Retiring D-56 Sate Senator Dan Moody (R-Alpharetta) is apparently set to endorse upstart Republican candidate John Albers at a GOP Breakfast gathering in Roswell on May 8.

Moody's now probable -- yet not officially confirmed -- endorsement of Albers for his soon to be vacated seat has the potential of putting the underdog candidate back in the race. Albers' campaign has lagged of late, losing momentum. He only managed to raise $700 from two donors in the past three months. But Albers says he's prepared to finance his own nomination to the tune of $200,000 from his personal wealth. So far he's put about $100,000 of his own money into his campaign war chest.

THE ENERGIZER BUNNY 

Albers, dubbed "The Energizer Bunny" by this newspaper for his infatigable work ethic, has worked diligently on his campaign for a better than year, showing up at many political events. At a Republican gathering on Sunday, the self-proclaimed community activist, who says he has 500 active volunteers, claimed he's knocked on 7,000 doors, made 10,000 phone calls and goes to seven events per day. But some guests immediately disputed the legitimacy of Albers' boasts, while others speculated he may have "peaked too early" and complained about "Albers fatigue."

The nod from Moody could be a game changer for him.

Albers, a political novice, is vying with North Fulton stalwarts Brandon Beach and David Belle Isle for the GOP nomination for D-56, set to be decided in a July 20 Republican primary.

Absent the Moody shot in the arm, Albers may have been staring down the barrel of a third place finish.

PRESS RELEASE STOPS SHORT OF OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Albers campaign sent out a press release today hyping an upcoming Moody announcement, although stopping short of defining it as a pending endorsement.

When contacted last week, Moody said he had not made a formal decision, and stated that he'd likely wait until after April 30, the deadline for official candidate-filing, to make a call. However, he didn't rule out backing Albers. "I'll meet with all the candidates," Moody told The Beacon at the time. 

When asked about the Albers press release earlier today, Moody declined to comment on the nature of the upcoming announcement.

BEACH AND BELLE ISLE GEAR UP FOR HOME STRETCH 

Georgia Department of Transportation board member Brandon Beach, a former Alpharetta councilman, is widely considered the early front-runner by GOP insiders, having raised over $133,000 in campaign donations through March 31.

Beach has already secured the endorsement of former House Speaker Mark Burkhlater and Alpharetta Rep. Chuck Martin. The Beach camp has a major campaign rally scheduled for tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Roswell Mayor Jere Wood's downtown law office.

Current Alpharetta Councilman David Belle Isle, who has effectively branded himself as the true "conservative" in the race, has managed to tap into the main vein of the Tea Party movement, giving him much needed campaign traction going into the final three months. First considered a long shot, Belle Isle is now a major threat to Albers in the potential battle for second place and a spot in the August run-off, assuming Beach's lead holds through the summer, and he's held to under 50 percent of the total vote on election day. 

APRIL 27 DEBATE COULD BE BELL RINGER 

Much could be determined next Tuesday, where the three candidates square off in a no holds barred wide-open policy and issues debate, hosted by The Beacon. The April 27 debate will be held at the Metropolitan Club on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, and kicks off with a cocktail reception open to the public at 6:00 p.m. To reserve your seat at the event, go to:

http://www.beaconcastmedia.com/debate_reservation?alerted=1