Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue would have been the clear front-runner, but he quickly decided against launching a bid. Attorney General Chris Carr, a protégé of Johnny Isakson, considered a Senate bid but is gearing up to run for reelection instead. And former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, a favorite of former President Donald Trump who many Republicans saw as the strongest remaining candidate, opted out of a race this week to instead focus on his newfound radio show and growing law practice... “While I respect those who have raised their hands thus far, the fact that there’s not a household name announced yet in the Republican race is nothing short of astounding,” said John Watson, a longtime Republican operative and former chair of the Georgia GOP. He chalked it up to two reasons. The first is that increasing scrutiny and attention on political races in Georgia, one of the nation’s premier political battlegrounds, has made it more forbidding for potential candidates to seek high-profile office. The second one is just as important: Trump’s influence still reigns supreme in the state GOP.