“Former Health Secretary Tom Price entered the sweepstakes to be Georgia’s next U.S. Senator by submitting his resume with Gov. Brian Kemp’s office for the soon-to-be-vacated seat held by Johnny Isakson,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Collins Wants to Be Appointed to Replace Isakson
Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) confirmed that he is seeking to be appointed to replace retiring Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who is slated to vacate his seat at the end of the year, The Hill reports.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will pick Isakson’s successor, who will then face an election in November 2020.
Lucy McBath Won’t Run for Senate
Freshman Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) ruled out a bid for U.S. Senate in Georgia, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she’s focused on winning a second term in one of the country’s most competitive House districts.
Want to Be a U.S. Senator?
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) formally started the process to select a successor to Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) by launching a website that potential applicants must use to apply for the job, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Ossoff to Run for Senate In Georgia
Former congressional candidate Jon Ossoff (D) told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he will challenge Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) and “mount a ruthless assault on corruption in our political system” that’s prevented Congress from addressing urgent issues.
Can Democrats Take Advantage of a Wider Senate Map?
First Read: “Here’s the good news Democrats received on Wednesday: Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., will retire from the Senate in December 2019, which means Georgia will now have two Senate seats up for grabs in 2020.”
“That’s an extra GOP seat Democrats can target — in a state that’s become more demographically friendly to them — as they try to net the three Senate seats needed to flip the chamber if they win the White House.”
“But here’s the bad news: They don’t have top-tier candidates running in Georgia right now — either against Republican Sen. David Perdue or for Isakson’s seat, especially after Stacey Abrams confirmed she wouldn’t run for either seat.”
Jon Ossoff Mulls Senate Bid
Jon Ossoff (D), who ran an unsuccessful special election campaign in Georgia’s 6th congressional district, is now seriously considering a run at one of the two open Senate seats in Georgia, BuzzEeed News reports.
Stacey Abrams Still Won’t Run for Senate
Stacey Abrams (D) ruled out running for the U.S. Senate next year following news that Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) would retire, The Hill reports.
Said Abrams: “Our thoughts are with Senator Isakson and his family. Leader Abrams’ focus will not change: she will lead voter protection efforts in key states across the country, and make sure Democrats are successful in Georgia in 2020.”
Isakson Will Resign from U.S. Senate
Sen. Johnny Isakson “said he was stepping down from office at the end of 2019 as he struggles with Parkinson’s disease, setting up two elections for U.S. Senate in Georgia in 2020,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
“A four-decade veteran of Georgia politics, Isakson has served in the U.S. Senate since 2005. He won his third term in 2016 by a comfortable margin and isn’t up for re-election until 2022. “
Son of Joe Lieberman Mulls Senate Bid
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Matt Lieberman, son of former Sen. Joseph Lieberman, is seriously considering a bid for U.S. Senate in Georgia, telling friends he’s “fed up” with Sen. David Perdue (R-GA).
Abrams Won’t Run for Senate In Georgia
Stacey Abrams told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that she won’t run for the U.S. Senate in 2020 but left open the possibility she could launch a presidential campaign.
“If she doesn’t make a White House run, Abrams is likely to prepare a 2022 rematch against Gov. Brian Kemp, who bested her by about 55,000 votes in a contest marred by allegations of voter suppression. After 10 days of legal wrangling and vote-counting, Abrams ended her campaign but refused to call it a concession.”
Perdue Sticks Close to Trump
“Some Republicans facing tough 2020 elections are weighing a break with President Trump on foreign policy or his border wall-driven national emergency declaration. David Perdue is going the other way,” Politico reports.
Said Perdue: “Republicans have made a mistake in the past by running away from this president. I don’t see any need to do that. I support this agenda. I don’t support everything he says or how he says it, but this agenda is working.”
“It’s a confident early stance from a Republican facing one of the toughest reelection races in the country next year — especially if he faces Stacey Abrams, the Democrat who lost the 2018 gubernatorial race by 1.4 percentage points. Democrats argue Georgia has shifted rapidly into battleground territory since Perdue romped to victory in 2014 over Michelle Nunn, the daughter of a legendary senator. And Perdue’s reelection is critical for Republicans to hold their Senate majority in 2020.”
Trump Says it Would Be Mistake for Abrams to Run
President Trump said it would be a “mistake” for Stacey Abrams (D) to run for U.S. Senate, because Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) “will be very hard to beat,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Said Trump: “I think it’s a mistake for her to run against him because I don’t think she can win.”
Abrams Mulls Senate Bid In Georgia
Stacey Abrams (D) met with leading Senate Democrats in Washington this week to discuss a potential 2020 challenge to Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) as she weighs her next step, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
She met separately on Thursday with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Cortez Masto (D-NV), who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Abrams told WABE earlier this week that she would make a decision on her next steps by the end of March, mentioning both a potential Senate campaign or a rematch against GOP Gov.-elect Brian Kemp (R) in 2022.
Ossoff May Run for Senate
Jon Ossoff (D) is considering another run for office, perhaps a challenge to Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) in 2020, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Ossoff was dodgy about direct questions about his next step, saying he would “think really carefully” before making up his mind.
Stacey Abrams Eyes Run for Senate or Governor
“Stacey Abrams said Monday that she is considering running for a Georgia Senate seat in 2020 or governor again in 2022,” Politico reports.
“Abrams’ drew national attention in her bid to become the first black woman governor in the United States, and the progressive political action committee Democracy for America included her in a presidential poll it opened online last week.”
Voting Machine Glitches Roil Texas and Georgia Races
“Glitchy paperless voting machines are affecting an untold number of early voting ballots in Texas and Georgia, raising the specter that two of the most closely watched races could be marred by questions about whether the vote count is accurate,” Politico reports.
“Civil rights groups and voters in both states have filed complaints alleging that the ATM-style touchscreen machines inexplicably deleted some people’s votes for Democratic candidates or switched them to Republican votes.”
Judge Rules Against ‘Exact Match’ In Georgia
A federal judge ruled Friday that Georgia’s “exact match” rules for voter registration will not apply for next week’s midterm, allowing people who have seen their voter registration held up to vote, The Hill reports.
The “exact match” law used by Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s office marks an applicant’s registration as “pending” if the personal information on their voter registration form doesn’t exactly match the information on the state’s Department of Driver Services or the Social Security Administration.
