Former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed announced Wednesday he will not run for Congress in Georgia, saying he can do more to push a conservative agenda through his work for a political startup.
Reed considered seeking the Republican nomination for Georgia’s 7th Congressional District northeast of Atlanta, but said on the social networking site Twitter and his Web site that he won’t.
The boyish-looking 48-year-old was clobbered in his first bid for elected office in 2006. Facing questions about his ties to disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, he was defeated by a little-known state senator in the race to become Georgia’s lieutenant governor.
He said in a letter to supporters that he made the decision not to run for Congress after much thought and prayer.
“I can best advance conservative principles by continuing to serve as CEO of Century Strategies, LLC, and founding chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition,” he wrote.
Century Strategies is his public relations firm and the Faith and Freedom Coalition is a startup aimed at using the economic crisis and social media to bring a younger and more diverse audience into the GOP fold.
The 7th District is up for grabs because GOP Rep. John Linder is stepping down after 18 years in the House. The district is reliably Republican, with 60 percent of voters there casting ballots for GOP presidential contender John McCain in 2008. Two Republican state lawmakers – state Sen. Don Balfour and state Rep. Clay Cox – have said they’ll run to succeed Linder, and Reed’s decision to stay out of the race could open the door for even more challengers.