U.S. Sen. David Perdue is set to visit the Georgia Capitol Monday as qualifying week begins, with rumors continuing to swirl that the first-term Republican could run for governor.
Yes, he’s aware of the chatter that he could throw his hat in the crowded race. And no, he’s not running.
But his office said the former Fortune 500 chief executive does plan to talk to lawmakers about the $1.5 trillion tax cut bill, the national debt crisis and the federal infrastructure package.
He also plans to praise state officials for quick work on repairing the I-85 bridge collapse, which he said should be a model for the nation.
“To get this project completed weeks ahead of schedule, all levels of government worked together to waive regulations, maximize capital, and put in place reasonable incentive plans,” he said. “This common-sense, outside of the box approach worked and should be mimicked in future infrastructure projects.”
Perdue is among the few politicians under the Gold Dome who won’t face a decision during the qualifying period, which runs from Monday to Friday. Every legislative seat and constitutional office is up for grabs this year, but Perdue’s term in the U.S. Senate doesn’t expire until 2020.
There are five leading Republicans and two Democrats already in the race, and they've tallied more than $20 million in loans and campaign contributions. But some of Perdue's supporters have maintained that he could scatter the field if he enters the race.
That’s not going to happen.
"Right now," he told Business Insider this week, "I'm where I'm supposed to be."
More recent AJC coverage of the Georgia governor’s race:
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More: Why Georgia Democrats are zeroing in on Atlanta’s suburbs
More: Georgia conservatives fear a Trump betrayal on immigration
More: How far Georgia will go to snare Amazon remains a mystery
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