This forms a particular situation in Peach State politics: a sitting Republican governor facing a possibly divisive primary as Democratic icon Stacey Abrams gears up to run as well.
The cousin of former Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue (who likewise worked as Donald Trump's Secretary of Agriculture), David Perdue,71, is a multimillionaire businessman who narrowly lost re-election to liberal Democrat Jon Ossoff in 2020.
"I'm concerned about the state of our state," Perdue told a talk radio show in Georgia last month. "We have a divided party in Georgia right now. Forget about me. It's divided. And a lot of people feel like the people in power haven't fought for them and caved in to a lot of things back in 2020 that didn't have to be done."
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The primary campaign will probably divide many Georgia Republicans ahead of the high-profile gubernatorial, and U.S. Senate races in the state next year. Republicans are hoping for big wins in 2022 after Mr. Biden's victory in 2020, and Democrats flipped two U.S. Senate seats to gain control of the chamber.
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Having examined a bid for Georgia's other Senate seat in 2022, Perdue actively sought Trump's approval and then stood aside when the former president made it obvious he wanted University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker to carry the GOP banner.
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Though Trump is now considered a cinch to support Perdue over Kemp.
Kemp has drawn the 45th president's fierce animosity for failing to back his allegations of voter fraud in Georgia that made possible Joe Biden's narrow win in the state last year.
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It's unclear how the GOP primary race will solve itself. Vernon Jones, an African-American Democrat turned Republican, has solid backing from Trump followers in Georgia and across the nation.
This past August, a survey carried by Trump's PAC found Kemp had low approval numbers among GOP voters, and in a head-to-head race, Perdue would beat Kemp 44% to 26%.
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Kemp last week addressed the reports that Perdue was considering challenging him after initially planning to back the governor's re-election bid.
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"All I know is what Senator Perdue has told me. I hope he'll be a man of his word, but again that's not anything I can control," Kemp announced.
In a statement on Sunday, Kemp campaign communications director Cody Hall said, "Perdue's only reason for running is to soothe his own bruised ego."
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