I have not wanted to take a position on the Georgia Senate race. I have several friends running. I have maintained that my heart is with Paul Broun and my head is with Karen Handel.

If I could will someone into the Senate, it’d be Congressman Paul Broun. He’s a terrific and profoundly decent person. But in the end my head has won out for a number of reasons. Early voting is starting in Georgia and I will be voting for Karen Handel.

Between Broun and Handel, Handel has momentum upward and has been increasing in fundraising. Broun has been running a grassroots campaign, but he will need more than that to penetrate the Atlanta market where Handel already has high name ID.

Handel, meanwhile, does a few things Broun does not do. First, she neutralizes the War on Women argument. Second, she is palatable to the deep pockets that Broun is not palatable to. There is going to be a runoff. Between Handel and Broun, Handel will not cause a deluge of funds coming from all the wrong people to help elect worse candidate. If Broun is in the runoff, while I’d gladly support him, I think you’d see the establishment pour every penny they have into crushing him. He’d either limp badly out of the runoff or we’d wind up with someone worse.

I’m proud to support Karen Handel. She has a compelling life story. She is a pro-life conservative. She has won the state of Georgia before — something Michelle Nunn has not done. She is a friend. And she’ll be an improvement in that Senate seat.

I hated to choose because of my friendship with Paul Broun and with Karen Handel. I hate to have to choose. But conservatives are having to deal with reality right now and the reality is Karen Handel can win and I don’t believe Paul Broun can.

I also believe Karen Handel is a strong choice who is not of the establishment and will be her own person in Washington. She and I may not always end up on the same side of each issue, but we have the same values, same world view, and share conservative convictions.

Lastly, unlike Michelle Nunn, we won’t need to reacquaint Karen Handel with the constitution. Karen understands Washington should have boundaries. Karen Handel is running as her own person, not as her father’s heir.