Governor Deal well-positioned for 2014 reelection

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

 Deal’s strategists say internal polling is showing solid numbers, and that attention toward the governor’s accomplishments will only sharpen as his re-election nears. Expect voters to hear about job creation efforts, cost-cutting criminal justice changes and the HOPE scholarship overhaul in the run-up to 2014.

“The governor is strongly positioned going into his re-election year,” Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said. “That said, Governor Deal isn’t taking anything for granted. He’ll work hard to press his case to Georgia voters for why they should rehire him for four more years.”

“Beating him in the primary is hopeless, and the tea party groups understand that. And the Democrats just aren’t ready. Kasim Reed knows better than to try,” [Kennesaw State Political Scientist Kerwin] Swint said. “Representative Barrow would be abandoning his hard-fought seat for a Don Quixote campaign. And there really isn’t anyone else that would have a good shot.”

Tea party leaders are planning to hold their fire for the Senate race and the chain reaction of state and congressional seats it could open as well.

“I don’t think he’ll face a tea party challenger in 2014,” said Debbie Dooley, a co-founder of the Atlanta Tea Party. “All eyes are going to be on the Senate race and the congressional races. When you have limited resources, you have to pick the battles you fight.”

Todd Rehm, a GOP consultant, said ratings in the 40s for a governor in the midst of a down economy still put him in an unusually strong position. And Democrats are still years away from competing in the state they once dominated, he said.

“I’d put our third-tier statewide candidates against the best Democratic candidate, and we’d whip them every time,” he said.