Former Georgia Senator Sam Numn campaigns for his daughter, Democrat Michelle Nunn, at the Dalton Depot Wednesday night.
Staff photo by Kendi AndersonIt has been 14 years since Georgia voters have elected a Democratic senator, and next week's election has more at stake than the state converting from red to blue. Georgia has emerged as a key battleground state for Democrats fighting to pick up additional seats and thwart the GOP's push for a majority.
The most recent poll by Realclearpolitics.com has Republican David Perdue ahead of Democrat Michelle Nunn by a mere half-point, and a majority of polls question whether either candidate will receive the 50 percent plus one vote needed to win the race on Nov. 4 without a runoff in January.
Sam Nunn, who himself had a long career in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat from Georgia, believes that his daughter will carry on his bipartisan legacy if elected.
The former senator campaigned on Wednesday night for Michelle Nunn in Dalton, Ga., and told a small, well-dressed crowd of about 50 people sipping on ice tea at the Dalton Depot restaurant that his daughter is the independent, free-thinking woman that Washington needs to defeat the current gridlock.
"Michelle promises to be a problem solver," Sam Nunn told the crowd from a simple wooden podium.
The former senator said he never passed a piece of legislation without at least one Republican's support.
Michelle has repeatedly vowed to emulate her father's across-the-aisle approach to politics and be a part of a needed change in Washington.
"We want folks [in Senate] to find ways to work together," Sam Nunn said. "Dysfunction in Washington is the biggest threat to national security."
Megan Whittemore, spokeswoman for Perdue's campaign, said in a phone interview, "Perdue has said he will work with anyone who says they will fix what is wrong with Washington. ... He is focused on producing results for people here in Georgia."
Perdue stopped at the Dalton Depot on Monday afternoon as a part of his 10-day statewide bus tour, Whittemore said, and his entire campaign has been encouraged throughout the tour by the energy and excitement of supporters.
On Wednesday, Perdue received some help fighting back against attacks made by Michelle Nunn, who has been challenging his career as a high-level executive at several major U.S. companies, arguing Perdue got rich while plants closed and people lost jobs.
Mitt Romney, 2012 GOP presidential nominee, who experienced similar challenges during his campaign, supported Perdue at an Augusta rally of a few hundred supporters.
Romney came to Perdue's defense and argued that Republicans, not Democrats will help the poor and middle class.
"I'd like to see a few more people in Washington who understand where jobs come from, understand how hard it is to create them, what it's like to compete," Romney said. "And David Perdue has that understanding. He's got that kind of character and commitment that will keep this country strong."
Romney said Democrats were quick to "demonize" their opponents rather than debate the issues. He noted Georgia voters had rejected the attacks on him in 2012 and predicted they would do the same for Perdue. Romney won Georgia that year with 53 percent of the vote.
Perdue has said his critics don't understand or ignore the tenets of a free-enterprise system and that outsourcing doesn't always mean shipping jobs overseas. He points to his time as CEO of Dollar General, a company that doesn't manufacture products but obtains goods and services from other companies.
Both Perdue and Michelle Nunn agree -- no matter how voters cast their vote -- that they hope to see a large turnout in this mid-term election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6592.