In another tangible sign of the upheaval in the GOP Senate primary in Georgia, national Democrats are beginning to focus their fire on businessman David Perdue, who has emerged as the frontrunner and perhaps the biggest threat to Democratic hopes of swiping a GOP Senate seat. Their latest attack line, targeted at GOP primary voters, is that Perdue wants to raise taxes — not the typical Democratic attack line.
On Friday the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) sent out a press release that read “David Perdue Under Attack For Endorsing Higher Taxes & Arrogantly Arguing Others Aren’t Smart Enough To Understand Why Georgians Should Pay More.”
The email statement was the latest attack Democrats have pointed at Perdue over suggesting support for increasing taxes. A member of the Macon Telegraph’s editorial board recently Perdue asked if the best way to improve the economy was through cutting spending or raising revenues. Perdue responded “both.”
On Thursday, Matt Canter, the deputy executive director of the DSCC, released a memo highlighting the vulnerabilities of Perdue as well as of Rep. Jack Kingston, and former Secretary of State Karen Handel, two of the other GOP Senate primary hopefuls. Handel and Kingston are two of the more establishment Republican candidates in the race.
“David Perdue, Karen Handel and Jack Kingston are fundamentally flawed candidates who all have weaknesses in their records that will be hard to defend in a general election,” Canter wrote.
The attention toward Perdue alongside Canter and Handel by the DSCC comes a few days before Tuesday’s Georgia primary. A recent InsiderAdvantage poll showed Perdue leading the primary with 27 percent followed by Kingston with 19 percent and Handel with 17 percent. Whoever wins the primary almost certainly face Democrat Michelle Nunn in the general election.
Democrats’ hopes in Georgia had largely been pinned on Nunn facing a known uber-conservative in the general election, like Republican Reps. Paul Broun or Phil Gingrey.
