MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) – A Republican congressman’s decision to challenge freshly appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler is pitting two visions of the GOP’s future against each other. So far, it’s divided voters and been anything but polite.
Loeffler, 49, is a wealthy businesswoman and political newcomer who filled a vacant Senate seat in January after being appointed by Georgia’s governor. Top Republicans hope she’ll help the GOP lure back suburban women, a pivotal voting bloc that’s fled the party in dismay over President Donald Trump’s crude behavior and hard-edged policies.
But among those challenging Loeffler in a Nov. 3 special election is Rep. Doug Collins, a four-term congressman popular with the GOP’s conservative base. Collins, 53, who makes frequent appearances on the right-leaning Fox News Channel, was one of Trump’s fiercest defenders during the impeachment fight as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, and he’s portraying himself as more conservative and loyal to Trump than Loeffler is.
Against the backdrop of this year’s presidential and congressional elections, the showdown looms as a test of which path makes sense for the GOP in a red-leaning state where Democrats have carved robust inroads. It’s also left many voters struggling to make up their minds.
“Doug Collins has got a track record. Kelly is an unknown product,” said Tony Casteel, an electrical contractor from Marietta, a bustling suburb in Cobb County, just northwest of Atlanta. “But you know, I understand why Gov. Kemp appointed Kelly. He’s trying to reach out to suburban women. Cobb County has gone blue.”