Them’s the breaks, as Boris Johnson once said. Conservative Democrats are thinking twice before supporting progressive Democrat Stacey Abrams for governor. Former Georgia Governor Joe Frank Harris, a conservative Democrat, endorsed Republican Governor Brian Kemp for re-election on Wednesday. This endorsement follows another conservative Democrat’s endorsement made on Monday for Governor Kemp. The widow of former Governor Zell Miller, Shirley Miller, has endorsed Kemp for re-election.

The Kemp campaign announced the endorsement by Shirley Miller with a news release on its website.

Today the Kemp for Governor campaign announced that conservative small businessman Governor Brian Kemp has received the endorsement of former First Lady Shirley Miller in his bid for re-election.

“We need an experienced leader who can answer the call when the phone rings in the middle of the night,” said First Lady Shirley Miller. “Governor Kemp has ably guided our state through one of our toughest chapters in modern times. He has a proven record of acting in the best interest of all Georgians. I hope voters will join me in supporting Governor Kemp for re-election in November.”

“Our family is deeply honored to have the support of First Lady Shirley Miller in this campaign,“ said Governor Kemp. “Through the many years of servant leadership she and her late husband gave to our state, Governor and First Lady Miller exemplified the motto of Georgia: wisdom, justice, and moderation. If the voters give us the honor of serving them for another four years, we hope to continue Governor and First Lady Miller’s legacy of statesmanship and public service.”

That is a brief but potent endorsement from Mrs. Miller. She asks Georgia voters who they will trust to answer a call in the middle of the night if all hell breaks loose. At times like this, they likely want someone with experience governing the state and offers a calm and steady hand.

Former Governor Joe Frank Harris endorsed Kemp today. Joe Frank Harris served as Georgia’s governor from 1983 to 1991. “Gov. Kemp is a proven leader,” said Harris. “I am proud of the tough decisions he has made during these challenging times.”

Early voting is already underway in Georgia.

More than one million Georgians have already voted in the state’s 2022 midterm elections, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday.

After two terms, Harris was succeeded by Zell Miller, who rose the issue of a statewide lottery to fund Georgia’s educational system into two terms in the governor’s mansion. Also a Democrat, Miller was later elected to the U.S. Senate, when he famously gave the 2004 keynote speech in the 2004 Republican National Convention while supporting George W. Bush’s presidential campaign.

Roy Barnes succeeded Miller as governor, but only served one term after losing a re-election bid to Sonny Perdue, who became the state’s first Republican governor in more than a century. Barnes was the last Democrat to serve as Georgia’s governor.

These endorsements may not mean much to those of us who live outside of Georgia but they may hold some sway for older conservative Democrats. It’s good news for Republicans who are taking the opportunity during what will be a red wave election to expand party outreach to independents and conservative Democrat voters. The horrible decisions made by the Biden administration affect all Americans. Bidenflation, the high price of gas and home energy costs, grocery prices, failing public schools, the porous southern border where fentanyl is coming in and killing Americans in alarming numbers, and continued supply chain issues (like baby formula) are weighing on voters. Stacey Abrams focuses on the issues that Democrats thought would win the midterm elections for them – abortion and climate change. They peaked too early on the abortion issue and climate change gets a lot of lip service but few voters are placing it at the top of their list of concerns when they go vote.

The latest poll on Georgia’s gubernatorial race shows Kemp up by 7 points over Abrams. Real Clear Politics lists a poll by Daily Wire/Trafalgar that shows Kemp at 52 percent and Abrams at 45 percent. At this rate, there will not be a need for a run-off. The Real Clear Politics aggregated averaging has Kemp up by 6.7 points.