Capitol Buzzing With Rumors Of Challenge To Richardson

Dick Pettys writes in InsiderAdvantage Georgia:

The defeat on Tuesday of Rep. Jeff Lewis, a powerful committee chairman, has the Capitol buzzing about potential opposition from within his own party to Speaker Glenn Richardson. Sources say at least one legislator is sounding out fellow House members about mounting a challenge.

Lewis lost to a challenger who had made Richardson an issue in the race, saying he would never vote to re-elect the Paulding County lawmaker to the top House post. Lewis, for his part, tried to fend off the attack by attempting to distance himself from the Speaker, declaring he would like to have an option when House Republicans caucus to elect a new Speaker.

Richardson has wielded the gavel for four years as the first Republican to do so since Reconstruction. A predecessor, the late Speaker Tom Murphy, a Democrat, twice faced inter-party challenges and twice beat them.