Johnson jumps to governor’s race

As Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle went under a surgeon’s scalpel on Monday, state Sen. Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) moved to take Cagle’s spot in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial race.

Johnson announced a run for governor, something Cagle abandoned due to a degenerative spinal condition that required surgery. Cagle, who could be released from Emory University Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital in Tucker today, has said he will seek re-election. Johnson originally had planned to run for lieutenant governor to succeed Cagle.

Johnson called on state Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), the other announced candidate for lieutenant governor, to drop out and clear the path for Cagle. Shafer, who could not be reached for comment, has said he’ll take a few weeks to consider his options.

“My vision for our future focuses on how we can create new 21st century jobs, reform education to improve student achievement, and ensure effective and ethical government,” Johnson said.

Cagle’s surgery lasted about two hours and was successful, Emory University Dr. John Heller said.

Cagle, 43, should know in “days or weeks” if the surgery solved the problem, Heller said. His condition caused severe pain and numbness in his left arm.

But, Heller said, it’ll be “months before he knows if his bone grafts have healed properly.”Cagle’s chief of staff, Bart Gobeil, said his boss was “in good spirits.”

Johnson joins Secretary of State Karen Handel, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, state Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) and states’ rights activist Ray McBerry in the GOP governor’s race. Four Democrats have announced runs for governor, but none so far for lieutenant governor.