MACON, Ga. — As campaigning kicks off, we're taking a closer look at the gubernatorial race.
The general election is less than a year away and the primary is set for May 24.
The election was originally expected to be a rematch between Governor Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams. But with former Senator David Perdue in the race, how does this change the playing field?
The question when it comes to the Republican vote: Who will Georgians back? David Perdue, with former President Donald Trump's support, or Governor Brian Kemp.
"A lot of this is going to boil down to how a Republican voter probably feels about President Trump and his continued claims that he really won Georgia big," said Charles Bullock, political science professor at the University of Georgia.
Trump and his supporters criticized Governor Kemp for failing to overturn the state's 2020 election results.
Bullock says it's not clear yet whether the former President's support will help or hurt Perdue's chances.
"Particularly, if the Republican nominee is David Perdue, he's not going to be able to keep an arms length distance from President Trump. It's going to be a fallen brace there. But it may certainly help him in the primary in the spring. But it could hurt him in the general in November," Bullock said.
Bullock says the race between Kemp and Perdue has already created a clear divide in Georgia's Republican party and could potentially give Democrats the advantage in the general election in November.
"Internal warfare that's going on is not going to be good for the Republican party. If it leaves the person who gets the Republican nomination so weakened that he then loses in November, the biggest lost that could happen to a party is losing control of the governorship," he said.
The general election is November 8.