Cagle: Trump Wrong, Kemp Can't Beat Abrams

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle on Thursday said President Donald Trump got "bad advice" that led him to endorse Cagle's rival, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, in the Republican primary runoff for governor.

Cagle was firing back a day after Trump's bombshell of an endorsement threatened to tip the neck-and-neck contest in Kemp's favor ahead of Tuesday's vote.

"President Trump is doing a great job on national issues, and I’m going to campaign hard to keep him there in two years. I’m proud of what he’s doing for America," Cagle wrote on Trump's preferred venue for public musings, Twitter. "But, I think our President is getting some bad advice on Brian Kemp’s record of failure from Washington insiders."

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In a follow-up tweet, Cagle argued that Kemp can't beat Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams, who rolled to victory in the May primary and has been able to consolidate Democratic support and woo General Election voters for the past two months as Cagle and Kemp have gone hammer-and-tongs at each other in an increasingly bitter runoff.

"Georgia voters need to ask themselves a hard question: Do we want a governor who answers to Washington?" Cagle wrote. "Our state can't afford to risk our economy and future on a candidate who can't beat the Democrat in November."

Kemp, meanwhile, was celebrating the nod from Trump, whose overall approval numbers are low but who is believed to still have strong support among GOP primary voters in the Peach State and elsewhere.

"I’m incredibly grateful to have President Trump's full & total endorsement," Kemp wrote on Twitter. "As governor, I will unapologetically stand with the President to secure our border, deport criminal aliens, crush street gangs, and ensure a bright and promising future for our families."

Trump tweeted his support for Kemp on Wednesday, calling him "tough on crime, strong on the border and illegal immigration."

In 2016, Trump won 51 percent of the vote in Georgia — 2,076,119 votes — to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's nearly 46 percent, or 1,853,445 votes. Both Kemp and Cagle have worked to tie themselves to the Republican president's record during the runoff.

The endorsement came two days after Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal — who polls consistently suggest is the most popular political figure in Georgia — threw his support behind Cagle. Splitting the race's two most high-profile endorsements seems a natural fit for what is looking like a dramatically close race.

An AJC/Channel 2 Action News poll of likely voters released last week showed Kemp with 44 percent of the vote, Cagle with 41 percent and about 15 percent still undecided. The difference between the two candidates was within the polls 3.5 percent margin of error.

In Georgia, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff is held. Cagle finished primary night with about 39 percent of the vote, compared to about 26 percent for Kemp.

Third-place finisher, state Sen. Hunter Hill, has endorsed Kemp. Cagle, meanwhile, recently received an endorsement from incoming National Rifle Association president Oliver North.

Early voting already is under way for the July 24 runoff elections.