Former United States Senator David Perdue, 71, announced Monday his intentions to run for Governor of Georgia. Perdue served in the U.S. Senate from 2015-2021. During his announcement, Perdue said his chief reason for running is to prevent former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams from becoming governor. Perdue insists the current governor, Brian Kemp, is not capable of defeating Abrams.
“To fight back, we simply have to be united,” Perdue said in a video announcing his campaign. “Look, I like Brian. This isn’t personal. It’s simple: He has failed all of us and cannot win in November.”
“Make no mistake, Abrams will smile, lie and cheat to transform Georgia into her radical vision of a state that would look more like California or New York,” Perdue said. “Over my dead body will we ever give Stacey Abrams control of our elections again.”
All of that sounds good, but this is where the story turns. Since November 3, 2020, former President Donald J. Trump has held a vendetta against Governor Kemp since he and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger failed to re-litigate the 2020 Presidential Election. Joe Biden won the Peach State by less than 12,000 votes.
Former Georgia State Representative, Vernon Jones, the Democrat-turned-Republican from Lithonia, announced his intentions to run for governor on April 16. Jones, 60, became a Republican after endorsing Trump for President in 2020. Jones, like Perdue, believes Kemp has failed Georgia and has allowed Leftist policies to rule the roost in the Peach State.
“You’ve seen me stand right beside Donald Trump, just like you. I have done more as a conservative fighting side by side for you and for our elections, and for America first, then the governor and all those RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) combined,” Jones said.
In June, Kemp was booed loudly during the Georgia GOP Convention in Savannah and Raffensperger was censured. According to the resolution, it calls for Raffensperger to “repair the damage that has been done and commit themselves to securing Georgia’s elections.”
Plus, during a late September rally in Perry, former Trump tacitly endorsed Abrams as he hurled insults at Kemp.
“Having her, I think, might be better than having your existing governor, if you want to know what I think,” Trump said at his rally in Perry, adding later, “Stacey, would you like to take his place? It’s OK with me.”
Perdue’s announcement sets up a potentially bitter primary fight between Kemp, Vernon Jones, and educator Kandiss Taylor for the right to face Stacey Abrams in the 2022 general election.
Georgia Republican Party leaders are moving under duress. They know a divided Georgia Republican Party in 2022 would effectively hand the Democrats the governor’s mansion and help keep Rev. Raphael Warnock in the U.S. Senate.
Additionally, Trump endorsed Perdue despite his loss to Democrat Ossoff in the 2020 election.
“Wow, it looks like highly respected Senator David Perdue will be running against RINO (Republican in Name Only) Brian Kemp for Governor of Georgia. David was a great Senator, and he truly loves his State and his Country. This will be very interesting, and I can’t imagine that Brian Kemp, who has hurt election integrity in Georgia so badly, can do well at the ballot box (unless the election is rigged, of course). He cost us two Senate seats and a Presidential victory in the Great State of Georgia.
In a second press release, the former President Trump said, “Kemp has been a very weak Governor—the liberals and RINOs have run all over him on Election Integrity, and more. Most importantly, he can’t win because the MAGA base—which is enormous—will never vote for him.”
As the political winds change direction, Brian Kemp’s campaign officer, Cody Hall, issued a scathing rebuke to Perdue after news of his announcement leaked Sunday.
“The man who lost Republicans the United States Senate and brought the last year of skyrocketing inflation, open borders, runaway government spending, and “woke cancel” culture upon the American people now wants to lose the Georgia governor’s office to the national face of the radical left movement. It may be difficult for David Perdue to see this over the gates of his coastal estate, but Joe Biden’s dangerous agenda is hitting hard-working Georgians in the wallet and endangering their livelihoods and we all have David Perdue to thank for it”
“Perdue’s only reason for running is to sooth his own bruised ego, because his campaign for U.S Senate failed to inspire voters at the ballot box – twice. Governor Kemp has a proven track record of fighting the radical left to put hardworking Georgians first, while Perdue is best known for ducking debates, padding his stock portfolio during a pandemic, and losing winnable races.”
However, Perdue is riding the momentum. During an appearance on ‘Hannity’ Monday night, he said he is focused on defeating Abrams and undoing the damage from the 2020 election.
“But I want to run a race based on my vision for our state not looking backward, Sean, but looking forward,” Perdue said.
Perdue did not mention Kemp’s name during his interview.