ATLANTA (AP) – Longtime GOP Rep. Jack Kingston is positioning himself as the Senate candidate in Georgia who can bridge the factions of a splintered party waiting for a nominee to emerge in a pivotal midterm race.
“We’ve built a coalition that shows conservatives can be united,” says the 11-term congressman from Savannah, citing endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to local tea party groups and conservative commentators.
Kingston contends that range of support, along with his record on Capitol Hill, makes him the obvious choice in Tuesday’s primary runoff against businessman David Perdue. But the former corporate CEO says Kingston has had his chance, and that Senate needs fewer career politicians and more outsiders with business acumen.
With control of the Senate at stake this fall, Republicans are trying to gain the six seats needed to knock Democrats from their majority. The GOP cannot afford to lose the Georgia seat vacated by retiring Republican Saxby Chambliss.
The Democratic candidate is Michelle Nunn, whose father, former Sen. Sam Nunn, was a moderate Democrat who represented Georgia for years.