Former US Senator David Perdue has announced that he plans to challenge Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp for the title in next year's election.
Perdue was recruited to run by former President Donald Trump after Kemp had refused to help block November 2020 election results in the state that contributed to Democrat Joe Biden winning the presidency.
Trump's claims about widespread election fraud have been blamed for dividing Georgia Republicans ahead of a pair of U.S. Senate run-off elections last January, in which Perdue was defeated by Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.
Former Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler also lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in the run-offs.
Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams announced on Wednesday that she would run for the Democratic Party's gubernatorial nomination in Georgia, her second bid for the office.
Perdue intends to make his announcement in a video on Monday and file his campaign paper work at the same time, Politico and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, citing unnamed sources briefed on his plans.
Former US Senator David Perdue has announced that he plans to challenge Republican Governor Brian Kemp in next year's election after being recruited by former President Trump
Kemp had previously refused to help block November 2020 election results for the state which had contributed to President Biden's win
Responding to the Sunday media reports, a Kemp campaign spokesman blasted Perdue as 'the man who lost Republicans the United States Senate.'
'Governor Kemp has a proven track record of fighting the radical left to put hardworking Georgians first,' his spokesman Cody Hall said in a statement.
Kemp had previously said he was informed by Perdue himself that he was not planning on running against him in the future.
'All I know is what Senator Perdue has told me, I hope he’ll be a man of his word, but again that’s not anything I can control,' Kemp told POLITICO.
Perdue believes that an endorsement from Trump could significantly help him in the race.
'Trump’s endorsement matters to Republican voters and he’s going to be helpful because this race is important to him,' an adviser for Perdue said.
Perdue has advertised himself as a 'unifier' to rally Trump supporters together after he hopes to receive the former President's backing
Perdue has also advertised himself as a 'unifier' who could effectively rally Trump supporters in favor of Kemp.
'We have a divided party in Georgia right now,' Perdue said, according The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
'Forget about me. It’s divided. And a lot of people feel like that people in power haven’t fought for them and caved in to a lot of things back in 2020 that didn’t have to be done.'
An adviser for Kemp, however, believes that Trump's endorsement will not be of significant importance as a gubernatorial race focuses on state issues rather than federal ones.
'The economy is roaring in Georgia. Jobs are great. Taxes are low,' the adviser told POLITICO.
'So what’s Perdue’s reason to run? That he’s Trump’s lap dog? That dog don’t hunt. Lap dogs don’t hunt.'
Even if Perdue gains Trump's backing, Kemp has maintained his image as a well-respected politician as he has served two terms as secretary of state and has acquired about $12 million in campaign funds.
Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams announced on Wednesday that she would run for the Democratic Party's gubernatorial nomination in Georgia, her second bid for the office
In the end, either Perdue or Kemp will be facing Democratic candidate Abrams in the election.
Abrams lost to Georgia's GOP Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018 by 1.4 percentage points, though she never conceded that race, citing 'gross mismanagement' by Kemp in his role as secretary of state overseeing the election.
She said the state had been subject to widespread voter suppression and after the election, focused her activist efforts on expanding voting rights. Her organization, Fair Fight, then raised $100 million and built a statewide political operation that registered hundreds of thousands of new voters in Georgia.
Kemp immediately hit out against Abrams, accusing her of running for governor to further her presidential ambitions.
'With Stacey Abrams in control, Georgia would have shut down, students would have been barred from their classrooms, and woke politics would be the law of the land and the lesson plan in our schools,' Kemp wrote on Twitter. 'Her far-left agenda of open borders, gun confiscation, high taxes, and anti-law enforcement policies don’t reflect who we are as Georgians.'
'Stacey’s never-ending campaign for power has already hurt Georgia businesses and cost our state millions – all in service to her ultimate ambition of becoming President of the United States.'
Abrams has considered both a Senate and presidential run, and at one point was considered a contender for President Biden's running mate, a position she publicly expressed interest in.
Abrams said at the time she would be an 'excellent running mate' and 'If called I will answer.'
Kemp had it out for Abrams even before she announced, as his allies earlier this year formed the group 'Stop Stacey' aimed specifically at preventing her from winning the governorship in 2022
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