GLENNVILLE, Ga. — Rep. Jack Kingston, who’s represented Savannah in Congress for the last two decades, was at home Thursday evening in nearby Tattnall County, where elected officials and candidates streamed in to put their face in front of the loads of sheriffs, police and first responders gathered on the grounds of a rural pond house.
The Republican was one of three candidates vying for the party’s Senate nomination to attend the 27th annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Cookout, held just outside Kingston’s district. More than 1,000 people from around the state were on hand, sipping light beer and munching on pork barbecue, smoked chicken, Cadillac rice and Brunswick stew. Kingston, the only candidate with a campaign booth, could barely turn around without running into someone he knew, inevitably wearing his campaign sticker.
Southeast Georgia is Kingston country. His campaign has been working for months to broaden his brand beyond this area and into vote-rich Atlanta ahead of the competitive May 20 primary. But on this day, the congressman was sewing up his base.
“While it’s good to come down here doing a little politicking — nothing wrong with that — I’m glad to be here because I like Tattnall County, and I’m going to keep coming no matter what happens,” Kingston said on stage in very brief remarks to the crowd.
One of three members of Congress in the Senate primary, Kingston is regularly in the top two in primary polling, along with Perdue. He turned in the strongest first fundraising quarter among Republicans, launched his fourth statewide TV ad Thursday morning, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Kingston just an hour before the cookout kicked off.
“What we’re doing is combining high tech and high touch, and we’re doing well in both categories,” Kingston said in an interview. “We’re on target, so we feel good about it.”
Still, many in the party believe the unpredictable race for the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss is wide open. With no candidate likely to take a majority of the vote next month, it’s a fight to finish in the top two and advance to the July 22 runoff.
Handel, who has trailed Kingston and Perdue in fundraising and airtime, launched her first statewide TV ad this week featuring Sarah Palin’s recent appearance in Georgia on Handel’s behalf — which the campaign said brought a fundraising surge of $200,000 in two weeks. The Handel campaign has felt a renewed sense of momentum since a video emerged of Perdue denigrating Handel’s lack of a college degree during a January campaign appearance. The free media came at the right time.
In an interview, Perdue said he was “a little overzealous” with that comment and that any Republican nominated will be “more qualified and a better candidate than anybody the Democrats are going to put up.”
via Jack Kingston Courts Base in Georgia Senate Race.
Comments ( 0 )