ATLANTA — Federal and state Georgia lawmakers flocked to the Capitol Monday to complete paperwork to qualify for 2020 elections. 


All 236 seats in the Georgia House and Senate are up for election, as well as 14 U.S. House seats and the state’s two U.S. Senate seats.

But aside from the necessary paperwork, qualifying week gives Georgia candidates a chance to spread their platform and draw contrasts with their opponents.

All three U.S. Senate Republican candidates made appearances in the early hours of qualifying — incumbent Sen. Perdue touted Republican unity while current Sen. Kelly Loeffler and U.S. Rep. Doug Collins added fuel to the special election fight for former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s vacant seat.

Sen. Perdue declined to take a side between Loeffler and Collins’ bids. “I am taking a hard side,” he said, the “Republican side.”

“My role as a senior senator is make sure Republicans stay united, that’s the first thing,” Perdue told the press. “This is Democracy…They’ll have their campaigns. But I’m confident that when we take the truth and the message to the people in Georgia, I trust the people in Georgia, they’ll come up with the right conclusion.”

Collins had one message for Loeffler, “Bring it on,” he said.

The Gainesville Republican highlighted Loeffler’s gaudy campaign spending which has been a key talking point of her critics. So far, there has been $10 million spent in the race, he said, none by him.

“You can spend your millions, but we’re going to have debates. In fact, let’s have a lot of debates. Let’s have them all over the state,” Collins said. “Because ideas matter, and I have no problem with my ideas, and what I’ve done for the state of Georgia.”

Collins said his track record in D.C. — most notably his performance during impeachment proceedings — will give him the advantage over Loeffler who has had little time in D.C.

“Georgia knows who the Conservative is in this race,” he said.

Just minutes later, flanked by Gov. Brian Kemp, Loeffler defended her campaign spending of her own money and picked a more positive message of “uplifting” Georgians and getting President Donald Trump reelected.

“I’m investing in this race because I believe that you cannot put a price on freedom,” she said in response to questions about her campaign spending.

Loeffler has had the vocal support of Kemp since her appointment to finish Isakson’s term, but not all Republicans are on her side.

“I expected politics as usual when I came because I’m a political outsider,” Loeffler said. “I’m not a political insider, I’m not trying to run and keep my job. What I’m trying to do is make sure Georgians elect me to this job because I’m doing the right thing.”

The fight for Georgia’s special election Senate seat has Democrats eyeing to take advantage of the GOP rift. As Republicans battle to hold seats, state and federal races are crowded with Democrats hoping to swing districts.

Former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, one of the Democrats eyeing Perdue’s seat, said that there’s “less internal fighting” on the Democratic side.

“What we’re bringing are these fresh ideas,” she said. “We’re being able to point out the ways in which (Perdue) has failed Georgia and new ideas that will actually replace those failed efforts.”

After qualifying, Perdue looked back on his first run at Senate.

“Six years ago I stood right here and said ‘look Washington’s broken,’” he said. “If you want different results you got to send a different kind of person. I didn’t see Donald Trump coming, but thank God, God sent him.”

Kemp said he and Perdue ran similar races for the seats they now hold.

“We also were both told we couldn’t win, we were both told it was someone else’s turn,” said Kemp. “But with the support of people here and millions of people across the state, we did.” 

Perdue warned of the direction the Democratic Party is moving.

“What I’m here today to do is to tell you that we’re in a fight in Georgia,” he said. “Right now, on the national level, you can see that the other side is talking about radical changes to the very fabric of what our founders created here in America.”

Despite his cancer diagnosis, U.S. Rep. John Lewis filed his qualifying paperwork out Monday at the Capitol. Lewis spent Sunday in Selma, Alabama for the reenactment of ‘Bloody Sunday.’ The event, he said, inspired him “more than ever” to run.

“I never considered not running,” he said. “I am getting better, I am feeling good. Feel stronger and stronger.”