Handel hopes 2010 bid leads to 2014 victory | www.myajc.com

Karen Handel says she learned a valuable lesson from her 2010 bid for governor.

“Yeah,” she said. “Don’t lose.”

The former Georgia secretary of state lost by 2,500 votes in a Republican primary runoff to now-Gov. Nathan Deal.

The loss stung. But now, Handel believes her experience will help her in the race for the U.S. Senate. Seven candidates are vying for the GOP nomination for the seat now held by fellow Republican Saxby Chambliss, who plans to retire when his term ends in 2014. The field includes three sitting congressmen and a business executive who is a cousin to former Gov. Sonny Perdue.

But Handel is the only candidate who has won, or even run for, statewide office, which is largely an advantage. She is well known to Republican primary voters, nearly 300,000 of whom voted for her in 2010. She has worked to maintain her statewide network of supporters. And in the time between campaigns she also managed to shore up support among anti-abortion activists, a sizable contingent of the GOP base.

Yet, a question about her 2010 campaign lingers. She struggled to raise money then, and the trend continues in the Senate race.

“People in this state know me,” Handel said. “I have built up a trust factor in this state. People are searching for that individual in who they can trust to help solve some very difficult and complex issues.”

Charlie Harper, the editor of the influential conservative blog PeachPundit, said Handel has done well to remain in the public eye. It’s been three years since she ran for governor, but she did not disappear in between contests.

“Karen did an amazing job of keeping what I would call her base together,” Harper said. “Not because she was planning a political future, but she just stayed in touch with the folks who helped her along the way.”

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