David Wickert (@dwickert) profile picture

David Wickert

@dwickert

David Wickert is a reporter covering state government for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

 Atlanta, GA
ajc.com/staff/david-wickert/
Joined February 2009
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From disproven claims of fraud to threats to seize ballot boxes and send in the National Guard, Trump has ratcheted up the rhetoric around this election. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/tru…
How Trump may affect Election Day in Georgia (and how he already has)

How Trump may affect Election Day in Georgia (and how he already has)

From disproven claims of fraud to threats to seize ballot boxes and send in the National Guard, President Donald Trump has ratcheted up the rhetoric around this election.

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Delicious bug secretions. theatlantic.com/science/2026…
Just Noting That Your Candy Corn Is Made of Bug Secretions

Just Noting That Your Candy Corn Is Made of Bug Secretions

Sorry!

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How Trump may affect Election Day (and how he already has). Georgia has been central to the president’s claims of rigged elections and threats of federal intervention. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/tru…
How Trump may affect Election Day in Georgia (and how he already has)

How Trump may affect Election Day in Georgia (and how he already has)

From disproven claims of fraud to threats to seize ballot boxes and send in the National Guard, President Donald Trump has ratcheted up the rhetoric around this election.

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Thursday was a busy day on the campaign trail in Georgia. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/kam…
Harris turns her 2024 defeat into a rallying cry for Georgia Democrats

Harris turns her 2024 defeat into a rallying cry for Georgia Democrats

Georgia Republicans and Democrats are making all-out pushes for votes in the final days preceding midterm elections.

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Most of the spending is concentrated in suburban districts held by Republican incumbents — the kind of seats Democrats need to flip to win control of the state House. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/out…
Outside groups spend millions on Georgia legislative races

Outside groups spend millions on Georgia legislative races

Most of the spending is concentrated in suburban districts held by Republican incumbents — the kind of seats Democrats need to flip to win control of the state House.

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Liberal groups like Planned Parenthood have sunk $1.4 million into legislative races since August, according to disclosure reports. Conservative groups — some bankrolled by the California tech industry — have countered with $3.6 million in spending. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/out…
Outside groups spend millions on Georgia legislative races

Outside groups spend millions on Georgia legislative races

Most of the spending is concentrated in suburban districts held by Republican incumbents — the kind of seats Democrats need to flip to win control of the state House.

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A new three-part AJC podcast series detailing how Georgia became the epicenter of the fight over election administration, public trust and democracy. 'The Final Tally, Pt. 1: Flipped' by Politically Georgia megaphone.link/CMGA992884286…
The Final Tally, Pt. 1: Flipped by Politically Georgia

The Final Tally, Pt. 1: Flipped by Politically Georgia

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Outside groups have spent $5 million in recent months on Georgia legislative races as Democrats try to take control of the state House of Representatives and flip some state Senate seats. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/out…
Outside groups spend millions on Georgia legislative races

Outside groups spend millions on Georgia legislative races

Most of the spending is concentrated in suburban districts held by Republican incumbents — the kind of seats Democrats need to flip to win control of the state House.

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Georgia Republicans could redraw maps, limit governor’s powers after election. State GOP leaders are tight-lipped. But Democrats are already preparing for what could be a bitter partisan showdown. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/geo…
Georgia Republicans could redraw maps, limit governor’s powers after election

Georgia Republicans could redraw maps, limit governor’s powers after election

State GOP leaders have not said if they plan to have a special session. But Democrats are already preparing for one.

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David Wickert retweeted
Katherine Landergan (@klandergan) profile picture
Katherine Landergan@klanderganOct 27
Both candidates for governor weighed in on our recent childcare investigation, along with the state's child care association and the former leader of the Georgia department that oversees daycares. Read all the reactions here: ajc.com/news/2026/10/georgia…
Georgia leaders, candidates say daycare injuries a major concern

Georgia leaders, candidates say daycare injuries a major concern

Georgia governor and attorney general candidates say more needs to be done to protect children in daycare and to address issues revealed in an AJC investigation.

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“Anthropic’s AI agent accessed publicly available voter information, just as anyone else in this country can. There was no data breach, hack or unlawful or harmful tampering with voter information," a spokesman for Georgia's secretary of state said. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/ai-…
Artificial intelligence bot accesses Georgia voting data

Artificial intelligence bot accesses Georgia voting data

Anthropic, secretary of state say no individual voting records were accessed

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DOJ to send monitors to 6 Georgia counties with Democratic majorities bit.ly/47ChdI8
DOJ to send monitors to 6 Georgia counties with Democratic majorities

DOJ to send monitors to 6 Georgia counties with Democratic majorities

The U.S. Department of Justice has notified several left-leaning Georgia counties that it intends to station election monitors on Election Day.

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The races for some of Georgia’s top elected offices are a dead heat, setting up a last-minute scramble that will have big implications for how state government operates come January. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/geo…
AJC poll: Georgia’s downballot races are deadlocked

AJC poll: Georgia’s downballot races are deadlocked

Democrats have not won a statewide executive branch office since 2006. The AJC poll shows open seats for lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state are tied.

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Outside groups have poured an unprecedented $3.1 million into the statewide races for Georgia Power’s regulator, with control between Republicans and Democrats hanging in the balance. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/mil…
Outside groups are spending millions to back GOP candidate for Georgia PSC

Outside groups are spending millions to back GOP candidate for Georgia PSC

Pro-industry groups are outspending clean energy- and consumer-focused ones by four to one in key Georgia Public Service Commission races.

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Outside groups have poured an unprecedented $3.1 million into the statewide races for Georgia Power’s regulator, with control between Republicans and Democrats hanging in the balance. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/mil…
Outside groups are spending millions to back GOP candidate for Georgia PSC

Outside groups are spending millions to back GOP candidate for Georgia PSC

Pro-industry groups are outspending clean energy- and consumer-focused ones by four to one in key Georgia Public Service Commission races.

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The races for some of Georgia’s top elected offices are a dead heat, setting up a last-minute scramble that will have big implications for how state government operates come January. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/geo…
AJC poll: Georgia’s downballot races are deadlocked

AJC poll: Georgia’s downballot races are deadlocked

Democrats have not won a statewide executive branch office since 2006. The AJC poll shows open seats for lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state are tied.

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Feds seek 14-year sentence for First Liberty leader as supporters urge leniency Brant Frost IV, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in what prosecutors called a Ponzi scheme, is scheduled for sentencing on Monday. ajc.com/news/2026/10/first-l…
Feds seek 14 years for First Liberty leader as supporters urge leniency

Feds seek 14 years for First Liberty leader as supporters urge leniency

Federal regulators last year accused First Liberty of operating a $140 million Ponzi scheme that targeted conservative and faith-based investors across Georgia and beyond.

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AJC poll: Georgia’s downballot races are deadlocked Voters split over races for lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state ajc.com/politics/2026/10/geo…
AJC poll: Georgia’s downballot races are deadlocked

AJC poll: Georgia’s downballot races are deadlocked

Democrats have not won a statewide executive branch office since 2006. The AJC poll shows open seats for lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state are tied.

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Keisha Lance Bottoms and her husband have a history of late tax payments. Rick Jackson, her Republican opponent for governor, is fighting the IRS in court over millions in allegedly disallowed corporate deductions. ajc.com/politics/2026/10/kei…
Keisha Lance Bottoms and her husband have a history of late tax payments

Keisha Lance Bottoms and her husband have a history of late tax payments

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and her husband, Derek, have faced hefty tax liens in the years since she assumed elected office in Atlanta.

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Internal documents introduced in the case indicated that agents were directed to focus on California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. nytimes.com/2026/10/21/us/po… via @NYTimes
Judge Restricts D.H.S. Field Operations Aimed at Unearthing Voter Fraud

Judge Restricts D.H.S. Field Operations Aimed at Unearthing Voter Fraud

The ruling largely blocked homeland security agents from carrying out field interviews in nine states, including California, as part of a sprawling effort to find noncitizens registered to vote.

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