This year’s contestation between Republican David Perdue and Democrat Michelle Nunn for a seat in the United States Senate has attracted the attention of Politico (the preeminent source of online political journalism) and has been named one of its “most competitive races of 2014.”
However, the race particularly marks what can be seen as the end of an era. Saxby Chambliss, who has been a senator for Georgia for more than a decade, is retiring and is thus leaving the prestigious representative position open to one of two non-career politicians. (Perdue comes from a business background and Nunn comes from a public service/non-profit career.)
And though Georgia is typically seen as a deep “red” or Republican state, it is important to note that Nunn, who is the daughter of former Georgia senator Sam Nunn, has maintained considerable strength in the polls despite the fact that she is the Democratic Party nominee. In fact, the candidates currently seem to be neck and neck in the polls.
As to what their ultimate aims in running are, Perdue has declared that “I’m running for U.S. Senate from Georgia because I am truly concerned about the direction of our country.”
Likewise, Nunn’s campaign has released that she is driven by her “[belief] that coming together makes us stronger and that goals can be achieved by thoughtfully and respectfully focusing on what connects individuals,” maintaining her platform of moderation and bipartisanship.
Both candidates for the Senate seat are running on fairly comparable plans for tax reform and a balanced national budget. Nunn and Purdue have also emphasized education in their campaigns, but Perdue has made it a point to emphasize the reduction of the national debt and the repealing of Obamacare, while Nunn has explicitly and uniquely advocated for investments in workforce development, infrastructure, and clean energy investment. Moreover, both candidates claim to support efforts for U.S. energy independence.
Additionally, Nunn has declared on her website that she is concerned with strengthening the middle class families of Georgia, saying “I support efforts to increase the minimum wage to ensure that wages keep pace with inflation” and that “[w]e also should do more to incentivize employers to provide quality childcare options for their employees,” and promotes lowering the cost of college in order to bolster economic stability as a whole.
Furthermore, Perdue has been adamant and emphatic in his stance regarding Israel throughout his campaign, with statements such as “I full-heartedly support Israel’s right to defend itself, and as United States Senator, I will strongly support legislation to assist Israel.” Moreover, these historically conservative positions have been bolstered by appeals toward traditional Republican stances on gun control, illegal immigration, abortion, and traditional marriage.
With all these similarities and differences in mind, Politico reporters Johm Bresnahan and Manu Raju note that it is likely the race could go to a run-off, and that it “is one of a handful of…contests expected to decide control of the Senate.”
