The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Loeffler answers critics after Senate appointment
Kemp’s choice cites her ‘conservative values’; Trump had favored Rep. Collins.
Gov. Brian Kemp appointed financial executive Kelly Loeffler to the U.S. Senate on Wednesday,
selecting the co-owner of Atlanta’s WNBA franchise over a congressman whom President Donald Trump repeatedly urged the Republican to pick.
During remarks in Kemp’s ceremonial office, Loeffler presented herself as a lifelong conservative who is “pro-Second Amendment, pro-military, pro-wall and pro-Trump” to counter criticism
painting her as a closet liberal. “I make no apologies for my conservative values,” she said, “and will proudly support President Trump’s conservative judges.”
Advisers to Loeffler, a multimillionaire whose husband is chief executive of Intercontinental Exchange, say she is prepared to pump $20 million of her own fortune into a 2020 campaign expected to shatter fundraising records.
Kemp was surrounded by high-ranking Republican officials when he made the announce
ment, hoping to present a united front supporting Loeffler amid mounting conservative criticism of his pick.
“We need less critics and more public servants,” he said. “There’s one thing I know for certain when it comes to making significant reforms, and that is this: We are better and stronger together.”
Loeffler will become the second woman in Georgia history to serve in the U.S. Senate when she is sworn in next year to succeed Republican Johnny Isakson, who is stepping down because of health issues.
Her selection ends months of maneuvering for the coveted seat, but it seems likely to open a tumultuous new phase. Trump’s favorite for the position, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, recently said he was “strongly” considering a run for the Senate seat if he wasn’t picked.
“I appreciate the support I have received from the president and many others,” Collins said Wednesday, “and right now, my primary focus is defending our president against partisan impeachment attacks.”
Loeffler’s appointment also creates a stark rift with the president, whose endorsement of Kemp last year helped him win a heated GOP primary runoff. The president repeatedly urged the governor to tap Collins, and a secretive meeting in Washington with Loeffler didn’t sway him.
Georgia Republicans swiftly responded with messages of praise or support, though some took a more measured approach. State House Speaker David Ralston stood near Kemp when he made the announcement, but he signaled in a statement that he was still apprehensive.
“Governor Kemp has chosen the person he believes is most qualified to represent our values in Washington,” said Ralston, who has close ties to Collins. “I congratulate Ms. Loeffler, and I look forward to getting to know her as we all work together to keep America great.”
The news of Kemp’s decision, first reported last week by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, triggered backlash from conservatives who accused him of betraying Trump.
Fox News personality Sean
Hannity urged his fans to clog Kemp’s phone lines with their complaints, and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said it would be the “funeral” for the governor’s political career.
Battleground Georgia
Collins’ allies had aggressively pushed Kemp to change his mind, describing the Gainesville Republican as a champion Trump needs to defend him against impeachment proceedings headed for the U.S. Senate.
But Kemp had long wanted to pick a woman or minority, mindful that his selection will be on the ballot in 2020 and also potentially on the ticket with him in 2022 when he could face a rematch against Democrat Stacey Abrams.
He is wagering that a firsttime candidate can survive not only a challenge from energized Democrats eager to turn Georgia into a battleground, but also quiet conservative critics mistrustful of his pick.
And as a suburban conservative woman, she could help broaden the appeal of a Georgia GOP that’s dominated by male elected officials — and has suffered losses in metro Atlanta that could jeopardize the Republican grip on state politics.
“Women are not better legislators, but we do bring a different perspective,” said state Rep. Sharon Cooper, a Marietta Republican. “And it’s time we are represented in the U.S. Senate in Georgia.”
But Loeffler’s appointment brings much uncertainty. She’s not widely known, and her stances on the debates that she’d have to tackle in Washington are unclear.
Some grassroots activists have already sounded the alarm, worried that she’s too moderate because of campaign contributions she made in the past to Democratic candidates. They also question her support for Trump because she did not contribute money to his campaign in 2016.
“It’s one thing to say that you’re a Republican, but actions speak louder than words,” said Rebecca Yardley, the GOP chairwoman for the 9th District, who said she worries Loeffler stands in “direct opposition to our strong conservative values.”
But Loeffler’s allies point to records that show she and her husband have given roughly $200,000 to the Republican National Committee since Trump’s victory. They each also wrote $100,000 checks to take part in a recent Trump fundraiser in Atlanta, Kemp’s advisers say.
The governor has pushed back on what he called “ridiculous” criticism, asserting that his pick would be an anti-abortion Republican who backs gun rights and is “100% supportive” of Trump.
But even the governor doesn’t know what position the president might take — no small issue since a single tweet could damage, even doom, her campaign.
‘Political outsider’
In her remarks, Loeffler suggested she would frame herself as a private-sector outsider eager to shake up Washington — much like U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who will also be on the ballot next year.
“I am not a career politician or even someone who’s run for office,” Loeffler said. “Over the last 25 years, I’ve been building businesses, taking risks and creating jobs. I haven’t spent my life trying to get to Washington.”
Loeffler grew up weeding soybean fields on her family farm in Bloomington, Illinois, and moved to Atlanta in 2002 to become the chief of investor relations for Intercontinental Exchange.
She and the company’s CEO, Jeff Sprecher, wed in 2004.
Loeffler stepped down from a senior executive post last year to become the head of Bakkt, a financial services firm that’s a subsidiary of her husband’s company.
She plunged into politics in more recent years, including donating $750,000 to a super PAC backing Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012. Her role as co-owner of the Atlanta Dream has also helped elevate her public profile.
“I circled back to the roots that combined my passions in life,” Loeffler, who played basketball in her youth, said of the 2011 decision to buy a stake in the team. “I’m glad I took the risk I did for that full circle.”
She has considered bids for public office before, including a run for the open Senate seat in 2014 that Perdue won. This time, she waited until three hours before a deadline to submit her resume for the position, likely at Kemp’s behest.
Loeffler’s stance on many of Georgia’s biggest political debates is not yet known, which is both a benefit and a liability: She’ll need to build credibility among GOP voters, but she also has no voting record that can come back to haunt her.
She sought to counter those concerns by introducing herself as a staunch Trump supporter who will fight the “socialist gang” in Washington bent on defeating the president.
“I’ve been called soft-spoken. But I’ve also been called a lot worse,” she said. “In Congress, I may not be the loudest voice in the room. But you don’t have to be shrill to be tough. And when it comes to fighting for Georgia, I will never back down. No one will fight harder for our state, our president and our conservative values.”
When Loeffler takes office, she will join Rebecca Latimer Felton as the only female U.S. senators in state history. Felton served in the Senate for one day in 1922 after the death of Tom Watson, making her the first woman in the nation to hold the office.
Get ready
Loeffler will soon be tested. The next weeks will bring a burst of scrutiny that will feed the intense run-up to the 2020 vote. Her initial stances, including a possible vote on Trump’s impeachment, will set the tone for her election campaign.
There’s also a chance of a January 2021 runoff if no candidate wins a majority of the vote in November’s special election, a distinct possibility when multiple contenders from all parties are on the same ballot. That prospect is even likelier if Collins decides to run.
It’s not clear yet which Democrats could join the race, though party leaders hope to avoid a fractious fight of their own.
One candidate has entered without the party’s support: Matt Lieberman, the son of former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, announced his campaign in October.
Other possible contenders include DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, DeKalb Chief Executive Michael Thurmond, the Rev. Raphael Warnock and state Sen. Jen Jordan, who scoffed at Loeffler’s selection.
“You can have a woman candidate, but it’s about the issues women care about. That’s what people are going to vote for,” Jordan said. “I wish her all the luck in the world. And I wish the governor some luck because it looks like he’s had some trouble with Sean Hannity.”