NEW: GOP’s Disastrous Appointment Unraveling into “Bitter Republican Showdown” As Collins Prepares Senate Challenge

“All-out Republican feud” set to kick off as “GOP firestorm” gets knocked into high gear for Georgia Republicans

ATLANTA — Today, following a disastrous series of weeks for “political mega-donor” Kelly Loeffler including several rounds of weak polling and mounting conflicts of interest, new reporting revealed that ultra-conservative Congressman Doug Collins is set to kick off a “bitter Republican showdown” by announcing his own Senate bid, plunging the GOP into “an all-out Republican feud on next year’s ballot.”

Now, Governor Brian Kemp’s sham appointment process that even Republicans decried as a “fiasco” is set to backfire even more than it already has. Collins’ bid reopens barely healed intra-party wounds left over from Loeffler’s appointment, leading the party to “a divisive 2020 battle at a time when Republicans can ill afford discord.”

“This is Republicans’ worst case scenario as their appointed Senator battles weak polling numbers, mounting ethical conflicts of interest, skepticism from the base and now a likely challenge from  Congressman Doug Collins,” said Alex Floyd, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “With temporary Senator Kelly Loeffler already pledging to spend $20 million, this promises to be an expensive, bitter fight the Georgia GOP wanted to avoid.”

Even before reporting confirmed that Collins was set to challenge Loeffler, polls already showed her losing to the conservative challenger by double digits among Georgia Republicans — and revealed her favorability numbers were underwater with independent voters. Given her firm’s track record as part of Washington’s revolving lobbying door and her ongoing “‘minefield’ of potential ethical issues,” it’s no surprise that Loeffler will face an uphill battle to keep the seat she bought. 

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