The Democratic Party of Georgia isn’t supposed to pick favorites, but at its big November fundraiser it came pretty close. Michelle Nunn was the only Senate candidate allowed to speak, discounting several competitors who were squirming awkwardly in the room.
They are getting used to it. Nunn, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, is hogging the spotlight on the Democratic side of the race to succeed Saxby Chambliss. And thanks to the more than $1.7 million she's already raised, she's got the bankroll to back up that leading status.
But the handful of lesser-known Democrats running against her aren’t budging. They’re trying to make Nunn pay for breaks with President Barack Obama. They’re holding town hall meetings and living-room fundraisers. They’re reaching out to tea party types and showing up at Democratic shindigs in a signal that the contest is far from over.
“What I’m hearing around the state is that the party shouldn’t just anoint a candidate,” said former state Sen. Steen Miles, one of those Nunn rivals. “Some people feel that they’re being ignored — and that just doesn’t sit well.”
The competition is seeking to exploit Nunn’s cautious approach in the opening months. She’s held few public appearances and given fewer interviews since announcing her candidacy in July, instead focusing on small gatherings and fundraisers. That will likely change next year as she gears up for the May primary and the general election next November.
Nunn has so far staked out few positions that run afoul of her party, but one was an urge to delay the new health care law’s requirement that all individuals buy health insurance. With that move, she aligned herself with a handful of moderate Democrats and mainstream Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia.
Searching for crossover appeal, Nunn often peppers her news releases with ways she agrees with Chambliss and Isakson.
Her primary opponents are seeking to capitalize on that stance at meetings with the party faithful across the state. Miles, an ex-TV anchor who goes by the nickname “Newslady,” said Nunn’s stance proves the danger of anointing a candidate who hasn’t been tested in public office.
“When someone who has never been elected to any office and then purports to be a member of the party breaks with the sitting president of that party, it’s just not a good look,” said Miles, who also criticized Nunn from the left for supporting Obama’s plan to bomb Syria.
Branko Radulovacki, a physician who goes by the name “Dr. Rad,” has centered his campaign on the benefits of Obamacare. He’s held town hall meetings across the state on the benefits of the law, and he took a shot at persuading tea party members to embrace the health care overhaul.
“Voters are hungry for leadership, for people who stand up for what they believe in,” Radulovacki said. “We’re not afraid to go to different groups with our message. I’m not just talking about what I stand for. I’m putting it into practice.”
Gerald Beckum, the mayor of Oglethorpe in Macon County, said he is running for the Senate in order to provide a voice for Middle and South Georgia. He declares himself an “independent Democrat” in the tradition of Sam Nunn — though he’s not exactly counting on the elder Nunn’s endorsement.
“Michelle needs to tell the voters what her reasons for running (are) other than being Sam Nunn’s daughter,” said Beckum, a small-business owner who has been mayor for three decades. “One of the things I would bring to the table is, in my county and in this area I’ve shown people I’m willing to work with everybody at the table.”
Another announced candidate is Todd Robinson, a teacher and retired Army Ranger from Columbus. He describes himself as a “conservative Democrat” who will make welfare reform one of his top issues.
“I want to take my service to a higher level,” Robinson said. “There are veterans that right now feel they are being cast aside, and they need a veteran to speak for them.”
Some party activists are willing to hear out the lesser-known candidates. Sharon Gunter, the chairwoman of the Forsyth County Democratic Party, said Nunn has spurned Democratic chapters in North Georgia in favor of what she characterized as “old money.” Radulovacki recently wowed members at an event, she said, and Miles is scheduled to soon visit.
“It’s going to be more of a race than people think,” Gunter said. “We should give all the candidates a fair hearing. On paper everyone looks good — even I do. But you’ve got to meet the candidates to know which ones are the best.”
Still, big-name Democrats in the state and Washington immediately lined up behind Nunn. She recently attended a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraiser with first lady Michelle Obama in New York City that was focused on female senators and candidates.
Asked about Nunn’s primary challengers, DSCC Deputy Executive Director Matt Canter said he had never heard of them.
Emory University political science professor Merle Black said Nunn should cruise through the primary. But, he added, that’s not necessarily good for a first-time candidate.
A primary provides “potential for learning how to be a politician, how to present yourself, how to debate, how to connect with voters, that sort of thing,” Black said.
“For right now,” he said, “if the candidates remain the same, Michelle Nunn won’t get any experience.”
Nunn declined to comment at the party fundraiser in downtown Atlanta this week, but her remarks to the crowd underscored her confidence.
There, she welcomed state Sen. Jason Carter, who is running for governor, and former state Sen. Connie Stokes, a candidate for lieutenant governor, while pointedly avoiding mention of her own rivals in the room.
Said Nunn, “I am so excited that Connie Stokes and Jason Carter are going to be joining me on the ballot in 2014.”
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