NEW: Cook Political Report Moves Perdue’s Seat Toward Democrats

New polling and developing scandals show “growing trouble for Perdue” as Georgia becomes “a state to watch at nearly every level”

ATLANTA — Today, following disastrous GOP internal polling and new rankings from the National Journal showing Georgia’s Senate races among those “most likely to flip,” the Cook Political Report’s Jessica Taylor further confirmed that “the state of Georgia is in play” in a new analysis that moved Georgia’s regular Senate election closer to the Democrats.

Taylor notes that both parties “believe this is a single-digit race” — a view backed up by recent polling and Perdue himself who already privately admitted to conservative activists that his seat was “in play” this election. Now, as his “stock trades have come under scrutiny” from his coronavirus trading and polling paints “a more competitive picture” in the state, Perdue is facing “growing trouble” in 2020.

Coming on the heels of a week full of bad news for Perdue and his fellow Georgia Republicans, this new rating only further cements Perdue’s race as among the “most competitive” in the country and once again confirms, “Georgia is a state to watch at nearly every level in 2020.”

Read more about this latest ratings change from the Cook Political Report:

Cook Political Report: Georgia Senate’s Perdue Moves to Lean Republican

• There is increasing evidence, including a GOP survey out this week from a respected pollster, that shows growing trouble for Perdue as well — a byproduct of the Peach State becoming more competitive in the presidential race. Georgia is a state to watch at nearly every level in 2020.

• Both Democrats and Republicans privately believe this is a single-digit race.

• The changing political landscape of Georgia is a reality Perdue himself has been vocal about. “Here’s the reality: The state of Georgia is in play,” Perdue told a “Women for Trump” event late last month, according to audio obtained by CNN. “The Democrats have made it that way.”

• Republicans are clearly cognizant of the gains that Stacey Abrams made in her 2018 campaign for governor, coming within 1.4 percentage points of beating Kemp.

• We can’t ignore the changes in Georgia and tightening dynamics that even Republicans admit are happening.

• Kemp has gotten pushback and low ratings for his handling of the crisis in the state, and all that is not helping Republicans either. And even some of Loeffler’s stock issues could trickle down to hurt Perdue, whose own stock trades have come under scrutiny.

• We are moving this contest from Likely to Lean Republican, meaning both of the Peach State’s Senate seats are very much in play this year.

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