With the May 24 primaries looming, analysts say Russia’s belligerence is likely to deepen the political divide between rival candidates rather than create a fresh unifying moment.

“People hope at a time like this, candidates get into a kumbaya mode and rally around the flag. But this is going to be a very emotional issue, and Georgians are going to get scared,” said Leo Smith, a political strategist and former state GOP official.

“That’s the reality,” Smith said. “It will be hard for politicians to operate in a bipartisan spirit.”

Some campaigns also expect the global challenges to boost the prospects of candidates with more experience in public office.

John Porter, an adviser to Republican Butch Miller’s bid for lieutenant governor, said voters could weigh each candidate’s “maturity and competencies more than ever.”

‘A bully’

The attention on overseas affairs marks a sharp contrast to past elections in Georgia.

The twin U.S. Senate races in 2020 hinged on domestic affairs, pivoting only to global events during political attacks involving perceived ties to China or level of support for Israel. When foreign relations came up in 2018, it mostly involved promises to crack down on illegal immigration.

But the Russian attack put global affairs front and center, at least temporarily pivoting attention away from domestic policies and toward complex diplomatic and military decisions.

Some Republicans, particularly those endorsed by Trump, have said the former president would have averted the war in spite of his friendly ties to Putin and his efforts to weaken NATO.

“Russia has got to be stopped. This is nothing but a bully — Putin — taking advantage of a weak president,” Republican gubernatorial hopeful David Perdue told a conservative talk radio station. “This wouldn’t have happened with Donald Trump as president.”

Perdue didn’t explain why he considered Biden “weak” or why it wouldn’t have happened under Trump, who endorsed him in his race against Gov. Brian Kemp.

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

The governor withheld criticism of Biden’s approach as he denounced the invasion, instead calling for a quick end to the fighting and “the defeat of democracy’s enemies.” He also said he was preparing Georgia’s defenses against likely cyberattacks from Russia-aligned hackers.

The differing reactions underscored how Republicans remain divided by Trump, who has praised Putin as “savvy” and “genius” for orchestrating Europe’s most significant foreign policy crisis in generations.

But they also serve as a reminder that though foreign policy is the province of federal politicians, the European war will also influence statewide races, as candidates grapple with domestic inflation, energy price shocks and an off-kilter economy.

‘Unnecessary war?’

Rival Georgia politicians have found some common ground. Many have embraced Biden’s call for meting out stifling sanctions on Russia and his decision to deploy more U.S. troops to Eastern Europe.

And some have praised the unified response from NATO, which Trump had long criticized as ineffective. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who called the trans-Atlantic alliance “vital and inviolable,” said now is the time to strengthen the coalition.

“Putin’s military aggression requires NATO urgently to revitalize its collective strength while we reaffirm our absolute commitment to mutual defense for every NATO member,” the Democrat said.

None of the top GOP candidates for higher office in Georgia has taken a staunchly isolationist stance or expressed the pro-Putin views of some on the party’s right flank who have parroted Russian talking points.

Instead, Georgia Republicans have generally blamed the Biden administration for not instituting harsher economic penalties before the invasion as they condemned Putin in unequivocal terms.

“When you throw away peace through strength, this is what you get: unnecessary war,” said Latham Saddler, a former Navy SEAL and Republican contender for the U.S. Senate.

Credit: Greg Bluestein

Credit: Greg Bluestein

Each of Georgia’s Trump-endorsed candidates — a quintet that includes Perdue and GOP U.S. Senate front-runner Herschel Walker — declined to comment on the former president’s glowing words about the Russian leader. Still, several split with the president by clearly rebuking Putin.

“Make no mistake. Vladimir Putin is an evil man desperately resurrecting an evil empire,” said U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who is running for secretary of state with Trump’s blessing. “He will not stop with Ukraine.”

‘Action and strength’

Democrats find themselves under new pressure from GOP opponents who have long blamed Biden for higher energy prices and scarcity of household items.

Days before the invasion, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock visited a Sandy Springs gas station to tout a proposal to temporarily suspend federal fuel taxes to help Georgians in an “everyday struggle” to return to a sense of normalcy.

Credit: Greg Bluestein

Credit: Greg Bluestein

The Democrat, seeking a full six-year term in November, joined many of his congressional colleagues this week in backing U.S. military aid to Ukraine and new efforts to punish Russia’s economy.

“The United States must continue to stand with Ukraine,” he said, adding that he supports “severe sanctions on Russia to compel President Putin to cease this catastrophic effort and to hold him and his allies accountable.”

Warnock’s Republican opponents are all over the map with their response — though they are united in assailing the White House’s strategy.

Credit: File photo

Credit: File photo

At a campaign stop in Dahlonega earlier this week, Walker blasted Biden’s “weak” response to Russia and later faulted the president’s “disastrous foreign policy.” But he also cast a wider net with his criticism.

“We need to take a hard look in the mirror and see what mistakes were made and correct them immediately,” the former football standout said.

His lesser-known rivals are also trying to channel conservative angst. Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black warned of “$5 gas and further diminished global stature.”

Kelvin King, a military veteran, said the U.S. must now flex its military and economic might.

“The time for words is gone,” he said. “The only thing Putin understands is action and strength — neither of which President Biden has shown to us, our allies or Russia.”

Some predict the burgeoning European conflict could mean less attention to the culture wars legislation designed to energize the GOP base.

“We’re not talking about gender-neutral bathrooms or being canceled on TikTok,” said Porter, the GOP adviser.

“We’re talking cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, fragile global markets and protracted warfare resulting in the loss of lives.”