Two longtime Georgia lawmakers are considering throwing their hat in the ring for a move up in the 2014 elections.
Rep. Phil Gingrey, 70, (R, GA-11) is considering jumping into the race to take over Saxby Chambliss's Senate seat.
When pressed for answers about whether he might run or not, Gingrey tried to answer without answering. “The answer is I’m thinking about it, but I’m undecided at this point, but I am thinking about it, and I guess you could use the phrase ‘checking the boxes’ and ‘kicking the tires’ and making sure that we’re not making that decision hastily,” Gingrey said. “The election is 16 to 18 months away, but obviously we are seriously thinking about it, but I can’t tell you exactly what my deadline is in regard to making a decision.”
Rep. Paul Broun, 66, (R, GA-10) did make his entrance into the race official in an appearance yesterday. Tom Price may also make an announcement soon, and about a half-dozen other Republicans are considering campaigns as well.
On the Democratic side, longtime State Senator Steve Thompson, 60, (D-Marietta) is considering a run for the seat. Whether Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed or Rep. John Barrow (D, GA-12) decide to get in, Thompson would already have a million-dollar war chest that could carry over into a campaign. He has been in the State Senate since 1990 and is the longest-serving Democrat in the chamber.
If Gingrey and Thompson were to both declare for the Senate race, the dominoes that would fall would be very interesting to watch in Cobb County. The vacant 11th district would attract a lot of Republican candidates eager to fill Gingrey's shoes, while the vacant State Senate seat would attract a lot of interested people trying to flip the seat long desired by Republicans. In 2012, no candidate was even put on the ballot by the GOP to challenge Thompson.
Both could result in withdrawals from House races or other state races in 2014 to pursue, meaning further vacancies in office further down the ballot. With young bucks beginning to win election into the Assembly (such as Charles Gregory, 35 (R, 34th), who defeated Republican incumbent Judy Manning in the primary to represent Marietta within Cobb County) it's possibly we see some other new blood enter these races as well.
It will make for very interesting times.
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