After being buried by City of Atlanta allies and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the City of Buckhead movement received several major shots in the arm on Wednesday.
In a press conference by Buckhead city proponents, former state Rep. Beth Beskin issued a challenge to her fellow Republican colleagues questioning the value of a Republican-controlled legislature over an issue that has emerged as the most popular among Republican voters this legislative session.
And a poll released on Fox5 Atlanta conducted by the highly rated Trafalgar Group confirmed that the Buckhead issue has become a Republican darling among GOP voters, with nearly 75 percent of likely GOP voters favoring legislators allowing Buckhead residents to vote on cityhood in November. This is a refrain that reportedly is being echoed by former President Donald Trump and his advisers as they monitor the Buckhead situation.
House Speaker David Ralston stated last week that he would not move forward with the Buckhead bill because of opposition by Lt. Gov Geoff Duncan, a fierce critic of Trump. But insiders say that Ralston is not the impediment to the bill moving and that Trump may be eyeing state Senate leadership and their failure to overrule Duncan on the legislation as a target of his frustration.
The Buckhead effort has become a topic for conservative print and broadcast media in recent months. Opposition to the effort has been highlighted by the Atlanta newspaper and business print media.
Robert Cahaly, chief pollster for Trafalgar Group, told InsiderAdvantage that the slew of editorials and articles by the local media covering a potential City of Buckhead has actually “galvanized Republican support, the opposite of what the opponents likely wanted.”
Cahaly told IA that “Buckhead cityhood has become a major issue that cuts across all major Republican factions and could become a decisive issue in the GOP race for governor.“ Cahaly said “the only thing more popular among Georgia Republican voters than Buckhead cityhood is the Braves keeping their current name.”
Another poll of legislative districts shows the Buckhead cityhood effort receiving over 70 percent support in every district of Senate and House GOP leaders including that of Speaker Ralston as well as top Senate leadership including the Majority Leader and Rules Committee Chairman.
Insiders report that former President Trump might see this as a wedge issue to help David Perdue in his primary race against Gov. Brian Kemp. Kemp had reportedly kept his legislative floor leaders from signing on to the Buckhead legislation while Perdue has actively supported the Buckhead effort.
Like Kemp, Democrat Stacey Abrams has not voiced support for a City of Buckhead. Beskin called on Kemp to weigh in on the Buckhead issue. Ironically, yesterday’s press conference took place just as residents of Buckhead posted pictures of homeless tents erected on a street corner on Peachtree and a headline by the local paper noting another spike in city murders.
Cahaly told IA “Buckhead has become the nation’s final political battleground over the defund the police effort and Georgia Republicans are about to have to put up or shut up.”
Late in the day on Wednesday Perdue tweeted another round of support for Buckhead cityhood.
