Frontrunner GA Lt. Gov. Cagle raises nearly $7 million in gubernatorial bid (Atlanta: house, tenant)

[Born 2 Roll]

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle (Republican) has raised nearly $7 million so far in his 2018 bid to become Georgia's next governor.

Lt. Governor Cagle is widely regarded by most political insiders and observers to be the frontrunner of the entire combined field of Republican and Democratic candidates in the 2018 gubernatorial race.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has raised more than $6.7 million in his bid to become Georgia's next governor, the Cagle campaign reported Tuesday.

Cagle's fund-raising covers the first eight months of his campaign, including more than $4 million he brought in during the disclosure period ending Jan. 31. Statewide elected officials and members of the General Assembly aren't legally allowed to raise campaign contributions during the legislative session, which began Jan. 8...

...The Cagle campaign has more than $5.7 million cash on hand.

"Cagle raises nearly $7 million in gubernatorial bid" (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...d.html?ana=twt

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle (Republican) has raised nearly $7 million so far in his 2018 bid to become Georgia's next governor.

Lt. Governor Cagle is widely regarded by most political insiders and observers to be the frontrunner of the entire combined field of Republican and Democratic candidates in the 2018 gubernatorial race.



"Cagle raises nearly $7 million in gubernatorial bid" (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...d.html?ana=twt

Not surprised. Religious Liberty, here we come...

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Not surprised. Religious Liberty, here we come...

That's unfortunate. So is he not going to be Deal 2.0?

[demonta4]

Where is that money coming from? Is it from corporations?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Not surprised. Religious Liberty, here we come...

With his extremely close ties with the domineering metro Atlanta and North Georgia business communities, and with himself personally being a moderate, Casey Cagle himself actually is not all that thrilled with the push by social and religious conservatives for strong Religious Liberty legislation at the state level in Georgia.

Cagle very reluctantly signed the pledge to push for a strong Religious Liberty law and even seemingly attempted not to sign the pledge that social and religious conservatives demanded that all Republican gubernatorial candidates sign.

Plus, the administration of current Georgia governor Nathan Deal warned all of the candidates in the 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary field not to push too hard on controversial and divisive social issues like Religious Liberty because of Atlanta's and Georgia's status as one of the frontrunners and absolute top candidates to attract Amazon's second headquarters.

(...Governor's Deal early warnings about social issues and potential attacks on his legacy as a pro-business governor have particularly been aimed at gubernatorial candidate and Georgia state Senator Michael Williams of Cumming who has indicated that he wants to run a Trump-style disruptive anti-establishment campaign for governor.)

Also, early indications are that Cagle (who traditionally has done well at attracting votes from moderates, progressives and African-Americans) may attempt to run as a somewhat more moderately conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate who may be able to attract votes from center and center-left voters (particularly college-educated white women in the Atlanta suburbs) in the November general election.

With Donald Trump appearing to poll somewhat very poorly early in this mid-term congressional and gubernatorial election year even in a deep-red (but potentially purple-trending) state like Georgia where Trump won the vote in 2016, a moderate GOP candidate like Cagle is likely to run less-heavily in favor of a highly-controversial, divisive, corporate-averse social issue like Religious Liberty.

In a year where it appears that President Donald Trump may struggle in the polls with female voters, the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Georgia state Senator Stacey Evans of Smyrna and former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams of Atlanta, might also have an opportunity to help Democrats make some gains in statewide competition.

Though even with what apparently may be challenging conditions for Republicans nationally, Georgia Democrats likely will have a low probability at pulling an improbable upset in the gubernatorial race in the general election, particularly against a very well-funded and extremely business-friendly candidate like Casey Cagle who has been grooming for the Governor's Mansion since first being elected Lt. Governor back in 2006.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

That's unfortunate. So is he not going to be Deal 2.0?

That's a good question.

If elected, the extremely business-friendly Casey Cagle probably may be as close to Deal as one can get when it comes to recruiting business to the state and when it comes to attempting to guide the state successfully through controversial social issues like Religious Liberty.

Though, with Cagle long getting flack from social and religious conservatives for being too moderate on social issues, Cagle likely may feel some type of pressure to throw social and religious conservatives some type of meaningful bone, especially on an issue that his conservative base is as so intensely passionate about as they are about Religious Liberty.

Though, what will probably be a determining factor in which way (and how far) a figure like Cagle goes on Religious Liberty if he is elected governor, will be how the national GOP performs in the November 2018 mid-term elections.

If the national GOP takes heavy losses and loses control of the U.S. House and/or the U.S. Senate as well as of many governorships in a wave or tsunami-type electoral outcome in November, then Cagle likely will back very far away from the Religious Liberty issue.

If the national GOP retains control of the U.S. House and/or the U.S. Senate and even gains some seats (most likely in the U.S. Senate) and does fairly well in the mid-terms, Cagle likely will feel compelled to throw his conservative base a very big bone on the Religious Liberty issue if he is elected governor in that type of positive electoral scenario for the GOP.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Not surprised. Religious Liberty, here we come...

Don't be so sure. A lot of that money is coming from the business community.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by demonta4

Where is that money coming from? Is it from corporations?

Yes.

Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle very well may be the most business-friendly political figure that the state of Georgia has had in its history outside of the City of Atlanta proper.

Cagle, whom himself was the owner of small businesses in his native Hall County, has extremely close ties and an extremely close relationship with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the metro Atlanta/North Georgia business community.

Cagle is basically the business community's preferred candidate for governor in 2018. Cagle, who is viewed widely as the next guy in line to be governor behind Nathan Deal, has been viewed as a future governor by business community donors since about the time he was elected as Lt. governor in 2006.

Cagle was supposed to run for governor back in 2010, but health problems (a severe injury to his back) kept him from running that year. Persistent rumors of marital infidelity might have also played a role in motivating him not to run for governor back in 2010.

[atltechdude]

Cagle may indeed be a Deal 2.0 in that he may campaign in a rather ultra conservative manner (Deal certainly did with his disgusting attacks on gays etc), but then govern in a more pragmatic and business friendly way as Deal pivoted to.

[Atlwarrior]

This will be one of the most interesting Governor races on the National level. I expect millions to come to both of the final candidates in the end.