National Review: Phil Gingrey to run for Senate

From Betsy Woodruff at National Review:

Several Georgia Republican insiders tell National Review Online that Representative Phil Gingrey has decided to run for Senate. They say he has informed his close friends and political allies, and he plans to announce by the end of the month.

A source close to Gingrey says he has already planned fundraisers. He’s also building his campaign team: Chip Lake is reportedly going to be his general consultant, and Sonny Scott, who runs Rising Tide Media Group, will also be an adviser. Georgia Tipsheet first reported the Scott hire, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported on Lake’s involvement.

Insiders also suspect that either Representative Tom Price, a prominent House Republican, or former secretary of state Karen Handel may enter the race. The two, however, are good friends, and wouldn’t likely run against each other. A source familiar with both camps says Handel is waiting on Price to make her decision.

As he looks to build a statewide base, Gingrey sources hope the congressman will draw on his support from the Atlanta suburbs, from which he was first elected in 2002.

From Betsy Woodruff at National Review:

Several Georgia Republican insiders tell National Review Online that Representative Phil Gingrey has decided to run for Senate. They say he has informed his close friends and political allies, and he plans to announce by the end of the month.

A source close to Gingrey says he has already planned fundraisers. He’s also building his campaign team: Chip Lake is reportedly going to be his general consultant, and Sonny Scott, who runs Rising Tide Media Group, will also be an adviser. Georgia Tipsheet first reported the Scott hire, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported on Lake’s involvement.

Insiders also suspect that either Representative Tom Price, a prominent House Republican, or former secretary of state Karen Handel may enter the race. The two, however, are good friends, and wouldn’t likely run against each other. A source familiar with both camps says Handel is waiting on Price to make her decision.

As he looks to build a statewide base, Gingrey sources hope the congressman will draw on his support from the Atlanta suburbs, from which he was first elected in 2002.

But Congressman Paul Broun counsels his Congressional colleagues to stay where they are because he’ll send them back home permanently if they jump in the Senate race.

“I hope everyone in the delegation gets ready to stay where they are because I’m gonna beat ’em,” he told Hotline On Call at the Conservative Political Action Conference here on Thursday evening.

Broun spoke at an unlisted event sponsored by the groups Tea Party Nation and Tea Party Express. “I hope we are hearing from the next senator from Georgia,” Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips said, in introducing Broun.

“There are a lot of people in the House and Senate who need to feel the heat so they can see the light — some of ’em ought to see the door,” he said. Asked after the speech if he was referring to any members of the Georgia delegation, Broun said that that was up to “we the people” and declined to comment further.

Broun, who is the only declared candidate in the race so far, told On Call that he is working hard to gain the support of the grassroots in the Peach State, and that he is encouraged by the support he has received so far. “I’m a grassroots guy,” he told the tea party groups. “I fought the whole political structure of Georgia just about when I was elected to Congress in 2007, from the governor on down.”

He is likely to rely heavily on grassroots support in the Senate race as well, particularly in a primary featuring several of his congressional colleagues. Kingston and Gingrey both have close ties to Gov.Nathan Deal. And some national Republicans could be turned off by Broun’s history of controversial statements.

Price also spoke at CPAC on Thursday, on a panel about the “Europeanization of America.” He did not reference the Senate race during his remarks, but told On Call that he is “absolutely” interested and will make a decision about the race after the House wraps up its discussion of the budget in May.