As InsiderAdvantage was the first news outlet to report on Sunday, Gov. Nathan Deal yesterday finally acceded to weeks of pressure and endorsed the Republican gubernatorial candidacy of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle for the July 24th runoff election against Secretary of State Brian Kemp.
It will be a temporary boost for the lieutenant governor, especially since defeated GOP gubernatorial Clay Tippins continues to release damaging excerpts of a secret recording with Cagle. And an Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Channel 2 Action News poll recently showed Cagle narrowly trailing Kemp. (The Atlanta-based Opinion Savvy polling company will conduct a poll today through Thursday for Fox5Atlanta WAGA-TV on the GOP gubernatorial nomination race and InsiderAdvantage will publish it as soon as it’s released.)
Deal called the lieutenant governor the best candidate to continue his “tradition” of leadership, making the announcement during a question-and-answer period at the conclusion of a business announcement at the Capitol. “My point of view is not personal. I have known both of these candidates in our Republican runoff, and I think very highly of both of them,” Deal said. “My concern is, let’s not undo, or transform in a negative fashion, the good reforms that have been put in place.”
Kemp responded: “Career politician Casey Cagle is collapsing in the polls and this endorsement is a last-minute attempt to distract voters from the secret recording where Cagle insults conservatives and confesses to trading votes for campaign cash. I respect Governor Deal. He built on the success of Governor Perdue and I’ll continue that progress. …”
Furthermore, countering the Deal endorsement is another one that some political observers deem just as important: A blessing from defeated GOP gubernatorial primary candidate and former state Sen. Hunter Hill. His Senate district covered parts of Sandy Springs, Buckhead and east Cobb County and will chip away at Cagle’s vote count in the Atlanta area. The endorsement by the conservative Hill will be made today at 3 pm at Kemp headquarters in the Buckhead section of Atlanta.
