Casey Cagle

Casey Cagle
Casey Cagle
Born	Lowell Stacy Cagle; January 12, 1966 (age 60); Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, businessman
Years active	1995–2019 (politics)
Known for	11th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Casey Cagle, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Lowell Stacy "Casey" Cagle (born January 12, 1966) is an American political figure who held the position of the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia from 2007 through 2019.

From 1995 to 2007, Cagle represented the Georgia State Senate as a member of the Republican Party. In 2007, he became Georgia's first Republican to serve as Lieutenant Governor and ranks as the second longest-serving individual in that office after Zell Miller. He was a candidate in the Republican primary for the 2018 governor’s race.

Early life

Cagle was born in Gainesville, Georgia and raised by a single mother, with family roots in Hall County, Georgia tracing back seven generations. Despite attending eight different elementary schools by age six, he completed his education within Hall County’s public school system. After graduating from Johnson High School, he enrolled at Georgia Southern University where he played football under coach Erk Russell. A career-ending injury led him to return home at age 20 and embark on starting a small business.

Business career

Upon returning to Gainesville in 1986, Cagle established a tuxedo rental enterprise that grew to multiple outlets throughout Northeast Georgia. In 1999, he founded Southern Heritage Bank and served as its chairman until it merged with Gainesville Bank & Trust in 2004; this institution later became part of SunTrust Banks in 2008. Cagle joined the board of directors for GB&T in 2005.

Georgia State Senate (1995–2006)

In 1994, at just 28 years old, Cagle was elected to represent District 49 in the Georgia Senate, unseating incumbent Democrat Jane Hemmer. He was the youngest member of the Senate at that time and won re-election five times, serving until 2006. His leadership roles included chairing the State Senate Finance Committee, acting as Vice Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, and participating on committees for Natural Resources, Environment, and Appropriations.

2006 campaign

Cagle declared his candidacy for Georgia lieutenant governor in early 2005. He faced Ralph Reed, a well-known Christian conservative activist, during the Republican primary. Despite initial skepticism about his chances, Cagle gained momentum and secured victory with 56% of the vote amid Reed’s allegations of negative tactics tied to federal investigations related to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. In the general election, Cagle defeated former state representative Jim Martin with 54.1%, becoming Georgia’s first Republican lieutenant governor.

2010 campaign

Originally seeking the governorship, Cagle withdrew from the race on April 15, 2009, due to a degenerative spinal condition that required surgery. He then pursued re-election as lieutenant governor and was successful.

2014 campaign

Since there is no term limit for lieutenant governors serving two terms, Cagle won a third term in 2014. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated DeKalb County Commissioner Connie Stokes with 58% of the vote.

Tax cut legislation

While serving as lieutenant governor, Cagle oversaw efforts by the Republican majority to implement Georgia’s largest income tax reduction ever. This five-year initiative lowered both individual and corporate top tax rates from 6% to 5.75% in 2019 and further down to 5.50% in 2020, concurrently doubling the standard deduction for taxpayers.

2018 Gubernatorial Campaign

On April 30, 2017, Cagle declared his intention to run for governor in 2018, quickly amassing close to $7 million in campaign contributions, surpassing his competitors. His campaign secured endorsements from the National Rifle Association (NRA), numerous local newspapers, Educators First, Georgia Realtors, and over 100 sheriffs across the state.

During the May 22 primary election, neither Cagle nor Secretary of State Brian Kemp achieved a majority, leading both to advance to a runoff held on July 24. By July, Cagle had raised more than twice the amount of funds compared to Kemp. The sitting Governor Nathan Deal endorsed Cagle, providing a notable edge given Deal’s prominence within Georgia’s Republican circles.

Throughout the campaign, Cagle closely mirrored President Donald Trump’s policies and communication style, denouncing the media as purveyors of "fake news" and criticizing Kemp’s effectiveness. In response, Kemp spotlighted alleged controversies surrounding Cagle. On July 18, Trump unexpectedly threw his support behind Kemp—a development widely regarded as crucial to Kemp’s momentum. This endorsement was later linked to former Governor Sonny Perdue’s influence, stemming from prior political tensions with Cagle.

Despite leading the initial primary with 39% of the vote, Cagle was decisively defeated in the runoff by Kemp, who secured 69% to Cagle’s 30%.

Delta Air Lines and NRA Tax Dispute

On February 26, 2018, while serving as lieutenant governor, Cagle threatened to obstruct legislation that would benefit Delta Air Lines after the airline discontinued its discount program for National Rifle Association members following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Via Twitter, he declared he would "kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA." Soon thereafter, Cagle and the Georgia General Assembly eliminated a jet fuel tax exemption included in the 2018 Tax Reform Bill that would have aided Delta and other carriers. Constitutional law experts contended that Cagle’s actions infringed upon Delta's First Amendment rights related to free speech. In the aftermath, the NRA publicly endorsed Cagle’s bid for governor.

Apartment Purchase from Lobbyist

An investigation by the New York Times in June 2018 uncovered that in 2008, Cagle acquired a one-bedroom apartment from natural gas lobbyist Terry E. Hobbs at a 24% discount—paying $97,000 compared to an appraised value of $127,800. He subsequently sold the unit in 2017 for a 29% gain. When compared with other purchasers in the same building, Cagle paid $95.57 per square foot—a figure substantially lower than the average price of $139.60—indicating a below-market transaction. The appraisal board classified his purchase as "unqualified," suggesting factors beyond market value influenced the price. Nevertheless, Cagle reported the property’s value as $175,000 on his financial disclosures in both 2009 and 2013, exceeding the board’s appraisal.

Tippins’ Secret Recording

In June 2018, Clay Tippins—who placed fourth in the Republican gubernatorial primary—released a covert recording capturing Cagle admitting he endorsed "bad public policy" with the intent of undermining gubernatorial contender Hunter Hill. In the recording, Cagle explained how he changed his position on Georgia House Bill 217—which raised tax credits for private school scholarships from $65 million to $100 million—not due to policy conviction but as a political tactic. Although personally opposed to the bill, he supported it to prevent Hill from receiving Super PAC funding from the Walton Education Coalition. The Super PAC chairman denied any plans to contribute to Hill’s campaign. When questioned about regrets following this revelation, Cagle stated his sole regret was placing trust in Tippins.

After this recording surfaced, state legislators Bill Heath and Susan Holmes called for prosecutors to examine potential evidence that Cagle may have offered legislative favors in return for campaign contributions.

Second secret recording

Prior to the gubernatorial runoff, Brian Kemp's campaign released a 50-second segment from the Tippins recording that featured Cagle's unfiltered opinions about the Republican Primary. Cagle remarked, "the issue in a primary... they don't care about those matters... This primary seemed to be about who had the largest gun, the biggest truck, and who could act the most extreme." His rivals accused him of being a manipulative and self-serving politician, suggesting he was condescending toward Republican voters. The Cagle campaign explained that these remarks were aimed at Kemp, who had aired aggressive advertisements during the primary. Cagle subsequently stated that the recording was never intended for public disclosure.

Third secret recording

A further covert recording surfaced in which Cagle discussed Clay Tippins' campaign financial obligations. Tippins alleged that Cagle proposed leveraging his donors to settle Tippins' $300,000 debt in return for an endorsement during the runoff. Cagle countered by saying that clearing debts relied on having the necessary resources and willing supporters. He dismissed these accusations, labeling Tippins as a political has-been.

Travel expenditures

An analysis conducted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that from January 2010 through June 2018, Cagle utilized approximately $265,000 of taxpayer money on air travel—averaging about $33,125 annually. Some trips were to locations where he conducted fundraising for his gubernatorial campaign. On more than 100 occasions, he extended trips by adding stops in Gainesville, his hometown. This pattern of expenses contrasted sharply with Cagle’s previously projected image as a fiscal conservative.

Personal life

Cagle is married to Nita, his high school sweetheart, and together they have three sons and eight grandchildren. The family lives in Chestnut Mountain, Georgia, where they actively participate in Christ Place Church.

Electoral history

State Senator Primary Election Results

Year	Election	Republican	Votes	Pct	Republican	Votes	Pct
1996	Primary	Casey Cagle	10,294	100%	(no candidate)	0	0%
1998	Primary	Casey Cagle	9,904	100%	(no candidate)	0	0%
2000	Primary	Casey Cagle	15,791	80%	Julian Bowen	3,937	20%
2002	Primary	Casey Cagle	15,160	100%	(no candidate)	0	0%
2004	Primary	Casey Cagle	14,874	100%	(no candidate)	0	0%

State Senator General Election Results

Year	Election	Republican	Votes	Pct	Democrat	Votes	Pct
1996	General	Casey Cagle	34,093	100%	(no candidate)	0	0%
1998	General	Casey Cagle	22,951	67%	Andy Maddox	11,240	33%
2000	General	Casey Cagle	34,424	67%	Bob Vass	16,971	33%
2002	General	Casey Cagle	32,645	80%	Susie Simmons	8,135	20%
2004	General	Casey Cagle	45,282	100%	(no candidate)	0	0%

Lieutenant Governor Primary Election Results

Year	Election		Republican	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct
2006	Primary		Casey Cagle	227,968	56%		Ralph Reed	178,790	44%

Year	Election		Republican	Votes	Pct
2010	Primary		Casey Cagle	525,287	100%	(no candidate)	0	0%

Lieutenant Governor General Election Results

Year	Election		Republican	Votes	Pct	Democrat	Votes	Pct	Libertarian	Votes	Pct
2006	General	Casey Cagle	1,134,517	54.1%	Jim Martin	887,506	42.3%	Allen Buckley	75,673	3.6%
2010	General	Casey Cagle	1,403,977	54.7%	Carol Porter	1,074,624	41.9%	Dan Barber	88,746	3.5%

External links