At least 6,000 people turned out for Atlanta’s largest “No Kings” rally at the State Capitol last Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, his immigration agenda, and his war against Iran.   Atlanta Civic Circle also covered a smaller “No Kings” protest organized by residents of a Buckhead retirement community — one of dozens held across metro Atlanta. 

About 115 seniors – some using walkers and scooters — picketed with their neighbors along Peachtree Road in the afternoon sun. “We want to go back to our democracy, to rule of law, [and to] respect and decency,” said 86-year-old Jennie Helderman.

Here’s our full “No Kings” story. Scroll to the end of this newsletter for a Voter Voice from Ethan Staats, a retired physician at the seniors protest.

Sine Die is Thursday

Georgia’s 2026 legislative session ends April 2, so that’s the last day for the House and Senate to pass bills for Gov. Brian Kemp to veto or sign into law. We’re tracking bills related to housing, elections, and civil liberties — and will keep you updated with the latest developments.

The final day of the Georgia session is called Sine Die, which is Latin for “without a day.” It’s commonly pronounced “sye-nee dye,” but the Latin pronunciation is more accurately “see-nay dee-ay.” As a native Italian speaker, that’s how I said it at first, to the laughter of those around me. Joke’s on them, because I was saying it correctly — not that I still care or anything. 

Senate District 7 special election and primary to appear on Duluth-area May 19 ballots  

Duluth-area voters will vote twice for Senate District 7 candidates in the May 19 primary – once in a special election to fill the remainder of Sen. Nabilah Parkes’ (D-Duluth) current term through December, and again in the primary election for the 2027-2028 term. 

Here’s our story that explains who is running in which race. 

Another competitive Democratic race to watch: House District 68 in Tyrone

We’ve added House District 68, southwest of Atlanta, to ourlist of races to watch for the May 19 primaries. The seat is open, because Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone) is running for governor in the Democratic primary.

Here are the primary candidates – all Democrats. 

  • Mark Baker, former chair of the South Fulton Development Authority and former South Fulton City Council member 
  • Jonathan Bonner, project manager for video-display maker Barco, community organizer, and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member
  • Courtney Heard, community activist and Navy veteran. 
  • Quentin “Q” Pullen, founded The Fitness Ranch, a Fayetteville nonprofit, and is a former Marine
  • Timoria Saba, maternal health policy and community advocate
  • Jane Williams, legal administrator for criminal defense attorney Dennis C. Francis Jr. and three-time candidate for the seat 

Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative Commission to propose guardrails today for mayor’s $5.5 billion plan

An Atlanta City Council task force is expected to finalize guiding principles today for Mayor Andre Dickens’ proposed $5.5 billion Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative. The mayor aims to fund it by extending the lifespans of Atlanta’s eight tax allocation districts (TADs) until 2055. The council will review the commission’s report when it reconvenes in mid-April.

Read Atlanta Civic Circle’s deep dive into the tensions around using TAD funding to realize the mayor’s ambitious revitalization plan.

VOTER VOICE

Ethan Staats

Age: 91

Neighborhood: Buckhead 

Occupation: Retired physician

Political Affiliation: Democrat

ACC: Why did you join the “No Kings” protest today? [Staats turned out for a Peachtree Road protest in front of the Lenbrook retirement community.] 

Staats:I’m sick of Trump’s lawlessness, his mendacity, his ad hominem attacks on anyone, his illegal moves, and his lack of support of Congress. He does anything he wants to. He’s a felon, a crook — and he ought to be convicted in Atlanta, if he’d come back down here. And not do all he did to our DA [Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis].

If you could say one thing to your elected leaders, what would you like them to hear?

I would like them to be more obstructive against Trump’s policies – and not be so cowardly and afraid of him.

Are you registered to vote for the May 19 primary? How do you usually vote? 

Oh, yes. I vote any way I can, but I always vote. I was very active in the Democratic Party. I was a delegate to the Obama convention in 2008. It was a big honor and just a wonderful experience. 

Are you concerned about the integrity of the midterm elections in November? 

Trump just lies about everything he says about voting. The illegal votes are so small – they’re 0.0003% of the votes. And not only that, they’ve confiscated all the books [in the FBI raid of election records from the Fulton County Election Office on Jan. 28]. Who knows what they’re going to do with it? They’re not trustworthy. I’m very disturbed.

What issue do you care about the most when you vote? 

Healthcare. Trump’s killing people every day with this idiot, [HHS Secretary Robert F.] Kennedy Jr. We’ve got a very poor governor. He doesn’t care about healthcare. He’s got $5 billion in reserve he could put towards healthcare. I’m all for Medicare For All, and I have been for a long time. 

[Georgia has over $9 billion in undesignated general fund reserves. -Ed.]


Ethan Staats (center) and Jennie Helderman (right) waved their signs and flags at the “No Kings” rally in front of the Lenbrook retirement community in Buckhead.

Today’s Democracy Digest was written by Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and edited by Meredith Hobbs. As always, thank you for reading and supporting local journalism.