Casey Cagle can breathe a sigh of relief (probably). In remarks delivered on Monday at a meeting of the House Rural Development Council in Tifton, House Speaker David Ralston indicated he is not running for governor in 2018.
Toward the end of his nine-minute remarks highlighting the necessity of meeting the needs of rural Georgia, Ralston said the following:
Let me be clear here today. I intend for my focus, this year and next, to be where it has always been, and that is on the Georgia House of Representatives and the good people of Georgia that we represent. I can’t think of anything more important than helping in some small way to see this council succeed in making sure that the concept of two Georgias is finally, and once and for all, cast into the dustbin of our history as a state.
The rumor mill had it that Ralston was considering a 2018 bid. He would have likely competed for many of the same establishment lane donors and voters that Cagle is targeting. Instead, it appears he is leaning toward running for reelection to his house seat in North Georgia. With the governor’s office and lieutenant governor’s office changing hands after 2018, Ralston will likely see his own stock rise as the only returning power player under the Gold Dome.
Here is a video of Ralston’s remarks that were posted on Facebook.