David Perdue decides not to run for Senate seat in 2022

Then Sen. David Perdue addressed a crowd of supporters at the Augusta Regional Airport on Dec. 10, 2020. Then Vice President Pence also joined him at this rally. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)

By Rakiyah Lenon | Managing editor

Former Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue announced that he would not run for Senate in 2022 through a statement from his twitter account Feb. 23, 2021. This comes one week after Perdue announced on Feb. 16, 2021 that he had filed paperwork to run in the senate Republican Primary election.  

The winner of that primary would face newly elected Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock who won against the appointed former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler. 

 “This is a personal decision, not a political one,” stated Perdue. 

“I am confident that whoever wins the Republican Primary next year will defeat the democratic candidate in the General election for this seat, and I will do everything to make that happen,” Perdue said in the statement. 

The former senator lost his seat to Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in a close run-off election earlier this year. 

Warnock joins Ossoff as the first democratic senators in the state of Georgia since 2004. 

Political science professor William Hatcher says that this shift might surprise some people. 

“Historically, Georgia since 2002… has been largely dominated by republicans”, he said. 

Hatcher says that the large number of voter turnout has contributed to this change. 

Political science professor Gregory Murray also agreed that Georgia’s history as conservative state has made it key Republican state. 

“Georgia is solidly a Republican state”, said Murray. 

 Murray acknowledged that Georgia is growing in democratic influence. 

“The demographics of the state are changing… A lot of non-white people are moving into the state and their bringing more liberal purposes with them”, he said. 

When asked if the Republican Party will change following President Trump, Murray explained that it would take some time before that could be determined.  

“It’s hard to tell.” “It will be interesting to watch over the next several years and see how that plays out,” he said.