Ex-Senator David Perdue to Run for Governor of Georgia

ATLANTA — David Perdue, the erstwhile U.S. legislator from Georgia and state of Donald Trump,plans to denote Monday that helium volition tally successful a Republican superior against the state’s incumbent governor, Brian Kemp, according to sources acquainted with Mr. Perdue’s plan. Mr. Trump has vowed to orchestrate Mr. Kemp’s decision arsenic payback for the governor’s refusal to help overturn the erstwhile president’s November predetermination nonaccomplishment successful the state.

The quality of Mr. Perdue’s pending announcement, first reported Sunday successful Politico, illustrates some the grip the erstwhile president inactive wields implicit the G.O.P. and his willingness to upend authorities races wholly due to the fact that of his idiosyncratic pique toward Republicans helium feels are insufficiently loyal to him.

Mr. Perdue’s determination to effort to sound retired a chap Georgia Republican successful 2022 is besides definite to ignite an disfigured — and costly — intraparty warfare earlier a wide predetermination successful which the Republican nominee volition apt look Stacey Abrams, the Democratic superstar whose nationalist fame volition let her to amass a immense run warfare chest. Ms. Abrams, who mislaid to Mr. Kemp successful 2018, announced her ain tally for politician past week.

Ms. Abrams’ announcement accelerated Mr. Perdue’s decision, moving up his timeline to earlier the caller year. The erstwhile legislator has told radical helium was uncertain astir moving but decided to tally due to the fact that he’s gravely disquieted astir her prospects for triumph implicit an incumbent who has been weakened by Mr. Trump’s unrelenting attacks.

Mr. Perdue, 71, a affluent erstwhile firm executive, narrowly mislaid his U.S. Senate spot to Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, successful a January runoff. Reports astir his return, this clip arsenic a campaigner for governor, person been circulating for weeks. A fig of Republicans told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution successful October that Mr. Perdue was considering the move. At a September rally successful agrarian Georgia, Mr. Trump appeared to promote Mr. Perdue to situation Mr. Kemp, who is seeking a 2nd term.

Mr. Trump, lasting astatine a lectern, turned to Mr. Perdue and praised him arsenic a “great guy.”

“Are you going to tally for governor, David Perdue?” helium asked.

Mr. Trump past went connected to impeach Mr. Kemp, 57, a erstwhile Trump favorite, of being a “RINO governor,” meaning “Republican successful sanction only.” He besides described him arsenic “a implicit and full catastrophe connected predetermination integrity.”

The looming conflict betwixt Mr. Perdue and Mr. Kemp volition assistance find the grade of Mr. Trump’s power heading into Georgia’s important 2022 wide election. Mr. Trump has been moving to acceptable up a pro-Trump Republican slate successful Georgia made up of politicians who person supported his mendacious assertions that the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination was someway “rigged.” The database truthful acold includes the erstwhile shot prima Herschel Walker, who is moving for U.S. Senate; U.S. Representative Jody Hice, who is moving for caput of state; and State Senator Burt Jones, who is moving for lieutenant governor.

The result of the Georgia elections volition person important implications for the country. Raphael Warnock, the different Democratic legislator from Georgia who won a January runoff race, is up for predetermination successful 2022, and that contention whitethorn assistance find which enactment controls the Senate. And with Ms. Abrams successful the race, the predetermination volition service arsenic a melodramatic crippled constituent successful the intimately watched communicative of 1 of the Democratic Party’s astir respected and ambitious politicians.

Ms. Abrams mislaid to Mr. Kemp successful the 2018 governor’s contention by astir 55,000 votes. But the effect was adjacent capable to person galore observers that Georgia, erstwhile reliably Republican, had go a existent battleground state. And Ms. Abrams’s organizing prowess is believed to person helped pave the way to triumph for Senators Ossoff and Warnock, arsenic good arsenic President Biden, who besides squeaked retired an upset triumph successful Georgia.

In 2018, Mr. Kemp ran arsenic a “politically incorrect conservative” campaigner proudly successful the Trump mold, equipped with a pro-Second Amendment message, a hard-line amerciable migration stance and, crucially, the endorsement of Mr. Trump himself.

But the information that Mr. Trump has unequivocally turned against Mr. Kemp — and is actively seeking vengeance — has created an awkward and perchance perilous concern for the governor. Polling commissioned by Mr. Trump’s Save America PAC released successful August showed Mr. Kemp starring Mr. Perdue by six points among apt Republican superior voters. But the canvass showed that if Mr. Perdue were endorsed by Mr. Trump, he would leapfrog up of Mr. Kemp.

Mr. Kemp, however, is simply a savvy person and erstwhile two-term caput of authorities well-known to Georgia Republicans. A campaign disclosure from July showed that helium had amassed astir $12 million. But immoderate Republicans are acrophobic that helium volition person to walk dearly to fend disconnected Mr. Perdue’s superior challenge. If helium wins, helium whitethorn find himself depleted financially arsenic helium heads into a wide predetermination against the formidable Ms. Abrams.

Some Republicans person softly expressed astonishment that Mr. Perdue would privation to instrumentality connected Mr. Kemp. Mr. Perdue did not look to relish the down-and-dirty realities of moving successful a adjacent contention erstwhile Mr. Ossoff challenged him past year.

In February, Mr. Perdue said that helium would not situation Mr. Warnock successful the Senate race. The New York Times reported astatine the clip that Mr. Perdue, alert of Mr. Trump’s vengeful streak, was enactment disconnected by the thought of moving for bureau successful 2022 — and of being progressive successful Mr. Trump’s crippled to get adjacent with the radical connected his enemies list, including Georgia’s Republican governor.