned that you are a ‘socialist’ and worried about that total control that they didn't want the Democrats to have?

Warnock: "Oh, I think folks who have watched my career know that I believe in our American system. My dad was a small business owner. I have created a job center we did in the middle of the last great recession on the campus of Ebenezer Baptist Church. I believe in our free enterprise system."

Senator Warnock was elected to serve the remaining two years of the six-year term of Johnny Isakson, who resigned for health reasons. That means the beginning of his reelection campaign is likely just months away.

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Congresswoman-Elect Nikema Williams talks Georgia's 5th Congressional District, other races

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 23:47:22 -0500

Georgia’s Democratic Party chairperson will soon have a new job. Voters elected her to serve Georgia Congressional District 5, the seat held by the late Rep. John Lewis.

State Senator Nikema Williams trounced opponent Republican Angela Stanton King, receiving nearly 94 percent of the vote.

Williams said she would not let anyone celebrate until the Associated Press called the race saying she believes every vote should count.

The congresswoman-elect noted President Trump’s lead in Georgia has shrunk in each passing hour as Fulton and DeKalb counties continue to count mail-in ballots.

The party chair said besides the presidential race, she is closely watching the two Senate seats up for grabs, both that may go into a runoff.

Williams said she hasn’t given up on the idea that the Democratic trend in voting could give Jon Ossoff a second chance, even though runoffs haven’t been too kind to Democrats in Georgia traditionally.

The congresswoman-elect, who survived COVID-19 herself, said her first priority in Washington will be helping to fashion a national response to the pandemic.

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