ALBANY, Ga. (AP) – It’s nothing new for a Nunn to be on the ballot in Georgia, but a casual voter might be forgiven for not knowing which one is running this year.
Michelle Nunn, a 47-year-old making her first bid for office, carries the Democratic banner for an open Senate seat. Still, at many campaign stops her father, former Sen. Sam Nunn, isn’t far behind, sleeves rolled up and hands extended as if he hadn’t retired in 1997 after four terms.
The significance goes beyond simply family support as Michelle Nunn battles Republican David Perdue in a race that will help determine which party controls the Senate through the end of President Barack Obama’s second term.
The 76-year-old Nunn towered over the state’s politics for a generation, much longer than another contemporary, former President Jimmy Carter. Nunn gained national prominence to the point that he was mentioned as a potential vice presidential nominee in 2008, when Obama was a young Illinois senator.
Perhaps most importantly, Nunn remains popular among many older white voters who don’t like the president.