BNJacksonGA

Nathan Deal

Former Secretary of State Karen Handel called Nathan Deal this morning to concede the race for the Republican nomination for governor. Selflessly putting the Republican Party first, Secretary Handel said that she would not request a recount.

"I'm extremely grateful to Secretary Handel for her graciousness," Deal said. "Secretary Handel has served our state with honor and distinction. She's a tenacious campaigner, so it's a relief to have her running with me. I think the close finish shows that both campaigns did a great job at convincing voters to support them.

"I had a productive conversation with Secretary Handel. She said that she would not seek a recount, even though the margin is less than 1 percent, and she said that she was encouraging her supporters to work for my candidacy with the same energy and enthusiasm as they showed hers. These actions are in keeping with Karen Handel's longtime devotion to her state and to the Georgia Republican Party. This selfless gesture allows Republicans to rally together to beat Roy Barnes.

"I look forward to working with Karen Handel and all the other candidates on behalf of the entire Republican ticket, which will include Johnny Isakson, Casey Cagle and other strong conservative leaders. Together as Republicans, we will offer our plan for lower taxes, new jobs and a better future for Georgia's families. Roy Barnes is a smart politician but even the smartest liberal will have a difficult time selling new big government programs at a time when Georgians are outraged by the explosion of debt under the Obama administration."

Tags: Barack Obama, Casey Cagle, Democrat, Georgia, Georgia Politics, Georgia Republican Party, Johnny Isakson, Karen Handel, Nathan Deal, Republican, Roy Barnes