Why most Ga. Republicans are avoiding endorsements
ATLANTA — Donald Trump has an enormous lead over his rivals in every poll of GOP voters in Georgia. He has soaked up attention and fundraising dollars. And some Republicans say the sweeping charges leveled against the former president have only reinforced their support for him.
Yet, in a clear sign of deep squeamishness over Trump, most of the state’s top Republican elected officials have yet to back his comeback bid or — in rare cases — are siding with other GOP hopefuls they see as more formidable challengers to President Joe Biden.
The skepticism over Trump extends far beyond Gov. Brian Kemp and other statewide officials who spurned his demands to overturn his election defeat — and then walloped Trump-backed challengers that the former president promoted to exact revenge.
Only a handful of Republican elected officials have backed the former president so far this election cycle, as even key Trump loyalists have avoided endorsing him amid an unpredictable race shaped by unprecedented criminal indictments.
“Endorsing now is dangerous. It’s like asking a girl out right in front of your ex,” said Dan McLagan, a veteran Republican strategist. “The new girl may be flattered, but the ex might punch you in the nose with all your friends watching.”
Georgia contrasts with other states where Trump has locked up early institutional support. In neighboring South Carolina, for instance, he’s earned the backing of the governor, the senior U.S. senator and three congressmen — even though two home-grown candidates are competing against him.
“This state picks presidents,” former South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who has also endorsed Trump, said from the stage of one of the former president’s recent rallies. “When we come together and show this kind of support for an individual, it speaks volumes about the eventual nominee.”
The chief player on Georgia’s sidelines is Kemp, the second-term governor who is polling as the state’s most popular Republican. He’s also one of the least likely Georgia officials to formally back Trump ahead of the state’s March 12 primary.
Since winning his re-election bid last year, Kemp has unloaded on Trump, rejecting his lies about a “rigged” 2020 election and dubbing him a ” loser ” for skipping the first GOP debate.
Kemp allies suggest one reason for the slow pace of endorsements is because some Republican officials plan to follow the governor’s lead — and his call for candidates to embrace a forward-looking vision.
“Not a single swing voter in a single swing state will vote for our nominee if they choose to talk about the 2020 election being stolen,” Kemp told Republican donors earlier this year, part of a wave of pleas to GOP hopefuls to center their platforms on the future.
While Kemp’s stance is not surprising, the cautious approach from Trump-aligned politicians is. Many of the most ardent Trump supporters have yet to endorse him — including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who won an open race last year with the former president’s support.
At the Georgia GOP convention earlier this year, Jones pointedly praised Trump but stopped short of formally backing him.