The five Republican candidates for governor met Thursday for one of the last televised debates before the primary, clashing over tax policy, immigration proposals and gun rights.
A few observations:
-Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the GOP front-runner, broke from his above-the-fray strategy to swipe at former state Sen. Hunter Hill repeatedly. So did several of the other contenders. It was the most overt sign yet that Cagle doesn’t want to face the military veteran in a likely July runoff.
-Hill got the most heated over a Cagle attack claiming he said on Facebook that Donald Trump wouldn't be better than Barack Obama. The same critique appeared in a shadowy mailer, and Hill – who said it was "false" – called it proof that Cagle was behind the flyers.
“If you think you can keep me out of a runoff and defend your 24-year record in politics, here is your shot,” he said after the event. “I’ll meet you in Gainesville or wherever you’d prefer – to debate on Saturday.”
(They'll have a chance to meet again regardless on Sunday for the WSB debate. Find the details here.)
-Secretary of State Brian Kemp, sitting in second place in many of the polls, had a big grin on his face most of the debate as he watched many of the barbs fly toward Cagle and Hill. But he faced a fraught moment of his own when state Sen. Michael Williams pressed him on his support for Trump. He said he supported the Republican nominee, but never signed a formal endorsement of the president during the campaign because he was never asked to do so.
-Businessman Clay Tippins and Williams got their licks in, too, getting a chance to outline their policies to a statewide audience.
Here are some of the top moments.
Williams on his “deportation bus” tour:
Cagle on whether his Delta rebuke hurt economic development efforts:
Tippins directing his question to the “people of Georgia.”
Hill on whether his plan to eliminate the state income tax hurts Georgia’s fiscal health:
About the Author
