The Deal-Reed Political Partnership and Others Like It: A Look at the Political Forces at Work

In early March, 2014, Georgia got word that President Obama’s new budget proposal contained no construction funding for the deepening of the Savannah harbor, although there was some funding for further research and study.  It was just the latest test for the unusual political partnership between Republican Governor Nathan Deal and the Democratic Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed.  They have collaborated often during the past 3 years, including their lobbying effort on behalf of the Savannah harbor project.  But they are not the only example of city-state partnerships across racial, demographic and party lines.  For a look at the forces behind the collaborations, WABE’s Denis O’Hayer spoke with Jeff Smith, a political scientist at the New School.  His article about alliances between Democratic mayors and Republican governors appeared in The Atlantic.