The subtext of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's latest ad was hard to miss: He's binding himself to President Donald Trump, whose image is the first to flash on the screen, and Gov. Nathan Deal, who flickers into view a few seconds later.
“Trump gets things done,” says the narrator.” Conservative Casey Cagle’s like President Trump.”
And Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Cagle’s opponent in the July 24 GOP runoff for governor? His face appears next to Hillary Clinton’s near the ad’s end.
“Brian Kemp mucks things up,” the ad declares. “Casey Cagle gets things done.”
It's the clearest example yet of a dominant thread emerging in this race.
Both Cagle and Kemp are going into overdrive trying to tie themselves to Trump, who is wildly popular among the conservatives who will decide next month's contest.
And Cagle has also aggressively linked himself to Deal, the two-term Republican who has yet to pick sides in the race.
This is Cagle’s third ad in the runoff phase, and the second to take direct aim at Kemp.
He's put about $2 million behind the spots so far, compared to the $1 million Kemp bought for his first ad. That 30-second spot calls Kemp a "hardcore Trump conservative" and nods to the secret recording of Cagle.
Here’s a few of our most recent stories on the GOP race for governor:
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