Chris Carr makes his case in Albany to be state’s next governor

ALBANY – The vicious personal attacks and high-cost ad campaigns of two top Republican gubernatorial candidates is being described by many as intense and unprecedented as candidates get into the heart of the battle for the May 19 GOP primary. 

With the seat for the top position in the state government open for the first time in eight years, a number of candidates are vying to be the Republican candidate, including businessman Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, whose feud has caught the attention of other candidates.

Among the other hopefuls vying for the governor’s office are Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. 

“I think they’ve really gone nuclear on each other, for lack of a better term,” Carr, who recently made a campaign stop in Albany, said.

While Jones and Jackson are generating a lot of heat through their negative back-and-forth, Carr said he is focusing on the issues that are important to Georgians, like jobs, public safety and affordability.

“This has to be about who can win in November,” he said during an interview with an Albany Herald reporter prior to addressing the audience gathered at the newly opened St. Nicholas Hotel in downtown Albany. “The candidate who can win in November is not the one who can raise his hand and say, ‘I have the most money.’”

Carr was appointed to his current position in 2016 by former Gov. Nathan Deal and won re-election in 2018 and 2022. He is also looking to past campaigns when a candidate was able to beat the odds, including current Gov. Brian Kemp.

“I think Gov. Kemp was third in May 2018,” Carr said. “He made the runoff, and today we call him governor.”

The attorney general said he thinks his message will resonate with voters, and he is looking to position himself to be in a likely runoff.

“Bringing jobs and keeping people safe … I know how to do that,” he said. “That’s what people are looking for in the next governor. I have the record and the experience to deliver for the people of Georgia.”

On the topic of decline in Dougherty County in terms of lost jobs due to a slew of plant closings over the past couple of decades, from Cooper Tire to Merck Chemical to Bobs Candies, Carr said that as governor he would work with the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission and local officials to seek opportunities for the region.

“We’ve just got to think outside the box,” the candidate said. “Southwest Georgia is just a great opportunity for the state. I don’t think we always do a great job of telling that story.

“I will go the extra mile to make sure we get good economic opportunities in Albany/Dougherty County and all over the state just like Gov. Kemp has.”