U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal’s announcement Monday that he will resign from Congress to focus on his campaign for Georgia governor will have significant impact on two political races. The resignation of the Republican who has represented Georgia’s 9th District since 1992 directly affects the contest between those who want to succeed him in Washington. His decision to devote all his time and energy to the gubernatorial race changes the dynamics of that campaign as well.
Rep. Deal’s resignation will be effective Monday. A special election will be held to choose his successor. The replacement will finish the congressman’s current term, which ends in November. Sarah Thompson of the Georgia Secretary of State’s election division said late Monday the date for the special election has not been set. Whenever it is held, there likely will be no shortage of candidates to seek the interim appointment.
Within hours of Mr. Deal’s announcement Monday, a handful of candidates either announced or signaled their intention to run to replace Rep. Deal in the special election. It’s likely there will be additional entries, quite possibly including some already in the race for a full term. Eight Republicans, one Democrat and one independent are seeking the 9th District seat. Rep. Deal’s imminent departure likely will energize a race that, so far, has been relatively quiet.
Rep. Deal’s resignation is unlikely to mean much on the national level. His seat has been reliably Republican — and conservative — for years. Seasoned observers of the Georgia political scene say that is unlikely to change, even in a year where sentiment against incumbents is high. Rep. Deal’s departure from the House will have little effect on national politics. He’s voted consistently with the conservative minority in the House. Given the Democratic majority there, the loss of his vote is highly unlikely to affect the outcome of current issues of national importance.
The race for Georgia governor is a crowded one, with prominent Republicans and Democrats seeking the office. Rep. Deal obviously decided that he could not mount what he thought would be a solid campaign if he continued to spend so much of his time in the nation’s capital rather than campaigning in Georgia. Time will tell if his decision was a wise one.