For David Perdue, the Republican former US senator from Georgia, nothing much seems to be happening these days. 

He is trailing badly in polls and has been written off by Republican political insiders nationally and in Georgia. Perdue is trying to  unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. 

Also Read: Who is Brian Kemp?

In fact, even the man who recruited Perdue to run against Kemp — former President Donald Trump — seems to have given his campaign up for dead, said three Republicans who have spoken to Trump. They say Trump believes Perdue’s campaign is lackluster. 

Perdue has business experience as the former CEO of Reebok athletic brand and Dollar General stores. He was born in Macon, Georgia, and raised in Warner Robins where he grew up working on his family farm. 

Kemp has not only maintained a lead over Perdue—he’s appeared to expand it. According to a Fox News poll, Kemp now leads the Trump-backed rival by 32 points among Republican voters. 

Also Read: US primaries: In Georgia, a proxy war between Trump and Pence

At Georgia Tech, Perdue earned a degree in industrial engineering and a master’s in operations research while working warehouse and construction jobs.  He acquired a reputation for effecting successful turnarounds for ailing companies, though political opponents later charged that his methods included benefiting investors at the expense of employees.

Prior to his decisive election to the U.S. Senate in 2014, Perdue had never held public office.  

Although he had no direct political experience—though his cousin Sonny Perdue was a former governor of Georgia—his campaign touted his skills in business as key to achieving a balanced budget and tax reform.  Perdue trailed early in the Republican primary race but emerged as the winner in a runoff. In the general election, Perdue positioned himself as an outsider, pledging to not support the Republican Party hierarchy in Congress. He defeated his Democratic opponent, Michelle Nunn, and in 2015 he officially took office.  

 As a senator, he came to be known for  conservative views. He supported legislation to limit immigration and sought to ban same-sex marriage and abortion. In the 2016 presidential election, he backed Donald Trump, who ultimately won. Perdue subsequently became one of Trump’s biggest allies in the Senate. In 2017 he applauded the president’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, and he helped pass a massive tax reform bill.   

In December 2021 Perdue announced that he was running for governor of Georgia, and he received Trump’s endorsement; the election was scheduled for the following year.