The Georgia governor race is at the center of an intra-party Republican division that will help Democrats put Stacey Abrams in the executive seat.
With more Republicans entering the race, Republicans have much to worry about, considering that the last Georgia elections were decided by a close margin.
Now, with an apparent division in progress, the involvement of Trump can result in weakening the Republicans’ bid in the next elections.
Trump may launch Perdue against Kemp to Divide Georgia Republicans
News is circulating about the primary battle between former Senator David Perdue and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, which will not only topple the governor race but will also further the divide in Republican Party, especially the Georgia Republican Party.
Georgia Republicans are already threatened with Democratic victories in the state, and a divide in the party is in no way good for its future.
The Republican Party dominated Georgia for decades, and now it seems that the time has come that it will see its downfall with an incumbent governor being challenged by another Republican.
Many Republicans, including Rep. Buddy Carter, are staunch supporters of former President Donald Trump and are not supporting Kemp and want to see Perdue as the challenger in the governor race.
Kemp, on the other hand, has taken the challenge seriously, and his allies are trying their best to discourage Perdue from running. Kemp team is recruiting many people from Perdue’s political circle to get their help in the primary challenge.
Kemp has already launched his campaign with TV ads that glorify his term as the governor and attack the Democrats for the ideas like police defunding. But there is also a sunny tone to the ads that seem to be attacking Perdue and telling him that if he decides to enter the race, he will be dealt with seriously.
Kemp’s team is also looking into charges against David Perdue regarding an investigation against some transactions made by Perdue.
The Justice Department opened the investigation but did not press charges; now, this will be a tool for the Kemp camp to strike a deal with Democrats and urge the Justice Department to re-open the investigation.
Even if Perdue loses the race from Kemp, the party will still be divided, and his chances of winning against the potential Democratic candidate will decrease. This will also curb the chances of winning the Senate seat back that was lost by Kelly Loeffler earlier this year.
Georgia: Trump’s Center of Attention Post-2020 Elections
After losing the presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump tried to convince Republican governors not to sign off the election result. Obviously, all of them were rejected, and Georgia Governor Brain Kemp was one of them.
Trump even called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and asked him to find enough votes for Trump to claim victory. Secretary Raffensperger not only refused but also exposed Trump by releasing the call exposing Trump.
The former president has many reasons to be mad at Georgia Republicans, and now he wants revenge. Georgia is one of those states where Trump has little control of the Republican Party and now wants to further this control before he moves forward with his 2024 presidential bid.
Trump is so blinded by his vengeance that he might not see the consequences of launching another candidate against the incumbent governor.
Whatever strategy Trump applies, he seems to be on the losing side. For instance, if Perdue wins the primary, there are very limited chances that he will win against the Democratic candidate, as the Democratic Party has become strong in the state.
This strength is thanks in part to the electrifying campaigns of Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is also the potential candidate for the gubernatorial election.
If Perdue loses, the party will be divided, and Georgia could officially become a blue state. A GOP primary between Perdue and Kemp is checkmate for Republicans in the state.
Recent endorsements from Trump have shown somewhat mixed messages, with no apparent claim that an endorsement from the former president could be a guarantee to win the race.
Not all Republicans getting the endorsement from Trump have been getting the attention they believe they could get. For example, in the Pennsylvania race, the Trump-endorsed candidate dropped out soon after his wife accused him of domestic violence.
Georgia Governor Kemp will also not hesitate to play dirty games and press Perdue to leave the ground open for him by using tactics that could include re-opening the investigation against illegal transactions from his account.
Final Thoughts
Georgia Republicans have been at the crossroads where both pro and anti-Trump factions are competing to grab power.
Now is the time Democrats have been waiting for, as they can easily win the governorship using the experience of Stacey Abrams in curbing voters suppression.
If Democrats manage to do that, it will be a landmark victory for them in the next year’s gubernatorial elections.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.