Former President Trump endorsed former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) in Georgia's gubernatorial GOP primary, a contest that is shaping up to be one of the most competitive political battles of the 2022 election cycle. 

"David Perdue has my Complete and Total Endorsement. He will not let you down!" Trump said in a statement Monday evening.

Earlier Monday, Trump called the state's Republican governor's rae "interesting" just after Perdue formally announced his candidacy. 

Purdue’s entry into the race marked a win for Trump, who had long looked for a strong candidate to take on current Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who had infuriated Trump when Kemp declined to support the former president’s effort to overturn his 2020 presidential loss in Georgia.

In his campaign announcement, Perdue, who lost his Senate seat in a January runoff election, said he expected to hit Kemp over the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

Stacey Abrams, the voting rights activist and 2018 nominee for governor, is the only Democrat to have entered the state's gubernatorial race so far.

In his statement on Monday evening, Trump said, "Kemp has been a very weak Governor—the liberals and RINOs have run all over him on Election Integrity, and more," using an acronym for "Republican in name only." 

"Most importantly, he can’t win because the MAGA base—which is enormous—will never vote for him," Trump said.

"David Perdue will eliminate the Income Tax, secure the Elections, defend the Second Amendment, support our great Farmers, get crime in Atlanta and other places under control, take care of our great Vets, and put parents back in charge of the schools," Trump added.  

Trump has also thrown his support behind NFL star Herschel Walker who is running against Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).