David Perdue decides not to run for US Senate in 2022

Former Sen. David Perdue says that he will not be running again for the U.S. Senate in 2022.

Earlier in February, the former senator filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to potentially run against freshman Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who had previously defeated Kelly Loeffler in a special election runoff.

At that time, Perdue said that Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff, who also won his Jan. 6 runoff, were "two of the most radically liberal individuals to ever occupy a seat on the hallowed floor of the United States Senate," emphasizing his desire to have Republicans take back control of the Senate.

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On Tuesday however, Perdue said he and his wife Bonnie "have decided that we will not enter the race for the United States Senate in Georgia."

"This is a personal decision, not a political one," Perdue said in a statement. "I am confident that whoever wins the Republican Primary next year will defeat the Democrat candidate in the General election for this seat, and I will do everything I can to make that happen."

In his statement, Perdue emphasized his belief that Georgia lawmakers needed to ensure that "every legal voter will be treated equally and illegal votes will not be included," saying that he would "do everything I can to be helpful in this effort."

You can read the former senator's full statement below:

After much prayer and reflection, Bonnie and I have decided that we will not enter the race for the United States Senate in Georgia in 2022.  This is a personal decision, not a political one. I am confident that whoever wins the Republican Primary next year will defeat the Democrat candidate in the General election for this seat, and I will do everything I can to make that happen. As we saw in my race in November, Georgia is not a blue state. The more Georgians that vote, the better Republicans do. These two current liberal US Senators do not represent the values of a majority of Georgians.

I am hopeful that the Georgia General Assembly, along with our statewide elected officials, will correct the inequities in our state laws and election rules so that, in the future, every legal voter will be treated equally and illegal votes will not be included. I will do everything I can to be helpful in this effort.

It has been the honor of my life to have represented the people of Georgia in the United States Senate.  Bonnie and I want to thank my fantastic staff and everybody in the state and around the country for all the help they have given us. May God continue to bless Georgia and the United States of America.

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David PerdueGeorgia PoliticsElectionNews