Cagle -- All the Right Moves

Tom Crawford of Capitol Impact writes:

When the next governor’s race comes around in four years, Georgia voters will see one of the most crowded ballots ever on the Republican side. There are several GOP hopefuls interested in succeeding Sonny Perdue: House Speaker Glenn Richardson, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, and possibly others from inside the beltway like Sen. Johnny Isakson or Rep. Jack Kingston. They would all have their own strengths, but the one who may be head and shoulders above them is the man who’s set to become the first Republican lieutenant governor in Georgia’s history, Casey Cagle.

Cagle, an amiable businessman and six-term state senator from Gainesville, seems to be making all the right moves as he prepares to take over leadership of the Senate. After years of feuding between Senate Republicans and a Democratic lieutenant governor, Cagle is working to restore harmony to the upper chamber. It’s a move that should sit well with voters weary of the partisan bickering in politics.

Cagle is . . . positioning himself as a more moderate alternative to Richardson and Perdue, two politicians with quick tempers and angry personalities. While Cagle is conservative and religious himself, he could score points with swing voters by serving as a balance to the more hot-headed leaders on the other side of the capitol.