Nathan Deal will get his own star power to stand beside him Sunday.

One day before former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin comes to Atlanta to stump for Deal's gubernatorial opponent, Karen Handel, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will travel to Gainesville on Deal's behalf.

Huckabee's political action committee also is expected to make phone calls throughout the state for Deal in the days leading up to Tuesday's Republican runoff.

Huckabee is expected to arrive in a helicopter at a Deal rally at the Gainesville Civic Center that begins at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Huckabee, now a Fox News talk show host, won the most Republican votes cast in Georgia in the 2008 presidential primary. He endorsed Deal on Thursday. In a written statement, Huckabee called the former congressman "battle-tested" to fight for Georgians in a statement released by his political action committee.

A spokesman for Huckabee said on Thursday that the former presidential candidate was weighing all options for supporting Deal.

And on Friday, Deal's campaign announced that support would come in the form of a personal appearance at a Deal rally. Deal and Huckabee are scheduled to arrive at 1:40 p.m.

Deal and Handel are both vying for the Republican nomination in the state's gubernatorial race. In the July 20 primary, neither candidate had a clear majority.

The winner will face Democrat Roy Barnes and Libertarian John Monds in the Nov. 2 general election.