Many observers expected State Senator David Shafer
(R-Duluth), landslide winner of the February nonpartisan special
election for the unexpired term of resigning State Senator Billy
Ray (R-Lawrenceville), to easily win re-election to a full term,
most likely without opposition. But that changed last week when
local Democrats fielded a multi-millionaire venture capitalist to
oppose the popular new Republican senator.
Robert A. Cohen, a 57-year-old Lawrenceville
resident who listed his occupation as "Private Investor," filed
papers on the last day of qualifying to challenge Shafer for
re-election. Cohen has not made any public statements concerning
his candidacy, but a picture of the mystery candidate is beginning
to emerge from comments by local Democratic leaders.
Local Democrats say the self-described private
investor Cohen is a multi-millionaire who intends to spend a
substantial chunk of his personal fortune to unseat Shafer. They
say the last minute timing of Cohen's qualifying was designed to
take Shafer by surprise.
But Shafer seemed undaunted by Cohen's challenge.
"I appreciate Mr. Cohen's interest in public
service and welcome his candidacy," Shafer said. "I will be
running for re-election on the same issues that carried us to
victory in the special election. I want to continue the fight to
protect our quality of life. I look forward to the general
election campaign."
Senate District 48, which includes substantial
parts of Gwinnett and Forsyth Counties, is heavily Republican but
local Democrats are banking on Cohen's personal wealth to wrest
control of the seat from the GOP.
Calling Shafer "a rising star of the Republican
Party," Gwinnett County GOP Chairman Buzz Brockway vowed to
"vigorously defend David Shafer and hold this seat for the
Republican Party." He predicted that Gwinnett Republicans would
rally to Shafer's banner, not only re-electing the senator but
driving up turn-out for all Republican candidates.
Shafer, a former state executive director of the
Georgia Republican Party, plans to raise $250,000 for his
re-election campaign. Congressman Johnny Isakson is set to appear
Monday night at a fundraising reception kicking off the Shafer
campaign. Shafer's fundraising efforts are expected to intensify,
especially if Cohen uses his personal fortune to mount a negative
campaign against the popular new senator.
Brockway speculated that Democrats may be
targeting Shafer in an effort to eliminate one of the GOP's
emerging leaders. Other observers say that a surprise Democratic
victory in this seat could doom Republican efforts to take control
of the State Senate in 2002. In either event, Senate District 48
will likely be a battleground district in the 2002 election.
