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Saturday, March 10, 2007
Confirmed: Hudgens drops out of contest for 10th, but may still have a race on his hands
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jackson County News has confirmed the withdrawal of state Sen. Ralph Hudgens from the 10th District congressional race to replace the late Charlie Norwood.
The move gives an instant advantage to state Sen. Jim Whitehead, a Republican from the Augusta area.
“It’s just my heart feeling that I just don’t have it in me to run,” the newspaper quoted Hudgens, also a Republican, as saying. “There was no discouragement. I know they’re going to say that people from Augusta got to you. But I haven’t talked to anybody from Augusta except those who were encouraging me to run.”
Hudgens said that he and his wife, Suzanne, have been praying about whether he should run. He said they reached a decision Friday morning. Hudgens said that he will seek re-election to his District 47 post in 2008.
“I love being in the Senate,” Hudgens said. But that may not be a sure thing now. Hudgens’ change in direction has left some frustrated, and angry.
Former state senator Brian Kemp of Athens, a Republican who left the chamber last year to run for commissioner of agriculture, had already announced his intention to replace Hudgens in the Senate. With Hudgens’ blessing.
And now Kemp says he’s in that race to stay. Even if he has to wait another year and challenge Hudgens in the GOP primary.
A spokesman sent us the following statement from Kemp last night: “I have already filed paperwork to run for state Senate District 47 and intend to run, regardless of when the election is.”
