Georgia Politics, Campaigns & Elections for April 22, 2013

Congressional and Senate Announcements

On Saturday, State Senator Barry Loudermilk announced his campaign for Congress in the 11th District, joining former Congressman Bob Barr and State Rep. Ed Lindsey.

“Washington has lost it’s way – taxes, regulations and deficits are out of control — but I believe that we can set this nation back on course,” Loudermilk said.

“Most of you know me because we have served in the trenches together. Before I was elected to the State House and then Senate, I was Bartow County GOP Chairman. I’ve labored alongside so many of you as a grassroots worker – putting out the signs, licking envelopes and doing the hard work that has made us successful”

“If we felt our party went astray, we did not abandon it; we worked harder to get it back on track. We were – and are – in this together.”

Loudermilk’s announcement was preceded on Thursday by a robocall inviting voters to the GOP Convention. Loudermilk carried over 60% of the straw poll vote for Congress at the 11th District Convention.

You can view photos from the 11th District Convention on our website.

We are told that Darwin Carter, who ran as a Republican for Agriculture Commissioner in 2010 and for State House District 169 against incumbent Chuck Sims in 2012, “announced for the First District.” We’re not sure if that’s contingent on Congressman Jack Kingston not seeking that seat. It could also mean that Carter would run for the First State Senate District, if Buddy Carter vacates it in order to run for Congress.

Several weeks ago, we told you that David Schwarz, a former Kingston staffer, was considering a run for the seat held by his former boss if Kingston runs for Senate. There is now a website for his Exploratory Committee. And the magic of Google tells us that there’s another website being readied for a Congressional run in the First District.

Zpolitics tells us that PridemoreforCongress.com and .org were snapped-up about three weeks ago, and that HandelforSenate and BuddyCarterforCongress also have been reserved. I wouldn’t make too much of these. After all, maybe Washington State Democrat Craig Pridemore is taking a look out there.

Speaking of Congressman Kingston, he sure is traveling the state a lot having been at the Sixth and Seventh Congressional and the Ninth Congressional District Dinner the night before. Quite possibly more.

Kingston spoke with his hometown Savannah Morning News before the big weekend, discussing plans for a Senate campaign.

Kingston, in an interview Friday, acknowledged he has spent much of the past two months criss-crossing the state in an exploration of his own viability as a candidate and the support he might be able to generate in what is sure to be a highly competitive race.

“We’ve tested and retested the waters,” Kingston said. “So far the waters seem very favorable. We’ve gotten really good support and feedback from the Atlanta business community and the Republican community and the conservative community.”

Kingston said he has hired Republican pollster John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates, a firm also used in the past by Gov. Nathan Deal. And, for the first time in his political career, Kingston also has brought on a political consultant in Jeff Roe.

Still, Kingston does not expect to make a formal decision for about another month on whether to enter the race.

For those of you still holding grudges from 2010, note that Jeff Roe was a political consultant to the John Oxendine campaign for Governor.

The Savannah Morning News article also quotes Steve Anthony as estimating $5 million as the price to win a Republican Primary Election for United State Senate, and UGA Professor Charles Bullock quoting $10 million. Question whether those figures include an all-but-inevitable runoff election.

Chip Lake, Gingrey’s general consultant in the race, said he would not be surprised if the collective spending by all candidates exceeded $25 million.

While raising money remains the lifeblood of any statewide race and strategy defines the message and daily plan of attack, both are eclipsed in the formative stages of a race by the need to build a political organization.

“That’s where the emphasis is right now,” said Lake. “Anybody in my position would be lying to you if they told you today what the strategy is going to be. Right now, you don’t know what the blueprint of the road map looks like until you know what the field looks like.

“You’re busy doing the things right now that you know you need to do, and that is raise money and build your grassroots network.”

Former Sandy Spring City Council member, lobbyist at Arnall Golden Gregory and spokesman for the Fulton County Development Authority Rusty Paul will make an announcement for the 2013 Sandy Springs municipal elections.

Rusty Paul announced he will hold a press conference Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Morgan Falls Overlook Park in Sandy Springs to announce his plans for the 2013 citywide, nonpartisan election in November.

Also attending will be Mayor Eva Galambos and several council members, Paul wrote.

When asked by a reporter which office he would be running for, Paul declined to comment, saying he would provide that information at the press conference.

Straw Polls

Results of the Eleventh Congressional District Straw Poll 256 Delegates and Alternates and Guests were present.

U.S. Senate
41% Paul Broun 68
30% Phil Gingrey 50
20% Undecided 33
8% Jack Kingston 14
Write-ins -Tom Price 16, Ron Paul 1, Karen Handel 8, Derrick Grayson 2

U.S. Congress 11th District
61% Barry Loudermilk 115
19% Bob Barr 36
11% Ed Lindsey 20
10% Undecided 19
Write-ins –Tricia Pridemore 5, Sam Teasley 1, Chip Rogers 1

Georgia GOP Chairman
30% Alex Johnson 54
25% Undecided 44
24% John Padgett 43
17% BJ Van Gundy 30
4% Seth Harp 8
Write-ins –Maria Zack 2, Barry Loudermilk 1

Best Way to Reduce Gun Violence
78% Enforce Existing Laws 116
11% Place Armed Guards at All Schools 16
7% Universal Background Checks for All Gun Purchases 11
3% Mandatory Gun Training Before Purchase 4
0% Ban Ownership of Certain Types of Firearms 1

Best Way to Address Illegal Immigration
46% Enforce Existing Laws 73
33% No Amnesty and Enhanced Border Control 52
11% Require Illegal Aliens to Return Home & Apply 18
7% Amnesty and Enhanced Border Control 12
3% Open Borders (Free Flow in/out of US) 5

Best Way to Address Federal Debt
75% Amend Constitution for Balanced Budget 107
19% Limit Spending Increase to Rate of Inflation 27
5% Sequestration 7
0% Increase Taxes 1
0% Increase Taxes and Reduce Spending 0

Another Straw Poll was held at the joint Eighth and Second District banquet Friday night.

Results of the 2nd District Convention Straw Poll
64 Total Ballots

UNITED STATES SENATE PRIMARY
Undecided – 29.69%
Kingston – 26.56%
Handel – 23.44%
Broun – 9.38%
Price – 7.81%
Gingrey – 3.13%

GAGOP CHAIR – 54 Total Ballots that are from Delegates or Alternates to the State Convention
Undecided – 46.15%
Van Gundy – 23.08%
Harp – 21.15%
Johnson – 7.69%
Padgett – 1.92%

Do you support the expansion of background checks on the purchase of guns?
No – 84.38%
Yes – 7.81%
Undecided – 7.81%

Tomczak Takes Two – Other GAGOP Elections

Justin Tomczak was elected to Board positions in both the Sixth and Eleventh Congressional Districts, saying that the key to his success was that he wasn’t actually running for anything.

This opens all kinds of possibilities, because as far as we know, Justin is also not running for Governor or United States Senate in 2014, making him a potential spoiler in both races. We’re also not aware of any campaign by Tomczak for Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, though I would vote for him and may write-in his name.

Perhaps, he’ll go for a three-peat next cycle, and win election in three different Congressional Districts.

In other Party elections:

Scott Johnson was elected Chairman of the Eleventh District of the Georgia Republican Party. We note that this keeps the coveted GaPundit.com endorsement undefeated.

Joseph Brannan continued the RLG streak winning reelection as Chairman of the Second District, bless his heart. David Burge in the Fifth District makes RLG/CLI Alumni 3-for-3.

Michael Fitzgerald was reelected Chairman in the Sixth District GAGOP.

Ken Carroll was elected Chairman of the Eighth District.

Andrew Turnage was reelected in the Ninth District, and Jason Thompson will return for another tour of duty in the Seventh District