Perdue Weighs In On Governors Race

By J. Randolph Evans / Special

Last week, Gov. Sonny Perdue (R), and his team of powerful financial and political advisors, sent an unmistakable signal to the political insiders that meander around under the Gold Dome. The message was heard loud and clear.

His message: The first Republican governor since Reconstruction will not sit on the sidelines in the Georgia Republican Primary next year, and given the stakes, he would like to clear the field, if at all possible.

 Indeed, having taken full advantage of the challenges that followed the divisive and expensive Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor / Secretary of State Cathy Cox Democratic gubernatorial primary in 2006, Perdue and his team have apparently decided early that they have no intention of suffering the same fate in the aftermath of a Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle / Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine / Secretary of State Karen Handel Republican gubernatorial brouhaha that would leave the GOP divided, depleted, and ripe for political defeat.

Within days of a meeting of the Governor's key folks, Cagle announced that he would abandon his bid to become Georgia's 82nd governor. Cagle cited health problems as the reason for his decision to give up on a gubernatorial run in 2010. His statement, with his wife and children at his side, was compelling. However, most political insiders are not sold. In the same announcement in which he detailed debilitating health problems, Cagle confirmed that he would nonetheless seek reelection as Georgia's lieutenant governor and will wage a hard campaign for that position.

PERDUE ABANDONED CAGLE FOR GOV. CAMPAIGN

Undoubtedly, as it became clear after meetings and consultations among the Perdue team that the governor and his team likely would weigh in during next year's GOP primary, and that it would not be in favor of Cagle, the lieutenant governor had few options. He could continue his bid in the face of substantial resources in favor of one of his primary opponents, or he could seek to stay where he is. He opted for the latter.

Cagle's decision has significant ripple effects among Georgia Republicans. Former Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson and state Sen. David Shafer are both already announced candidates for lieutenant governor. The governor's support for Cagle in the GOP primary for lieutenant governor could operate to create some difficult choices for both senators.

The combination of incumbency and the support of Perdue could make viable candidacies for lieutenant governor difficult. There is a more likely option, however. At least one, if not both, may stand firm in their bid, expecting that any unstated motivations for Cagle's decision will drive him from the lieutenant governor's race as well.

HANDEL PERDUE’S HAND PICKED SUCCESSOR?

The governor's team hopes that the big winner in the GOP musical chairs will be Handel, the governor's preferred choice as his successor. As the Republican Governors Association (RGA) continues to work hard with the help of incumbent GOP governors like Perdue to clear primary fields, Handel would be an obvious beneficiary.

With the backing of Perdue (a former Chairman of the RGA), and much more importantly, his political horsepower in fundraising and political infrastructure, Handel will likely emerge as a media favorite to win the GOP Primary.

Handel just announced the top members of her campaign team, a group with more than 145 years of accumulated campaign experience and a solid record of political victories in Georgia and around the country.
 
“I am very excited to have been able to have put together such a top notch team for my campaign for Governor,” Handel said. “We are going to run a strong grassroots and issues-based effort that focuses on solving the problems that face all Georgians and giving them a government that truly serves them.” The Handel team is very experienced and her group did not come on the cheap.

BUT GEORGIA’S GOP VOTERS OFTEN DO WHAT THEY WANT

On the other hand, Georgia Republicans have on more than one occasion shrugged off the choices of political insiders in hotly contested primaries. Early indications are that Cagle's departure could have the opposite effect with many new potential entrants into the GOP contest.

As the election cycle continues, there will likely be many more moves by key insiders to create a 'slate' of candidates down the ticket in the GOP primary. "Movers and shakers" hope to reduce the chances that political woes that have plagued Republicans at the national level spread to Georgia as a result of bruising primary contests.

With the resources of a sitting Democratic president now at play, and the memories of the Jim Martin/Saxby Chambliss Senate run-off still fresh, it appears that some are opting for early decisive action. Whether it works is for voters to decide.