Oxendine pulls out of race for lieutenant governor

[MGKrebs]

State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine today pulled out of the 2006 race for lieutenant governor.

Oxendine's decision reduces the Republican field to two: Ralph Reed, the lobbyist and national GOP strategist, and state Sen. Casey Cagle of Gainesville, a businessman.

Though 20 months away, the contest has already garnered much state and national attention.

Oxendine had already raised $500,000 for the effort and was the first to declare for the office. In his letter to Perdue, Oxendine said all signs — polling and fund-raising — were encouraging.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0305/18oxendine.html