For a few hours Wednesday following Sen. Johnny Isakson's, R-Ga., surprise announcement he was resigning Dec. 31, there was growing speculation in Georgia GOP circles of an historic scenario: that Gov. Brian Kemp would appoint Newt Gingrich to the remaining year of Isakson's term and let ambitious Peach State Republicans battle for nomination to fill the remainder of his term.
But on Thursday morning, the former speaker of the House put to rest the idea of "Sen. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga." in an email to Newsmax.
"Won't happen," Gingrich, 76, emailed us.
Other Republican leaders who spoke to Newsmax agreed they still admired Gingrich and he would immediately emerge in the Senate as a force of intellectual firepower for the Trump agenda.
"But Gov. Kemp knows the Democrats are going to go all-out to win Johnny's seat in November and our other seat [that of GOP Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.]," a prominent Peach State Republican told us.
The same Republican argued Kemp would boost Republican chances of retaining the seat by naming a vigorous candidate as senator instead of a "caretaker" who would simply serve out Isakson's term.
Under Georgia's unique election law, all candidates regardless of party compete on the same ballot in November. Should no one win a majority, then the top two vote-getters will meet in a runoff in January.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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