Oxendine jumps into gov’s race
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008Just as political junkies were busy swapping predictions about the 2010 governor’s race – Is Johnny really getting in? Will Richardson stay out? – our unpredictable state Insurance Commissioner jumps in with both feet. Republican John Oxendine tells Insider Advantage that he’ll make a formal announcement in a few weeks.
Isn’t it a bit early to actually declare one’s candidacy for a race that’s two years off? It would be, unless one’s main goal is to spook Sen. Johnny Isakson into backing off from a run, says one GOP strategist we spoke to. While Isakson would be considered the man to beat in the GOP primary, he’s also a fairly cautious pol. You would be, too, if you had a cushy Senate seat in your back pocket.
Oxendine may be something of a political maverick who hasn’t made a lot of friends within his party, but he’s got a formidable donor base in the insurance industry that can help him bridge the name-recognition gap. And although he began his time in office as something of a buffoon known for wrecking state vehicles, Oxendine has lately earned points by criticizing some of the less consumer-friendly measures coming out of the Statehouse.
What this means for the rumored candidacies of fellow Republicans, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland or Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, remains to be seen.
If Isakson does decide to run for the Governor’s Mansion, then stand back as the political dominoes begin to fall. We’ve heard that GOP Congressmen Jack Kingston of Savannah and Phil Gingrey of Marietta might be interested in moving up to the Senate. Gov. Purdue, too, would be available to run.
And among the Democrats? Too soon to guess, but whoever it is better have the full backing of the party. Says one Dem insider: “The only way for us to get back in the game is to have a unified ticket that everyone can get behind.”
