An unexpected GOP fight for state Senate leadership positions prematurely sets battle lines between Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp for the 2018 Republican nomination for governor, sources say.
Butch Miller of Gainesville recently surprised GOP Senators by deciding to challenge longtime President Pro Tempore David Shafer of Duluth, seen as a Cagle ally, for the Senate’s No. 2 post.
Miller previously said he would run for majority leader against Judson Hill of Marietta. Now, with Miller shooting for the higher post, Bill Cowsert of Athens is running for majority leader against Hill.
Miller and Cowsert’s shifts are seen as orchestrated by Kemp with Athens political consultant Joel McElhannon behind the moves, according to the sources. McEllhannon advised Kemp during his re-election effort and publicly criticized Cagle’s campaign just the day after the election.
The moves are seen as a test of Cagle’s power and as setting the stage for a Kemp gubernatorial campaign in four years. (Kemp, who also comes from Athens, is Cowsert’s brother-in-law.)
Miller’s change of direction sets up a three-person race for president pro tem between him, Shafer and Renee Unterman of Buford, who announced her candidacy previously. In the majority leader’s race, Cowsert and Hill are seeking to replace retiring Ronnie Chance of Tyrone.
Most Senate insiders believe Shafer will be re-elected and that Hill will win in a show of support for Cagle, the Senate’s top officer. Cagle, seen as the leading 2018 GOP governor’s candidate, receives high marks for his running of the chamber.
Miler’s decision to seek the higher office allows Hill to lock down votes for majority leader that otherwise would have been up in the air, the sources said.
After Gov. Nathan Deal led a Republican sweep of state races in last week’s election, the sudden internecine feud is an unwelcome bump as Deal prepares for his second term. In any event, Senate Republicans will caucus Monday to decide who fills the leadership positions.
