Political Insider
Political Insider

Cagle’s final runoff ad is brutal attack on Kemp

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle campaigns for the Georgia governor's race during a meeting of the Gainesville Junior Chamber of Commerce in Gainesville, Ga., July 12, 2018. Cagle, a Republican, was captured criticizing the over-the-top tone of his own party's primary in a private conversation.

Credit: KEVIN D LILES

Credit: KEVIN D LILES

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle campaigns for the Georgia governor's race during a meeting of the Gainesville Junior Chamber of Commerce in Gainesville, Ga., July 12, 2018. Cagle, a Republican, was captured criticizing the over-the-top tone of his own party's primary in a private conversation.
By
July 18, 2018

Candidates usually close out their campaigns with feel-good messages. But the GOP race for governor may be too close to gamble on a sunny message.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's final ad ratcheted up the brutal back-and-forth with Secretary of State Brian Kemp, highlighting his role in a probe of massage parlors, his investment in a struggling agriculture project in Kentucky and his office's release of confidential voter information.

“After 20 years of failures, what’s Brian have to say?” the narrator asks.

It cuts to Kemp's closing ad, released earlier this week: "I say Merry Christmas."

Then, it flashes to the more positive images that usually accompany these final spots: “No wonder Oliver North, President Trump’s state chair and Gov. Nathan Deal trust Casey Cagle for governor.”

More recent AJC coverage of the Georgia governor’s race:

ExploreGeorgia GOP governor’s race: What you need to know 
ExploreA pledge to fight poverty riles up the Georgia governor’s race 
ExploreAn endorsement highlights slight GOP shift on medical marijuana 
ExploreKemp’s closing ad asks: Are you ‘ready for a politically incorrect conservative’ 
ExploreDeal endorses Cagle in Georgia gov race 
ExploreGeorgia gov candidates spar over Russian hacking probe 

About the Author

Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

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