Inside the Republican push to stop Trump?s ?vendetta tour? in Georgia

Asked if Trump’s help for his preferred candidates was worth much, the Arizona governor, who pointed to states where GOP governors avoided or defeated Trump challengers, replied: “It hasn’t been to date.”Voting is surging in Georgia despite controversial new election lawThe gambit is set to culminate Tuesday in Georgia, where Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is heavily favored to defeat former senator David Perdue in a closely-watched primary. Him losing gives people courage to speak out,” said Bill Palatucci, a Republican National Committeeman from New Jersey and an ally of Christie.On the campaign trail, Kemp touts conservative policies he and the GOP-controlled state legislature enacted during his term, including an election security law that voting rights groups argued would lead to voter suppression and brought backlash from civil and business leaders in the state. He has echoed Trump’s false election claims on the trail.“This governor’s race right now will determine whether or not we have a conservative Republican in the White House in ’24,” said Perdue at an event on Friday.The cousin of a former governor and heir to a major political dynasty in the state, Perdue ran as a political outsider in 2014. “Instead, it’s been a boring Trump video over and over again.”In addition to Trump’s endorsement, former Alaska Republican governor Sarah Palin and far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) have appeared at campaign stops with Perdue where they promote debunked election conspiracy theories.“That position of governor is so very important when we talk about election integrity,” Palin said in a brief stop Friday afternoon at the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport where Perdue also appeared. Palin said that she has spoken with Trump several times in the past week, and the two “talked about election integrity.”“Trump’s like, ‘Can you imagine if all of us are in position at the same time, what it is that we’d be able to accomplish,’” Palin recounted.Ducey, the Arizona governor, said that Kemp’s strong relations with other governors and the fact that he’s defeated Abrams before meant there was “never a moment of hesitation” in getting in the race.“If Brian Kemp gets over the finish line in the fashion that I believe is possible,” he said, “It speaks volumes to the good people of Georgia.”Brown reported from Watkinsville, Ga. Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed to this report.November’s midterm elections are likely to shift the political landscape and impact what President Biden can accomplish during the remainder of his first term.