The 2010 governor’s race was bruising as Handel criticized what she labeled “a good-old-boys club” at the state Capitol, calling for ethics reform with a speech titled “Sex, lies and lobbyists” that distanced herself from party leaders. While she received the most votes in the primary, it was not enough to avoid a runoff with Nathan Deal, who eventually beat her and won the general election.
During the race, she did not gain the support of the Georgia Right to Life group. While Handel opposes abortion, she has said she supports exceptions for rape and incest. She also disagreed with the group’s president over the issue of in-vitro fertilization. Handel has spoken publicly about her struggle to have children and wrote in her book that she and her husband had considered in-vitro but decided against it on the advice of their physician.
In the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat, some of the very same issues could resurface. Handel will likely seek to portray herself as someone outside of Washington politics willing to tackle tough issues. Meanwhile, Kingston has been emphasizing his conservative credentials and fiscal stewardship as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Gingrey and Broun are also conservatives looking to connect with popular grassroots organizations around the state.
It appears Handel will not have the benefit of support from former Gov. Sonny Perdue, a mentor of hers over the years. Handel briefly served as Perdue’s deputy chief of staff before leaving the administration to run for chairman of the Fulton County Commission, a race she won. This time, Perdue has announced support for his cousin, David Perdue, the former CEO of Dollar General and Reebok and a Republican who has announced he’s formed an exploratory bid for the U.S. Senate race.
via AP News: Handel jumps into crowded US Senate race in Ga..
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