Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, Thursday, May 6, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company Cyber Ninjas on Thursday, May 6, 2021, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The audit, ordered by the Arizona Senate, has the U.S. Department of Justice saying it is concerned about ballot security and potential voter intimidation arising from the unprecedented private recount of the 2020 presidential election results.

Credit: Matt York / AP

Thursday on Political Rewind: Leaders in Georgia’s Republican party traveled to Arizona this week to take a look at the controversial GOP-driven recount of presidential ballots in Maricopa County. The probe, which received vocal support from former President Donald Trump, has drawn Republican leaders from states nationwide.

State Sens. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) and Burt Jones (R-Jackson) and state GOP chair David Shafer participated in a walk-through of ballot inspection stations at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix on June 8. Election integrity experts and some Arizona Republicans have derided the effort as 'political theater.'

Their visit came as yet another recount of votes in Fulton County awaits a final court ruling on whether it can move forward.

Meanwhile, after weeks of speculation that he was considering a run, Kasim Reed has now taken the first steps to join the race for mayor of Atlanta. Reed filed the paperwork necessary to begin raising campaign cash yesterday.

Tonight, Reed is set to host a fundraising birthday party where he is likely to make official his bid for a third term. We asked our panel what his entry into the race means for the city and the state.

Also, a lawsuit challenging Major League Baseball’s decision to move the All-Star Game from Cobb County to Denver is scheduled to be heard in federal court today. The suit demands that MLB return the game to Truist Park and seeks damages of $1 billion.

Panelists:

Kevin Riley —  Editor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dr. Andra Gillespie — Professor of Political Science and Director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference at Emory University

Edward Lindsey — Former Republican State Representative

Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver — State Representative (D-Decatur)

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