A brutal, bruising Georgia Senate runoff coming

ATLANTA — The battle lines in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia were drawn while the primary votes were still being tallied Tuesday night. Get ready to hear plenty about out-of-touch millionaire elitist David Perdue and career politician Jack Kingston.

The nine-week runoff for the right to face Democrat Michelle Nunn will be the longest — and very likely costliest — in state history. It figures to be a nasty fight between two Republicans who differ greatly in tone and experience, if not policy.

The outcome could help determine which party controls the U. S. Senate, as Republicans need to flip six seats to take charge, and losing an open seat held by retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss would be a tremendous setback.

Kingston and Perdue, who emerged as the top vote-getters in a seven-person field, both vow to be reliable conservative votes, and Republican leaders in Georgia and Washington see both as less risky general election candidates than some others who were in the GOP field.

Yet an increasingly personal and negative campaign between Kingston and Perdue, which escalated in the closing weeks of the primary, could divide Republicans and offer an opening for Nunn, who on Wednesday characterized the GOP contest as a “race to the extremes” regardless of who wins.

Another wild card is the state’s new electoral calendar, the product of a federal judge’s order that triples the runoff period to nine weeks. It creates a third full campaign, with a new round of fundraising and more time for the candidates and outside groups to pummel each other with attack ads ahead of the July 22 vote.

Kingston, who has represented a Savannah-based district since 1993, is backed by establishment heavyweights including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. After spending nearly $ 1 million on pro- Kingston television ads in the primary, the Chamber will continue to spend in the runoff, political director Rob Engstrom said.

In addition, more money from Washington- based political action committees can start flowing to Kingston now that he is the last congressman standing, as U.S. Reps. Phil Gingrey and Paul Broun are out of the running. Kingston raised $3.7 million for his Senate campaign through April, of which $365,000 came from PACs.

That figure is expected to rise “big time,” said Ted Burnes, the PAC director for the American College of Radiology. Burnes said his group, which advocates for radiologists’ interests in Washington, had stayed out of the primary but now will write Kingston a check.

” We’d rather have a known entity — even if we don’t know him that well — than someone none of us know,” Burnes said.

Perdue raised and spent less money than Kingston in the primary, but he netted the most votes and was not exactly crying poverty. He put $2.6 million of his own money into the race and was the beneficiary of $ 1.5 million in television ads from a friendly super PAC whose donors remain unknown.

The cousin of former Gov. Sonny Perdue and a former CEO of Dollar General said he would continue to emphasize his business experience and lack of political know-how, which has at times shown up in gaffes on the campaign trail.

”If any of you heard me talk a year ago and hear me tonight, you’ll know there’s a little bit of difference,” he told supporters Tuesday night, acknowledging that he’s learning on the job.

But Perdue’s approach resonated with voters, only 16 percent of whom approve of the job Congress is doing, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll. The runoff only clarifies the choice, he said.

” We’re going to have a traditional politician to choose from, and we’re going to have an outsider with a business background,” Perdue said.

Kingston’s record offers brag-worthy accomplishments in votes for and action on conservative priorities, as well as fodder for attacks. He boasts of endorsements ranging from conservative radio host Sean Hannity to former University of Georgia football star Herschel Walker.

Kingston said he was settling in for a “very, very tough campaign” that would target his longtime work on the money- disbursing House Appropriations Committee.

” I know my voting record is a matter of public scrutiny, that’s why you are going to be hearing about it,” Kingston said. “But I’ll say this to my opponent: So is your business record. And we will be talking about it.”

Perdue’s business record came under fire during the primary from various foes, most aggressively Kingston, who keyed on job outsourcing and layoffs at some of Perdue’s companies.

One of the two candidates’ biggest challenges is how they will work to attract tea party supporters who flocked to three of their top rivals: Broun, Gingrey and former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel. Although tea party supporters are far from monolithic, both Kingston and Perdue said they would court Handel for her endorsement.

” We’re going to work hard to earn the respect of those voters,” Perdue said. “This race now starts from scratch.”