With only days to go before voting ends, Gov. Nathan Deal this morning jumped into a pair of Republican congressional contests, coming down on the sides of two state lawmakers.
In a pair of robocalls landing on the answering machines of voters on Saturday, the governor expressed his support for state Rep. Doug Collins of Gainesville in his runoff effort against former radio talk show host Martha Zoller, also of Gainesville.
In the 12th District runoff to pick a GOP challenger to U.S. Rep. John Barrow, D-Augusta, the governor recorded a robocall on behalf of state Rep. Lee Anderson of Grovetown, who faces Augusta businessman Rick Allen.
We’ve transcribed both recordings, and you’ll see a slight difference between the pair:
For Anderson in the 12th:
”This is Gov. Nathan Deal, and I’m calling to encourage you to exercise your right to vote in the Republican runoff this Tuesday. Before you vote, I would also like to share a few thoughts about my good friend Lee Anderson. In the state House, Lee Anderson strongly supported my conservative tax reform agenda, which cut taxes on Georgia families and businesses.
“With Lee’s help, I was able to enact one of the most pro-job laws in our state’s history. Lee has been an honorable public servant and a man of integrity. Lee Anderson has a proven record on fighting government waste, reducing taxes and cracking down on illegal immigration. Thank you, and God bless you.”
For Collins in the 9th:
“Hello, this is Gov. Nathan Deal. I just wanted to thank you for honoring me with the privilege of serving our great state. As you prepare to vote in Tuesday’s Republican runoff, I wanted to tell you about my good friend Doug Collins.
“Doug has served as my floor leader in the state House, and he’s helped me enact laws that protect life, crack down on illegal immigration, and cut taxes to promote jobs. A Christian conservative, Doug Collins will stand up to Barack Obama, eliminate wasteful spending, and cut the debt – as well as our taxes….”
The governor lent his name to Anderson’s campaign in an email sent to supporters a few days ago, but otherwise has kept a low profile in both contests.
Why wait to the final weekend to weigh in? For one thing, the governor and his staff will have to endure only 36 hours of business-hour complaints for the decision.
More important, the last-weekend timing could also reduce the chances of an anti-incumbent blowback that could actually hurt the two candidates that the governor is intending to help.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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