Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue wants to be Georgia’s next governor. Perdue is challenging fellow Republican incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp for the party nomination in a primary.“I believe and a lot of people in Georgia believe that our governor let them down. Turned our election over to Stacey Abrams and because of that we have a very split conservative party on the republican side in Georgia,” Perdue said during an exclusive interview with WJCL 22 News. “The question is who can better bring the party together on the Republican side? Is it Brian Kemp who caused this fissure? Or me?” Perdue asked.Perdue lost his seat to John Ossoff in a special election in January 2021 that handed control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. Now that he is focused on being the state chief executive, WJCL asked what his plans are to increase productivity at the Port of Savannah? Would his administration offer more state funding if he is elected? “Well, I kind of disagree with the premise because I don’t think you need any more federal or state money to make that port work,” Perdue said in a Zoom interview. “That port needs infrastructure and that is where the state can really help. The roads, the infrastructure to accommodate the increased growth."During the interview, Perdue mentioned public safety several times. WJCL inquired what are his plans to make the communities of coastal Georgia safer since many have seen a spike in violent crime.“First of all, you got to stop defunding the police. In cities like Savannah, that is a city council and local government issue that state government must make sure these cities are safe. And so, If they are not, as you saw last summer there are opportunities for the resources of the state to step in and bring safety," Perdue said.One pressing issue in Savannah and Chatham County is affordable housing. Home prices and rents are rising faster than working families can afford. WJCL asked the candidate how would he address this problem? “Well as governor you have to work with the mayor and the city council down there. And I think we got leadership there that may not be in total alignment within terms of economic development, but you have a boom going on in Savannah largely because of the Port of Savannah."To make housing more available you have to have an investment return for the people with the capitol. So that is the first thing you look for. Are there reasonable expectations from a capitol point of view," Perdue said. There are many Republicans who openly and privately wish the party could have avoided a primary for governor. WJCL asked what can David Perdue accomplish for Georgia that Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams cannot?Perdue’s answer: “Keep Stacey Abrams out of the governor’s house and make sure that we don’t ever let the liberal side of the Democratic party take charge of Georgia. That is pretty simple.”WJCL reached out to the Brian Kemp campaign for a response after Perdue claimed that the governor caused the fracture in the state Republican party.Cody Hall, director of communications for the Kemp campaign sent us this statement. “David Perdue's failed candidacy — plagued by shady stock deals and a record of sending American jobs to China — single handedly delivered the U.S. Senate to Schumer, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris, proving Georgians can't take their chances on him again."