Questioning whether votes in the Jan. 5 Georgia Senate runoffs would be counted, former President Donald Trump helped Democrats to win control of the Senate and pass trillions of dollars in new spending.
Trump seems determined to replicate his triumph over ego over conservative interests.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger refused to accept Trump’s claim that he won the election. In response, Raffensperger is now being primaried by a Trump-backed candidate, Rep. Jody Hice. A devoted Trump loyalist, Hice opposed certifying the election for President Joe Biden.
Kemp offers a better example of conservative leadership.
He has been fighting for pro-life legislation and election integrity reform. Both interests are opposed by Democrat Stacey Abrams, who refused to concede to Kemp in 2018. Abrams, last week, announced her gubernatorial campaign to challenge Kemp. Trump, however, has agitated to have former Sen. David Perdue primary challenge Kemp over his insufficient loyalty to Trump’s person.
Making matters worse, Trump is backing football legend Herschel Walker, who has been facing allegations of domestic violence, to take down incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. While the allegation of Warnock running his car over his ex-wife’s foot did not prevent him from reaching the Senate, there are better GOP candidates than Walker. They stand a significantly better chance of denying Warnock another six years in office. Such candidates include Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., and former Gov. and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
Were Trump’s candidates to win their primaries, they stand a strong chance of making Georgia a Democratic state for the foreseeable future. Is that in the conservative interest?
Jackson Richman is a journalist in Washington, D.C. Follow him @jacksonrichman.
