Trump to hold rally for Perdue, Walker in Georgia

Former President Trump is set to hold a rally in Georgia later this month for former Sen. David Perdue (R) and Herschel Walker (R), his endorsed candidates in the Peach State’s marquee gubernatorial and Senate races.

Trump’s rally, set to take place in Commerce, Ga., on March 26, marks an effort to protect his investment in the two contenders, who are looking to unseat incumbents in two of the most closely watched races in the country.

A statement from Trump’s leadership PAC announcing the rally said the event would also look to boost “other endorsed candidates.”

Perdue, who lost his Senate seat in a runoff in Jan. 2021, is running against Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in the GOP primary. Kemp, a staunch conservative, is in Trump’s crosshairs over his refusal to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss in Georgia. In that vein, Perdue’s campaign against Kemp has focused largely on his perceived electability and handling of the 2020 race rather than traditional conservative policy issues.

“I’m proud to have President Donald Trump’s endorsement and look forward to welcoming him back to Georgia to rally support for our campaign,” Perdue said in a statement. “Georgians are ready for a bold conservative who will fight the political establishment, instead of caving to radical liberals like Brian Kemp has done every step of the way.”

The primary is anticipated to be particularly contentious, with Kemp also marshaling support from groups like the Republican Governors Association, which last month rolled out a $500,000 pro-Kemp ad. The video marked the first time the group has ever financed a TV ad in a primary to support an incumbent facing a Republican challenger.

A recent Fox News poll also showed Kemp with an 11-point lead over Perdue.

Stacey Abrams, a former state House minority leader and 2018 gubernatorial candidate, is anticipated to handily win the Democratic nomination in that race.

Walker, meanwhile, is running for the chance to take on Sen. Raphael Warnock (D). Warnock won his seat in another runoff last year to finish the term of the late Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) and will run for a full term of his own this year.

Republicans boast that Warnock is among their top targets and are anticipated to campaign particularly hard for his seat.

While Walker is coasting in primary polls, he has been hit with various allegations of misconduct since he launched his campaign.

Walker has been accused of past domestic violence toward his ex-wife, and just Friday it was reported that Walker’s businesses suffered from defaults and lawsuit settlements and that he made misleading statements about the size his companies and their number of employees.

Still, several prominent Republicans besides Trump have come out in support of Walker, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Senate Minority Whip John Thune (S.D.) and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.