There are 3 declared candidates on the 'Rat side. Former State Sen. Greg Hecht, former State Rep. Jim Martin and activist Griffin Lotson. 2 potential, but undeclared, candidates include Max Cleland (yup, that Max Cleland), and Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond. The filing deadline isn't until the end of April, so we may see a surprise or two. The 'Rats very much do not want to lose this office.
To my knowledge, Thurbert Baker hasn't been mentioned as a potential candidate (AG in some ways would be a better office to hold over Lt Gov), and I'd agree it would be foolish to leave it for a risky run to preside over a body in which he would be a member of the minority party, and largely irrelevent for the purposes of organizing the body, as Mark Taylor is now.
Right now, the 'Rats outnumber us 5 to 3 for statewide offices (Our holding just the Gov, Schools Chief, and Insurance Comm), and we probably will grab Lt Gov (with Cagle) and Sec of State (with either Bill Stephens or Karen Handel). It would be nice to bump off Baker for AG, an office we last held with the troubled Mike Bowers, but I don't know how strong his main opponent, Fmr. Sen. Perry McGuire is. The real shocker is how Tommy Irvin has managed to hold onto the Agriculture Commissioner position since the Lester Maddox Administration (!) in 1969, which makes him, to my knowledge, the longest-serving statewide officeholder in the nation (close on the heels of my Lt Gov north of the border here in TN, who has served since 1971, but he is elected by the Senate as opposed to statewide). Surely a Republican can make the claim that its long overdue for a change, and also against Mike Thurmond, too, who has been in for 8 years (if he doesn't opt to run for Lt Gov).
As far as I know, Tommy Irvin has done a good job for Georgia agriculture. He comes from a time when you HAD to carry the Democrat label to win. Also, a lot of the people who actually vote for Agriculture Commissioner are older South-Georgia "yellow dog" types.
I will say also that Cathy Cox has done a good job as Secretary of State.
In my opinion, Perdue isn't as conservative as he presents himself - what about doling out supply money to the teachers just in time for the elections? And I would say that his Commissioner of Revenue runs as anti-business and as inefficient a bunch of bureaucrats as there is.