RACE OF THE DAY: Georgia governor

Georgia Republican Nathan Deal owes so much money to creditors he has to sell his Gainesville home.

That’s not a good thing when you’re running for governor during tough economic times.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, even if Deal liquidates his home and other assets, he may still be unable to repay some $2.3 million he owes on a business loan, which comes due in full on Feb. 1 — about a month after he expects to take office.

Deal and his wife, Sandra, invested close to $2 million in a sporting-goods business with his daughter and son-in-law. The business went belly-up, and when his daugther’s family declared bankruptcy, Deal was left on the hook.

Deal acknowledged on Thursday that his debts are larger than the $2.3 million the Journal-Constitution first reported.

Moreover, despite having released 28 years’ worth of tax returns, Deal failed to disclose the outstanding debt to the State Ethics Commission.

Asked about the omission Thursday night, Deal said, “I think it was an oversight.”

Deal’s opponent, Democrat Roy Barnes, has already taken hold of the issue.

”We need somebody that makes sure they can give full attention to the state at this very critical time,” Barnes, a former governor, said Thursday. “We need somebody that doesn’t need on-the-job training, and can give their full attention to it. I’ll allow him to answer those questions, but the message I would have is, let’s disclose everything.”

It doesn’t help Deal that Barnes’s camp just received a $1 million transfer from the Democratic Governors Association. This is a race that seems to be edging toward the Democratic column.