David Perdue, the former Republican Senator of Georgia, officially launched his campaign for governor on Monday challenging incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
“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 in a statement first reported by Fox News.
The announcement comes just days after Democrat Stacey Abrams declared her candidacy. “Abrams has spent the better part of the past four years insisting that she actually won Georgia’s governor’s race in 2018 after she lost to incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp,” The Daily Wire reported.
In his announcement, Perdue criticized Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “To fight back, we simply have to be united. Unfortunately, today, we are divided, and Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger are to blame,” he commented.
Only a week ago, Kemp told Fox News in an interview, “David’s told me he was going to support my campaign for governor. Until something happens otherwise, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. I can’t control who may be getting in the race.”
Perdue’s criticism of Kemp and Raffensperger is based on the controversy surrounding the 2020 election. “Look, I like Brian, this isn’t personal. It’s simple. He has failed all of us and cannot win in November. Instead of protecting our elections, he caved to Abrams and cost us two Senate seats, the Senate majority, and gave Joe Biden free rein,” Perdue said.
In the 2020 election, then-incumbent candidate Perdue lost to Democrat Jon Ossoff in a run-off election on January 5, 2021.
Cody Hall, Brian Kemp’s senior campaign advisor, commented on Perdue’s possible candidacy even before his formal announcement. “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,” Hall claimed.
Former President Trump is expected to endorse Perdue’s campaign for governor, according to some news outlets. Trump said in an earlier statement, “The MAGA base will just not vote for him [Kemp] after what he did with respect to election integrity and two horribly run elections, for President and then two Senate seats, but some good Republican will run, and some good Republican will get my endorsement, and some good Republican will WIN!”
According to Fox News, “recent polling from Trump’s ‘Save America’ political action committee suggested Perdue could top Kemp in next year’s GOP primary with the former president’s backing.”
Perdue said his vision, if elected, is to “completely eliminate the state income tax, it’s time. Make our cities and state safe again. Take charge of our schools – put parents in charge, not the woke left.”