A photo of David Perdue.
Credit: Stephen Fowler, GPB News

The Panel:

Jim Galloway – Former political columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Emma Hurt – Reporter, Axios Atlanta

Eric Tanenblatt – Republican insider

Rep. David Wilkerson – Democratic State Representative, House District 38

The Breakdown:

1. David Perdue launches campaign for governor of Georgia

  • After months of speculation, former GOP Sen. David Perdue announced today he is entering the gubernatorial race in the Peach State.

  • Perdue ran against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and lost to him in the runoff elections in 2020. 

  • Perdue and Kemp are former allies and Republican stalwarts in Georgia. Back in 2018, Perdue persuaded former President Donald Trump to endorse Kemp for his first bid for governor.  But Trump and Kemp have since splintered after the Georgia governor did not recall the results of the 2020 presidential election. Monday,  Trump released a statement endorsing Perdue, calling him "highly respected." 

Republican strategist Eric Tanenblatt said while divisons might be clear as the Republican primary shapes up, conservatives in the state will unify behind which ever candidate wins the Republican nomination in the gubernatorial race.

2. Stacey Abrams and Gov. Kemp released statements about Perdue entering the race

  • The campaign of Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams released a statement Sunday, saying Perdue’s candidacy will divide the GOP base. Abrams' campaign added, "Qhile David Perdue and Brian Kemp fight each other, Stacey Abrams will be fighting for the people of Georgia."

State House Rep. David Wilkerson discussed how the Perdue announcement might change the game plan for Democrat Stacey Abrams.

  • Gov. Kemp's campaign also released a statement over the weekend as Perdue prepared to announce. That statement reads in part, "Perdue’s only reason for running is to soothe his own bruised ego, because his campaign for U.S Senate failed to inspire voters at the ballot box — twice."

3. Bob Dole passes away Sunday at age 98

On today's Political Rewind, Longtime Republican strategist Eric Tanenblatt called Bob Dole "an American hero" and described his death as "a loss for our country."

4. Tomorrow on Political Rewind:

  • GPB politics reporter Stephen Fowler joins us to discuss Perdue’s announcement. Read his article on Perdue and the latest in Georgia politics.

 

Tags: Georgia Politics  David Perdue  Atlanta  Macon  Savanah  Georgia  Brian Kemp  Stacey Abrams  Political Rewind  Georgia politics