Gov. Deal Endorses Cagle In GA Governor's Race

ATLANTA, GA — Gov. Nathan Deal, who will leave office in December as one of the most popular figures in Georgia politics, has thrown his weight behind Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in the race to succeed him.

Deal on Monday endorsed Cagle in his ncek-and-neck Republican runoff election against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, the Cagle campaign announced. The governor, also a Republican, called Cagle — who, as lieutenant governor, presided over the state senate — a partner in his agenda for the past eight years.

"In order to get those major changes through the General Assembly, I had two partners," Deal said in a news release. "Because he has had a part in making these reforms happen, I think he is the best one to continue this tradition. My concern is, let’s not undo or transform in a negative fashion the good reforms that have been put in place.

"For that reason, I believe that Casey Cagle will be the best candidate for that position as the next governor of our state."

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The coveted endorsement comes amid an increasingly testy contest between Cagle and Kemp, who polls have shown locked in a tight contest after finishing as the top two in a crowded Republican field in the May 22 primary.

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.

Deal's endorsement of Cagle came a day after State Sen. Hunter Hill, the third-place finisher in the GOP primary, through his support behind Kemp. Hill took about 18 percent of the vote in the primary.

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 announcing the endorsement, Cagle had high praise for Deal's tenure in office.

"Nathan Deal has few equals when it comes to visionary leadership and Christian character," Cagle said in a news release. "He is a model I hope to follow not just as a governor but as a man, a husband and a father. Our state owes him a debt of gratitude we can’t repay because we’ll reap the benefit of his work for generations to come."

Early voting already is under way for the July 24 runoff elections. The winner between Cagle and Kemp will take on state House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams, who handily won her party's primary without a runoff.

File photo courtesy Office of Gov. Nathan Deal