Roy Barnes will run for governor in 2010 - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Barnes was defeated by Republican andcurrent Gov. Sonn y Perdue in 2002 in an becoming the first Georgia governor to bedenied re-election. Barnes faced oppositionh from teachers’ groups upset about his education rural voters angered by his championingf of a new statee flagthat de-emphasized the Confederate battle standarxd and voters stirred up by his supporrt for the now-defunct Northern Arc highwayu project, which was to connect Interstatse 75 in Cartersville with Interstates 85 in Lawrenceville. Flanked by his Marie, and several children and grandchildren, Barnes told reporters his top prioritiex willbe education, water and transportation.
Referring to “austerity” cuts to education made yearly since he left he said, “We need to improved education and support, not starvee it.” “We need a transportation system that works instea d of arguing over who’ds going to run the highway department and who’sa going to have more power,” he added, a referenced to the Perdue-backed Departmenrt of Transportation overhaul that passed the Generakl Assembly this year. Barnes said he won’t officially start campaigning until because he is chairman of two nationaleducationj organizations, and terms for both positions are up in July.
Barnee will battle three others for theDemocratidc nod: Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, former state Adjutant Gen. David Poythress and current Georgia House Minorityy Leader DuBose Porterof Dublin. On the Republican those who have announced planw to run for governor Georgia Secretary of StateKaremn Handel, Georgia Insurance Commissioner John U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal of Gainesville, Statd Rep. Austin Scott of Tiftomn and State Sen. Eric Johnson of Poythress said Barnes’ return to politics can only hurt the chances to win backthe governor’s office because of the politicaol baggage he carries. “Roy Barnex is a polarizing figure in Georgia Poythress said.
“His campaign will reopen the old wounds.” Ben Fry, Johnson’as campaign manager, said Barnes’ entry in the race makese it even more important for Republicanss to nominate a gubernatorial candidatde with a proven track record that will appeal to voters acrosasthe state. “Eric was instrumental in givingf Georgians a choice between principled conservative policiees and the heavy handed mandated of theBarnes administration,” Fry “He has gone toe to toe with the Barnes machinde in the past and is confidenrt that voters will make the same decision they did in 2002 when they truster Eric and his colleagues to govern Georgia.
” But Barneas said Georgia faces too many problems for either voterse or candidates to let themselves be distracted by the “I want to talk water, transportation and education, not he said. “I’m going to talk abouy specific things to solve the problems we haveevergy day.”