Jump to content

Brian Kemp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brian Kemp
Kemp in 2023
83rd Governor of Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 14, 2019
LieutenantGeoff Duncan (2019–2023)
Burt Jones (2023–present)
Preceded byNathan Deal
27th Secretary of State of Georgia
In office
January 8, 2010 – November 8, 2018
GovernorSonny Perdue
Nathan Deal
Preceded byKaren Handel
Succeeded byRobyn Crittenden
Member of the Georgia State Senate
from the 46th district
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byDoug Haines
Succeeded byBill Cowsert
Personal details
Born
Brian Porter Kemp

(1963-11-02) November 2, 1963 (age 61)
Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
(m. 1994)​
Children3
ResidenceGovernor's Mansion
EducationUniversity of Georgia (BS)
Signature

Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American politician serving since 2019 as the 83rd governor of Georgia.[1] A member of the Republican Party, Kemp served as the state's 27th Secretary of State from 2010 to 2018, and as a member of the Georgia State Senate from 2003 to 2007.

Kemp is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Before entering politics, he operated several businesses in agriculture, financial services, and real estate.[2] In 2002, he was elected to the Georgia State Senate. Kemp ran for commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture in 2006 but lost the Republican primary. In 2010, Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Kemp secretary of state. He was elected to a full term as secretary in 2010 and reelected in 2014. In 2015, Kemp was criticized after a data breach of over six million voters' personal information to 12 organizations.[3] During the 2016 election, he was the only state official to reject help from the Department of Homeland Security to guard against Russian interference.

Kemp ran for governor in 2018 and faced Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams. He refused to resign as secretary of state while campaigning for governor, which stirred controversy and accusations of abuse of power from Democrats. Kemp narrowly won the general election and resigned as secretary of state shortly thereafter.[4] Abrams accused Kemp of voter suppression, which he denied.[5] News outlets and political science experts have found no evidence that voter suppression affected the result of the election.[6][7][8] In his first term as governor, Kemp opposed face mask mandates and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, and prohibited localities from implementing stricter public health measures than the state as a whole.[9][10] After the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, he faced criticism from President Donald Trump for following the state law that required him to certify the results, despite Trump's repeated false claims of fraud in the election.[11][12] In 2021, Kemp signed into law the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which expanded early in-person voting and increased the state government's control over local election officials.[13]

In his 2022 reelection campaign, Kemp was challenged by former U.S. Senator David Perdue in the Republican primary. Although Trump endorsed Perdue, Kemp defeated him in a landslide.[14][15] In the general election, Kemp defeated Abrams in a rematch by a wider margin than in 2018; she conceded defeat on election night.[16]

Early life

[edit]

Kemp was born in Athens, Georgia, the son of William L. Kemp II, into a prominent family with a history of political power. Kemp's grandfather Julian H. Cox was a member of the Georgia Legislature.[17]

Kemp went[when?] to the private Athens Academy until ninth grade. He transferred[when?] to Clarke Central High School to play football for Billy Henderson; he graduated in 1983.[18][19] He later[when?] graduated from the University of Georgia, where he majored in agriculture.[17]

Early career

[edit]

Kemp was a home builder and developer before entering politics.[17]

He served as a Georgia State Senator from 2003 to 2007 after defeating the Democratic incumbent Doug Haines.[20] In 2006, Kemp ran for Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia. He finished second in the primary,[21] but lost the runoff to Gary Black.[22] Kemp declared his candidacy for State Senate District 47 when incumbent Ralph Hudgens planned to run for Congress in Georgia's 10th congressional district, but Hudgens instead ran for reelection, changing Kemp's plans.[23]

Georgia Secretary of State

[edit]
Kemp with U.S. Senator David Perdue in his Senate office on February 14, 2017.
Kemp with U.S. Senator David Perdue in February 2017, in his state Capitol office.

In early 2010, Kemp was appointed Georgia Secretary of State by then-Governor Sonny Perdue.[24] Kemp won the 2010 election for a full term as secretary of state with 56.4% of the vote, to 39.4% for Democratic nominee Georganna Sinkfield.[25] Four years later, Kemp was reelected.

Kemp rejects the conclusion by the United States Intelligence Community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.[26] Amid Russian interference in the 2016 election, Kemp denounced the Obama administration's efforts to strengthen election system security, including improving access to federal cybersecurity assistance,[26] calling the efforts an assault on states' rights.[26]

After narrowly winning the 2018 gubernatorial election, Kemp resigned as secretary of state in anticipation of becoming governor.[27][28]

Federal efforts to secure state voting systems

[edit]

As evidence mounted that Russian hackers were attempting to disrupt the 2016 elections, President Obama directed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to work with states to secure their voting systems as "critical infrastructure." Kemp was the only state election official to decline the help from Jeh Johnson.[29] In a 2017 interview, he denounced the effort as an assault on states' rights, saying, "I think it was a politically calculated move by the previous administration" and "I don't necessarily believe" Russia had attempted to disrupt the elections.[30][31] In August 2016, amid Russian attempts to disrupt the 2016 elections, Kemp said that an intrusion by Russian hackers into voting systems was "not probable at all, the way our systems are set up" and accused federal officials of exaggerating the threat of Russian interference.[32]

Georgia was one of 14 states that used electronic voting machines that produced no paper record, which election integrity experts say left elections vulnerable to tampering and technical problems.[33] The 2018 indictment against Russian hackers (as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into 2016 interference) said that the Russian hackers targeted county websites in Georgia.[29]

In December 2016, Kemp accused the Department of Homeland Security of attempting to hack his office's computer network, including the voter registration database, implying that it was retribution for his previous refusal to work with DHS. A DHS inspector general investigation found there was no hacking, but rather it was "the result of normal and automatic computer message exchanges generated by the Microsoft applications involved."[34][33]

Exposure of personal voter data

[edit]

In October 2015, the Georgia Secretary of State's office, under Kemp's leadership, illegally disclosed the personal information (including Social Security numbers and dates of birth) of 6.2 million registered Georgia voters. This data breach occurred when the office sent out a CD with this information to 12 organizations that purchase monthly voter lists from the office. The office was not aware of the breach until the next month, and did not publicly acknowledge it until The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the class action lawsuit against the office that resulted.[35] Within a month of the breach becoming publicly known, it had cost taxpayers $1.2 million in credit monitoring services for those whose data had been compromised, and $395,000 for an audit into Kemp's handling of the unauthorized data disclosure.[36]

Kemp drew criticism again in 2017 when it was revealed that a flaw in the state voting system exposed the personal information of over six million Georgia voters, as well as passwords used by county election officials to access voter files, to researchers at Kennesaw State University.[37] The security flaw was fixed six months after it was reported to election authorities.[38][39] After a lawsuit was filed, a server at the center of the controversy was wiped, preventing officials from determining the scope of the breach.[40] Kemp denied responsibility, instead saying researchers at Kennesaw State University, who managed the system, had acted "in accordance with standard IT procedures" in deleting the data.[41]

Massage Envy controversy

[edit]

On September 5, 2018, an attack ad was released[42] claiming that Kemp chose not to pursue accusations of sexual assault against therapists employed by Massage Envy during his time overseeing the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy because of donations made by franchisee owners to Kemp's campaign.[43][44] The offenders were able to renew their Board licenses after the accusations.[45] Republican State Senator Renee Unterman said that there "appears to be a direct connection between campaign support from Massage Envy franchisees in exchange for non-action and suppression" and asked U.S. Attorney B.J. Pak to investigate "what seems to be a quid pro quo scheme being perpetrated through the secretary of state's office and the Kemp for governor campaign."[46] Kemp said that he had done nothing illegal.[47]

In response to the accusations, a spokesperson for Kemp's campaign asserted that Unterman was "mentally unstable" and suggested she "seek immediate medical attention before she hurts herself or someone else". The Kemp campaign was criticized for its apparent reference to Unterman's history of depression, about which she had spoken publicly.[48][49] In response, Unterman said she would not be "intimidated, blackmailed, belittled, or sexually harassed" into silence.[50] Kemp's campaign did not apologize for the remarks.[48][49]

Accusations of voter suppression

[edit]

Kemp was accused by Democrats of voter suppression during the 2018 gubernatorial election.[51][52][53] Political scientists Michael Bernhard and Daniel O'Neill described Kemp's actions as the worst case of voter suppression in that election year.[54] The allegations arose from Kemp's actions as secretary of state: a few weeks before the election, he put 53,000 voter registration applications on hold, with 70% of the applicants being African American, and he purged 1.4 million inactive voters from voter rolls during his tenure, including 668,000 in 2017.[55][56][57][58] Kemp denied engaging in voter suppression, stating that he was following federal and state law to update voter rolls with accurate information.[59][57]

As a result of the controversies surrounding the 2018 Georgia midterms, critics have called Kemp's gubernatorial victory illegitimate.[60] Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post noted such claims are "an article of faith among Democrats".[61] Political scientists and news outlets have rejected these claims; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote, "no evidence emerged of systematic malfeasance – or of enough tainted votes to force a runoff election between Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams".[62] Political scientist Charles S. Bullock III told The Washington Post that claims of a stolen election were "not based on fact but will continue to be articulated by Abrams since it helps mobilize her supporters", while Richard Hasen took issue with Kemp's job performance but said that he had seen "no good social science evidence that efforts to make it harder to register and vote were responsible for Kemp’s victory over Abrams in the Georgia gubernatorial race".[61] A USA Today fact check noted that the actions Kemp's office took during the election "can be explained as routine under state and federal law".[63] Hasen told PolitiFact, "I have seen no good evidence that the suppressive effects of strict voting and registration laws affected the outcome of the governor’s races in Georgia and Florida" and suggested Democrats "cool it" with claims the election was stolen.[64]

Kemp introduced a controversial "exact match" policy during his first year as secretary of state in 2010.[65] Under the system, eligible Georgians were dropped from voter rolls for an errant hyphen or if "a stray letter or a typographical error on someone's voter registration card didn't match the records of the state's driver's license bureau or the Social Security office."[66] In a 2010 explanation defending the practice to the Department of Justice, Kemp's office said the policy was "designed to assure the identity and eligibility of voters and to prevent fraudulent or erroneous registrations."[67] The Department of Justice initially rejected the policy, but allowed it to go into effect with additional safeguards; a later lawsuit claimed "it is not apparent that the Secretary of State ever followed the safeguards."[68] The process was halted after a lawsuit in 2016,[68] but the state legislature passed a modified form of the policy in 2017 and the process began again.[68]

Critics consider these types of "exact match" laws a form of voter suppression designed to disproportionately target minorities,[69] and African-American, Asian, and Latino voters accounted for 76.3% of the registrations dropped from voter rolls between July 2015 and July 2017.[68][59][70] Critics say that minority names are more likely to contain hyphens and less common spellings that lead to clerical mistakes, resulting in rejection of the registration.[71] In a 2018 ruling against Kemp, District Judge Eleanor L. Ross said the system places a "severe burden" on voters.[72]

After changes to the Voting Rights Act in 2012 gave states with a history of voter suppression more autonomy,[73] Kemp's office oversaw the closing of 214 polling locations, 8% of the total in Georgia.[74] The closings disproportionately affected African-American communities.[75] A consultant recommended that seven of the nine county polling locations in majority-minority Randolph County be closed ahead of the 2018 midterm election for failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.[76] After the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the plan, the locations were allowed to remain open.[77] Kemp denied knowledge of the plan, but a slide from a presentation given by the consultant read, "Consolidation has come highly recommended by the Secretary of State and is already being adopted by several counties and is being seriously considered and being worked on by many more."[78] Officials claim the locations were closed as a cost-saving measure.[74]

Georgia has removed registered voters from voter rolls for not voting in consecutive elections more aggressively than any other state.[79] Between 2012 and 2018, Kemp's office canceled over 1.4 million voters' registrations, with nearly 700,000 cancellations in 2017 alone.[80][59] On a single night in July 2017, half a million voters, about 8% of all registered Georgia voters, had their registrations canceled, an act The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said "may represent the largest mass disenfranchisement in US history."[81] Kemp oversaw the removals as secretary of state, and did so eight months after declaring his candidacy for governor.[82]

By early October 2018, Kemp's office had put more than 53,000 voter registration applications on hold, with more than 75% belonging to minorities.[68][59] The voters are eligible to re-register if they still live in Georgia and have not died.[83][59][82][84] An investigative journalism group run by Greg Palast found that, of the approximately 534,000 Georgians whose voter registrations were purged between 2016 and 2017, more than 334,000 still lived where they were registered.[84] The voters were given no notice that they had been purged.[85] Palast sued Kemp, claiming over 300,000 voters were purged illegally.[86] Kemp's office denied any wrongdoing, saying that by "regularly updating our rolls, we prevent fraud and ensure that all votes are cast by eligible Georgia voters."[87]

After Totenberg's ruling thousands of voting machines were sequestered by local election officials on Election Day in 2018, an action critics said was designed to increase wait times at polling locations.[88] The sequestration of machines disproportionately affected counties that favored Kemp's opponent[89] and caused voters in some locations to have to wait in line for hours in inclement weather.[90][91] Other locations suffered delays because machines had been delivered without power cords.[92] Kemp himself experienced technical problems attempting to vote in the election.[93]

Kemp opposes automatic voter registration.[94] In a leaked 2018 recording, he said that attempts to register all eligible voters "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote."[95] In a separate 2018 recording made by a progressive group he said, "Democrats are working hard ... registering all these minority voters that are out there and others that are sitting on the sidelines. If they can do that, they can win these elections in November."[66][96][97]

On November 4, 2018, 48 hours before his gubernatorial election, the secretary of state's office published the details of a zero day flaw in the state registration website,[98][99] accusing Democrats of attempted hacking for investigating the problem but providing no evidence.[100] Critics have said the announcement was further evidence of voter suppression and gave hackers a window of opportunity during which voter registration records could be changed.[101] In response to criticisms of the announcement, Kemp said, "I'm not worried about how it looks. I'm doing my job."[102] In a ruling on the matter, Totenberg criticized Kemp for having "delayed in grappling with the heightened critical cybersecurity issues of our era posed [by] the state's dated, vulnerable voting system" and said the system "poses a concrete risk of alteration of ballot counts."[103] In December 2018, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that Kemp made the hacking allegations without any evidence.[104] The Journal-Constitution wrote that Kemp might have made the unsubstantiated accusations against Democrats as a ploy and diversion to help him win the election; the "examination suggests Kemp and his aides used his elected office to protect his political campaign from a potentially devastating embarrassment. Their unsubstantiated claims came at a pivotal moment, as voters were making their final decisions in an election that had attracted intense national attention."[104]

Congressional investigation

[edit]

On December 4, 2018, U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, the incoming chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced that he would like to call Kemp before Congress to testify about the fairness of his actions during the 2018 elections.[105][106][107] "I want to be able to bring people in, like the new governor-to-be of Georgia, to explain ... to us why is it fair for wanting to be secretary of state and be running [for governor]," Cummings said.[108]

On March 6, 2019, it was revealed that both Kemp and his successor as secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, were under investigation by the House Oversight and Reform Committee for alleged voter suppression in the 2018 elections. Cummings oversaw the investigation. Kemp was given until March 20, 2019, to comply with document requests or face a subpoena.[109]

Gubernatorial elections

[edit]

2018

[edit]
Main article: 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election
Final results by county in 2018:
  Brian Kemp
  •   >90%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%

The primary elections were held on May 22, 2018, and a primary runoff was held on July 24, 2018, between Republican candidates Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle; Kemp prevailed. Incumbent Republican governor Nathan Deal was term-limited and thus could not seek a third consecutive term. Stacey Abrams won the Democratic primary with over 75% of the vote, allowing her to avoid a runoff.

During the general election campaign, Kemp provoked controversy with multiple ads, including one in which he posed with rifles and a shotgun that he jokingly pointed at a teenager who "wanted to date his daughter",[110] and one in which he said his truck was for "rounding up criminal illegals".[111] The lack of proper gun safety in handling the shotgun in the "Jake" ad attracted criticism from the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, which said the ad "delivers a message perpetuating domestic violence and misogyny while modeling egregiously unsafe behavior", and prompted criticism that the ad depicted irresponsible handling of guns.[112][113] Kemp's supporters, by contrast, viewed the ad as a "lighthearted portrayal of a protective, gun-wielding Southern father vetting a potential suitor", and Kemp dismissed the criticism, telling critics, "Get over it."[112]

In the November 7 general election, Kemp declared victory over Abrams. The next morning, he resigned as Secretary of State.[114] On November 16, every county certified their votes with Kemp leading by roughly 55,000 votes.[115] Shortly after the certification, Abrams suspended her campaign; she accepted Kemp as the legal winner of the election while refusing to say that the election was legitimate.[116][117] Abrams has since claimed numerous[118] instances of election activity that allegedly unfairly affected the results. Following the election, Abrams and her organization Fair Fight filed several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality and Voting Rights Act compliance of Georgia's voting laws, some of which are still pending.[119]

Kemp prevailed by 54,723 votes, defeating Abrams 50.2–48.8%. The 2018 gubernatorial election was the closest governor's race in Georgia since 1966.[120]

2022

[edit]
Main article: 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election
Final results by county in 2022:
  Brian Kemp
  •   >90%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%

During the primary election, Kemp was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence. He faced a primary challenge from former U.S. Senator David Perdue, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump after Kemp refused to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.[121] Kemp defeated Perdue in the primary, 73.7% to 21.8%.[15] Trump endorsed Kemp in the general election.[122]

Abrams was once again the Democratic nominee. This was Georgia's first gubernatorial rematch since 1950.[123]

In the general election, Kemp won reelection to a second term, defeating Abrams by 7.5%. Abrams conceded on election night.[124] He was sworn in for a second term on January 12, 2023.

Tenure as governor

[edit]
Kemp with his wife Marty as he takes the oath of office as Georgia's 83rd governor
Maj. Gen. Thomas Carden, Maj. Gen. Joe Jarrard, and Governor Brian Kemp review the troops during the Georgia National Guard change of command ceremony on Clay National Guard Center January 26, 2019. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Tori Miller.

Kemp was inaugurated as governor in a public ceremony in Atlanta on January 14, 2019.[125] He was inaugurated for his second term on January 9, 2023.[126]

Abortion

[edit]

In May 2019, Kemp signed into law a highly controversial bill that would prohibit abortions after a heartbeat can be detected in a fetus, which is usually when a woman is six weeks pregnant; the legislation was one of the country's strictest anti-abortion laws.[127] The legislation was blocked by federal courts, which ruled it unconstitutional: a preliminary injunction entered in October 2019 blocked the legislation from going into effect,[128] and a permanent injunction entered in July 2020 permanently voided the law.[129] This injunction was later overturned with the 2022 Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Kemp has also publicly stated his support for a "statewide ban on the destruction of embryos".

The abortion ban has vague and conflicting exceptions that ostensibly protect the life of the mother.[130] According to Kemp, the law keeps women "safe, healthy and informed".[130] In practice, the exceptions are so vague and contradictory that physicians are reluctant to provide abortions even when the mother's life is at imminent risk.[130] By 2024, at least two women had died in Georgia after they were unable to access legal abortions and timely medical care.[130]

Election law

[edit]

In April 2019, Kemp signed legislation into law addressing some criticisms that arose from the contested 2018 election; the new law provides that polling places cannot be changed 60 days before an election, that county election officials cannot reject absentee ballots because of mismatched signatures, and that a voter whose voter registration application information does not match other government databases will not be removed from the voter rolls for this reason.[131]

In March 2021, Kemp signed SB 202, which expanded early in-person voting, enacted ID requirements for absentee voting, gave the legislature power to overrule or replace local election officials, and banned anyone other than election workers from providing food or water to voters waiting in line.[13]

In May 2024, Kemp signed three election bills into law.[132]

Economy

[edit]

Kemp visited Swainsboro in September 2019 to announce the creation of a rural "strike team" focusing on economic development in rural areas of the state.[133]

Health care

[edit]

Kemp has supported efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act,[134] as well as efforts to hinder the functioning of the Affordable Care Act for Georgia residents.[135] Kemp and Republicans in the Georgia legislature have opposed full Medicaid expansion.[136] Kemp has sought to introduce work requirements for Medicaid recipients.[137]

Key appointments

[edit]

After Johnny Isakson announced that he would resign from the U.S. Senate on December 31, 2019, Kemp appointed businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to complete Isakson's term on December 4.[138] Loeffler was sworn into office on January 6, 2020, but lost the seat to Democrat Raphael Warnock in the special election held for it.

State judiciary

[edit]

Kemp appointed Carla Wong McMillian to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court of Georgia caused by the retirement of Robert Benham.[139][140]

Despite a regular election to the Supreme Court of Georgia being scheduled for November 2020, Kemp canceled the election when Judge Keith R. Blackwell announced he would retire between the scheduled election and the end of his term.[141][142]

COVID-19 pandemic

[edit]
Further information: COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia (U.S. state)

On April 1, 2020, Kemp announced a statewide stay-at-home order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.[143] He was among the last governors to issue a stay-at-home order,[144][9] as a national emergency was declared three weeks earlier, on March 13.[145] As he issued the order, Kemp said he had become aware the coronavirus could be spread by asymptomatic people only that day, despite warnings from health officials made months earlier.[143][146] At the end of April, Kemp lifted the stay-at-home order over the opposition of mayors[144] and against the advice of public health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[9]

While many other states were implementing face mask mandates, Kemp prohibited localities from implementing stricter public health measures than the state.[10][147] In response, localities filed lawsuits against Kemp.[10] In July, Kemp prohibited Georgia cities and counties from requiring face masks to halt the virus's spread.[10] At the time, coronavirus cases were surging in many states, and other states were implementing statewide mask mandates.[148][10] By mid-July 2020, more than 127,000 COVID-19 cases had been reported in Georgia, with 3,000 deaths.[149]

In March 2021, Kemp expressed opposition to a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress.[150]

Job approval

[edit]
Kemp speaking at the American Embassy in Jerusalem in 2023

In an April 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) poll, Kemp had a 46 percent job approval rating among Georgians.[151] In July of that year, another poll showed that Kemp's ratings had risen to 52 percent approving, making him the 22nd-most popular governor in the country.[152] A May 2020 Ipsos poll showed that Kemp's job approval rating had declined to 39 percent among Georgians, making him among the nation's least popular governors; his low popularity was attributed to his handling of the coronavirus crisis.[153][154] In November 2020, Kemp's approval rating fell to 37 percent, according to an IAG/Fox 5 poll.[155]

In January 2021, an AJC poll showed his approval rating had rebounded to 43 percent,[156] and by May it was up to 45 percent.[157] In April 2022, his approval rating had reached 50 percent, according to a Morning Consult poll.[158] In October 2022, one month before the 2022 gubernatorial election, Kemp's approval rating among Georgians stood at 54 percent.[159] At the beginning of his second term in 2023, his approval rating surged to 62 percent, according to an AJC poll.[160][161]

Relationship with Donald Trump

[edit]

In a November 2020 Fox News interview, Donald Trump said he was "ashamed" of having supported Kemp's 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Trump added that Kemp had "done absolutely nothing" to challenge the result of the 2020 election in Georgia in which Joe Biden defeated Trump by 11,779 votes, the first time Georgia voted for the Democratic nominee for president since 1992.[162] Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan put out a joint statement explaining that calling a joint session of the Georgia General Assembly to appoint their own electors to send to the United States Electoral College would be unconstitutional.[163]

In December 2020, Trump called for Kemp's resignation.[164] The same month, attorney Lin Wood, acting separately from the Trump campaign, called for both Kemp's and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's imprisonment.[165]

In January 2021, after the election of President Biden, Kemp was criticized by outgoing President Trump for certifying the results.[11][12] This resulted in speculation that he would face a Trump-backed primary challenger in 2022.[166]

In March 2021, Kemp said he would support Trump if he ran for president again in 2024.[150]

In September 2021, Trump indicated at a rally in Perry, Georgia, that he would prefer Kemp's 2018 Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams to replace him.[167] Trump said, "Stacey, would you like to take his place? It's OK with me."[168] In December 2021, David Perdue announced his candidacy for governor, with Trump's endorsement.[169] In May 2022, Kemp announced he had the support of former Vice President Mike Pence.[170]

In March 2024, he endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential campaign over Biden.[171] In June 2024, Kemp said he did not vote for Trump in the state's primary (Trump was the only active candidate), but made clear he will support him in November and work to elect him.[172] In July 2024, Kemp traveled to Wisconsin for the 2024 Republican National Convention, where he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of Trump's platform for the Republican party, "it doesn't really matter what we think".[173]

In August 2024, at a rally in Atlanta, Trump criticised Kemp and his wife for 10 minutes, saying "he is a bad guy. He’s a disloyal guy. And he’s a very average governor...little Brian, little Brian Kemp". In response over social media, Kemp asked Trump to cease "engaging in petty personal insults" and to "leave my family out of it".[174]

As of October 2024, apart from an event focused on the damage from Hurricane Helene, Kemp and Trump have not appeared or campaigned together in the 2024 US elections.[175][176]

Personal life

[edit]

Kemp married Marty Argo, daughter of longtime Georgia House of Representatives member Bob Argo,[177] on January 8, 1994;[178] they have three daughters. The family belongs to Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens.[179]

In May 2018, Kemp was sued for failure to repay $500,000 in business loans.[180] The suit was related to his having personally guaranteed $10 million in business loans to Hart AgStrong, a Kentucky-based canola crushing company.[181] The company was under investigation after making guarantees using assets it did not own and repaying suppliers using proceeds from insurance settlements.[182] An attorney for the Georgia Department of Agriculture said these actions "may be a felony under Georgia law."[183] No charges were filed, and Kemp and the plaintiff reached a settlement shortly before he became governor.[184]

In October 2018, Atlanta television station WAGA-TV reported that companies Kemp owned had owed more than $800,000 in loans to a community bank where he is a founding board member and stockholder. Such "insider loans" are legal as long as they are on the same terms as the bank would extend to any other borrower. Kemp's campaign declined to publicize the terms of the loan.[185]

Electoral history

[edit]
Georgia State Senate 46th district election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp 17,504 50.7
Democratic Doug Haines (incumbent) 17,015 49.3
Georgia State Senate 46th district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp (incumbent) 29,424 51.6
Democratic Becky Vaughn 27,617 48.4
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Republican Primary election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gary Black 153,568 42
Republican Brian Kemp 97,113 27
Republican Bob Greer 57,813 16
Republican Deana Strickland 54,318 15
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Republican runoff election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gary Black 101,274 60
Republican Brian Kemp 67,509 40
Georgia Secretary of State Republican primary election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp (incumbent) 361,304 59.2
Republican Doug MacGinnitie 248,911 40.8
Georgia Secretary of State, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp (incumbent) 1,440,188 56.4
Democratic Georganna Sinkfield 1,006,411 39.4
Libertarian David Chastain 106,123 4.2
Georgia Secretary of State, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp (incumbent) 1,452,554 57.5
Democratic Doreen Carter 1,075,101 42.5
Georgia Gubernatorial Republican primary, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Casey Cagle 236,498 39.0
Republican Brian Kemp 154,913 25.5
Republican Hunter Hill 111,207 18.3
Republican Clay Tippins 74,053 12.2
Republican Michael Williams 29,554 4.9
Republican Eddie Hayes 739 0.1
Georgia Gubernatorial Republican runoff election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp 406,638 69.5
Republican Casey Cagle 178,877 30.6
Georgia Gubernatorial election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp 1,978,408 50.2
Democratic Stacey Abrams 1,923,685 48.8
Libertarian Ted Metz 37,235 1.0
Georgia Gubernatorial Republican primary, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp (incumbent) 887,389 73.7
Republican David Perdue 262,118 21.8
Republican Kandiss Taylor 41,183 3.4
Republican Catherine Davis 9,775 0.8
Republican Tom Williams 3,252 0.3
Georgia Gubernatorial election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kemp (incumbent) 2,111,572 53.4
Democratic Stacey Abrams 1,813,673 45.9
Libertarian Shane T. Hazel 28,163 0.7

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Swearing-in dates of state legislators elected on November 6, 2018". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "Conservative Small Businessman Brian Kemp Running For Governor". Kemp for Governor. July 27, 2017. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  3. ^ undefined. "Georgia voters to get credit monitoring in massive data breach". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  4. ^ Blinder, Alan (November 8, 2018). "Brian Kemp Resigns as Georgia Secretary of State, With Governor's Race Still Disputed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Multiple sources state that Abrams did not concede:
  6. ^ Washington, District of Columbia 1800 I. Street NW; Dc 20006. "PolitiFact - No proof voter suppression kept Stacey Abrams from governorship, as Democrats said in Atlanta debate". PolitiFact. Retrieved September 16, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Lee, Ella. "Fact check: Post online about Stacey Abrams' 2018 run for Georgia governor is partly false". USA Today. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  8. ^ "Analysis | Did racially motivated voter suppression thwart Stacey Abrams?". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Alan Judd; Greg Bluestein (May 1, 2020). "Lifting stay-at-home order, Kemp shifts focus to economic recovery". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  10. ^ a b c d e Jeremy Redmon; J. Scott Trubey; Willoughby Mariano (July 15, 2020). "Kemp bans cities, counties from mandating masks". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  11. ^ a b "Georgia election: Trump voter fraud claims and others fact-checked". BBC News. January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Georgia Code Title 21. Elections § 21-2-499". Findlaw. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Scanlan, Quinn (March 25, 2021). "Kemp signs sweeping elections bill passed by Georgia legislature. Here's what's in it". ABC News. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  14. ^ Greenwood, Max (May 25, 2022). "Kemp defeats Perdue in Georgia, a major blow to Trump". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp defeats David Perdue in GOP primary". AP News. May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  16. ^ "Brian Kemp wins second term as Georgia's governor". WSB-TV. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  17. ^ a b c Jennifer Brett (October 13, 2018). "'Solid': Republican Brian Kemp plays up rural roots, business bonafides". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  18. ^ Ford, Wayne. "Athens Academy observes 50th anniversary". Athens Banner-Herald. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  19. ^ "Alums Kalupe Booze '11 and Joe Tillman '87 Lead Middle School Spartans to Championship". Athens Academy. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  20. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  21. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  22. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  23. ^ "Peachpundit.com". peachpundit.com. February 19, 2007. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  24. ^ "georgiatrend.com". Georgiatrend.com. July 31, 2012. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  25. ^ "GA – Election Results". Georgia Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  26. ^ a b c "Obama's secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin's election assault". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  27. ^ Niesse (November 18, 2018). "Georgia certifies election results, confirming Brian Kemp as governor". Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  28. ^ "Secretary kemp tenders resignation to governor deal". Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  29. ^ a b "Was Georgia's Election System Hacked in 2016?". Politico Magazine. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  30. ^ "Obama's secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin's election assault". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  31. ^ Sanger, David E.; Savage, Charlie (October 7, 2016). "U.S. Says Russia Directed Hacks to Influence Elections". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  32. ^ "Is Georgia's voting system safe from hackers?". politics.myajc. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  33. ^ a b "Election Security Becomes A Political Issue In Georgia Governor's Race". Weekend Edition Sunday. NPR. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  34. ^ Uchill, Joe (June 27, 2017). "Investigation shows DHS did not hack Georgia computers". Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  35. ^ "Georgia voters to get credit monitoring in massive data breach". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 11, 2015. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  36. ^ "The Georgia taxpayer cost for Brian Kemp's data breach is starting to mount". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 15, 2015. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  37. ^ Griffin, Curt Devine, Drew (August 14, 2018). "6 million Georgia voters' records exposed: 'Could have easily been compromised' | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 5, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ "Georgia Secretary of State Moves to Review Voting Machines". Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  39. ^ Patrick, Steve (July 25, 2018). "Trump-backed Brian Kemp wins Georgia GOP governor runoff". WJXT. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  40. ^ Bajak, Frank (October 27, 2017). "Georgia election server wiped after suit filed". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  41. ^ Salzer, James. "Kemp's office concludes election data not lost in server wipe". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  42. ^ Bluestein, Greg. "New TV attack claims Kemp failed to stop massage parlor 'abuser'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  43. ^ Edwards, Johnny; Norder, Lois. "When massage therapists cross the line, state board rarely acts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  44. ^ "Kemp under fire for Massage Envy owner's donations". www.gainesvilletimes.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  45. ^ "Kemp donor tangled in scandal". Morgan County Citizen. July 19, 2018. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  46. ^ McKee, Don (July 20, 2018). "Massage therapists, campaign donations become issue in Kemp/Cagle race". MDJOnline.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  47. ^ Bluestein, Greg; Hallerman, Tamar. "The jolt: Kemp now faces calls for criminal investigation". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  48. ^ a b "With rising suicides among kids, is mental illness ever a joking matter? Even in politics?". ajc. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  49. ^ a b "GOP Senator Called 'Unstable' Wants Apology Before Backing Kemp | 90.1 FM WABE". 90.1 FM WABE. July 25, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  50. ^ Denery, Jim. "Capitol Recap: The path to the Georgia governor's office gets muddier". ajc. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  51. ^ "Ga. election official off base on election interference". PolitiFact. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  52. ^ "Georgia secretary of state fighting accusations of disenfranchising minority voters". mcclatchydc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  53. ^ "Brian Kemp's Lead in Georgia Needs an Asterisk". The Atlantic. November 7, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  54. ^ Bernhard, Michael; O'Neill, Daniel (2019). "Trump: Causes and Consequences". Perspectives on Politics. 17 (2): 317–324. doi:10.1017/S1537592719000896. ISSN 1537-5927.
  55. ^ Herndon, Astead W. (October 11, 2018). "Complaints of Voter Suppression Loom Over Georgia Governor's Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  56. ^ "Voting rights become a flashpoint in Georgia governor's race". AP News. April 20, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  57. ^ a b Lee, Ella. "Fact check: Post online about Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's 2018 win is partly false". USA Today. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  58. ^ Niesse, Mark. "Georgia cancels fewer voter registrations after surge last year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  59. ^ a b c d e "Voting rights become a flashpoint in Georgia governor's race". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  60. ^ Leonhardt, David (November 19, 2018). "Opinion - Was Georgia's Election 'Legitimate'?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  61. ^ a b Kessler, Glenn (October 30, 2019). "Did racially motivated voter suppression thwart Stacey Abrams?". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  62. ^ Judd, Alan. "Did voting problems influence outcome in Georgia election?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  63. ^ Lee, Ella (November 18, 2020). "Fact check: Post online about Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's 2018 win is partly false". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  64. ^ Sherman, Amy (May 10, 2019). "PolitiFact - Kamala Harris says voter suppression kept Stacey Abrams, Andrew Gillum out of office. Really?". PolitiFact. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  65. ^ "Georgia Knew Its Voter Roll Practice Was Discriminatory. It Stuck With It Anyway". HuffPost. October 11, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  66. ^ a b Anderson, Carol (August 11, 2018). "Brian Kemp, Enemy of Democracy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  67. ^ "Lawsuit: Georgia voter registration process violates the law". Associated Press. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018. designed to assure the identity and eligibility of voters and to prevent fraudulent or erroneous registrations
  68. ^ a b c d e "How SCOTUS Helped Make Voter Registration Discrimination in Georgia OK". CityLab. October 15, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018. 76.3 percent of which were for black, Asian, and Latino voters
  69. ^ "Georgia's 'exact match' law could potentially harm many eligible voters". The Washington Post. October 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  70. ^ "More Than 380,000 Georgia Voters Receive 'Purge Notice'". Rewire. July 21, 2017. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  71. ^ "A new lawsuit claims thousands of Georgia voters could be disenfranchised". NBC News. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  72. ^ Sant, Shannon Van (November 3, 2018). "Judge Rules Against Georgia Election Law, Calling It A 'Severe Burden' For Voters". NPR.org. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  73. ^ "Supreme Court Invalidates Key Part of Voting Rights Act". The New York Times. June 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  74. ^ a b Niesse, Mark; Prabhu, Maya T.; Elias, Jacquelyn. "Voting precincts closed across Georgia since election oversight lifted". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  75. ^ "Polling Places in Black Communities Continue to Close Ahead of November Elections". governing.com. September 5, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  76. ^ "Georgia County Rejects Plan to Close 7 Polling Places in Majority-Black Area". The New York Times. August 23, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  77. ^ "Randolph County Elections Board Won't Close Polling Places | Daily Report". Daily Report. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  78. ^ "Kemp's critics question his ties to proposed poll closures in Randolph County". ajc. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  79. ^ "Georgia purged an estimated 107,000 people largely for not voting, an APM Reports investigation shows". apmreports.org. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  80. ^ "Voting Rights Become A Flashpoint In Georgia Governor's Race". Associated Press. October 9, 2018. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  81. ^ "A Republican won the Georgia governor's race, but it was tainted by voter suppression". Mother Jones. November 16, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018. may represent the largest mass disenfranchisement in US history
  82. ^ a b "Georgia purged an estimated 107,000 people largely for not voting, an APM Reports investigation shows". Archived from the original on October 19, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  83. ^ "The Georgia Smear". National Review. November 9, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  84. ^ a b Durkin, Erin (October 19, 2018). "GOP candidate improperly purged 340,000 from Georgia voter rolls, investigation claims". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 19, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  85. ^ Palast, Greg (November 10, 2018). "Here's how Brian Kemp is stealing the Georgia election". Greg Palast. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  86. ^ Palast, Greg (October 19, 2018). "We Sued Brian Kemp This Morning". Greg Palast. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  87. ^ "Georgia cancels registration of more than 591,500 voters". politics.myajc. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018. By regularly updating our rolls, we prevent fraud and ensure that all votes are cast by eligible Georgia voters.
  88. ^ Pierce, Charles P. (November 8, 2018). "Brian Kemp's Election Ratf*cking 101: Lock Up the Voting Machines!". Esquire. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  89. ^ Niesse, Mark. "Why did some voting machines sit unused on busy Georgia Election Day?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  90. ^ "Long Lines in Rainy Weather, Technical Problems Frustrate Voters in Georgia". Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  91. ^ "Why long lines at polling places are a voting rights issue". November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  92. ^ Dreyfuss, Emily. "Georgia Voting Machine Issues Heighten Scrutiny on Brian Kemp". Wired. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  93. ^ "Some Georgia polling hours extended as voters see long lines". wrdw.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  94. ^ Malloy, Daniel. "Lewis-backed bill would automatically register most to vote". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  95. ^ Lockhart, P. R. (October 23, 2018). "In leaked audio, Brian Kemp expresses "concern" over Georgians exercising their voting rights". Vox. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  96. ^ Anderson, Carol (October 31, 2018). "A threat to democracy: Republicans' war on minority voters". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  97. ^ Jim Galloway, Political Insider blog. "What Brian Kemp really said about Democratic voter registration efforts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  98. ^ "Researcher Finds Georgia Voter Records Exposed On Internet". June 15, 2017. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  99. ^ Gregory Krieg; Kaylee Hartung; Veronica Stracqualursi; Joe Ruiz (November 4, 2018). "Kemp's office launches probe of Georgia Democratic Party ahead of historic election". CNN. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  100. ^ "Brian Kemp's office orders 'hacking' probe of Georgia Democrats on eve of election he's competing in". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  101. ^ violetblue (November 9, 2018). "How Brian Kemp hacked Georgia's election". Engadget. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  102. ^ Gregory Krieg; Donie O'Sullivan; Kaylee Hartung (November 6, 2018). "Kemp turns election worries into a weapon". CNN. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  103. ^ September 18, R. Robin McDonald; AM, 2018 at 09:11. "Judge Finds Ga. Elections at Risk of Hacking, Declines to Order Paper Ballots". Daily Report. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  104. ^ a b Judd, Alan. "How Brian Kemp turned warning of election system vulnerability against Democrats". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  105. ^ Blumenthal, Paul (December 3, 2018). "Elijah Cummings Wants Brian Kemp to Testify in Washington About Voter Suppression". HuffPost.
  106. ^ "Congress to question Georgia Gov.-elect Brian Kemp about accusations of voter suppression". December 4, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  107. ^ "Cummings: Kemp should testify about voter suppression allegations". December 3, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  108. ^ "Rep. Elijah Cummings Wants Georgia's Brian Kemp To Testify Before Congress About Voter Suppression Allegations". blavity.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  109. ^ Astor, Maggie (March 6, 2019). "Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Faces Investigation by House Panel". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  110. ^ "This Republican Politician Jokingly Threatens a Teen With a Gun in His New Campaign Ad". Time. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  111. ^ Cummings, William. "Georgia gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp suggests truck is for rounding up 'illegals'". USA Today. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  112. ^ a b Samantha Schmidt (May 2, 2018). "Georgia governor candidate aims gun at teen in campaign ad. 'Get over it,' he tells critics". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  113. ^ "Georgia gubernatorial candidate takes heat for ad where he points shotgun toward teen". USA Today. May 1, 2018.
  114. ^ "Brian Kemp resigns as Georgia secretary of state". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  115. ^ Bluestein, Greg. "Abrams ends run for governor against Kemp, but won't concede". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  116. ^ AP (November 16, 2018). "The Latest: Abrams says she will sue over Georgia election". AP News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  117. ^ Krieg, Gregory. "Stacey Abrams acknowledges Brian Kemp win in Georgia governor's race". CNN. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  118. ^ Hasen, Richard L. (2020). Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy. Yale University Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-300-24819-7.
  119. ^ Brumback, Kate (April 9, 2022). "Election lawsuit backed by Stacey Abrams goes to trial in Georgia". PBS. Associated Press.
  120. ^ Blinder, Alan; Fausset, Richard (November 16, 2018). "Stacey Abrams Ends Fight for Georgia Governor With Harsh Words for Her Rival". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  121. ^ Warren, Michael (December 6, 2021). "David Perdue officially announces run for governor in Georgia, setting up primary challenge to Brian Kemp". CNN. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  122. ^ "Elections 2022 Updates: Candidates Make Final Push Before Midterms". NBC News. November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  123. ^ Bluestein, Greg (December 1, 2021). "Stacey Abrams is running for Georgia governor in 2022". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  124. ^ "Brian Kemp wins second term as Georgia's governor". WSB-TV. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  125. ^ Greg Bluestein, Kemp takes office with a vow: Georgia will become a 'state united', Atlanta Journal-Constitution (January 15, 2019).
  126. ^ "Kemp begins second Georgia term with new pay raise pledge". AP News. January 12, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  127. ^ Emily Wax-Thibodeaux; Ariana Eunjung Cha (May 7, 2019). "Georgia governor signs 'heartbeat bill,' giving the state one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation".
  128. ^ Samantha Schmidt, Federal judge blocks Georgia abortion ban from taking effect, The Washington Post (October 1, 2019).
  129. ^ Jeff Amy, Federal judge voids Georgia 'heartbeat' abortion restriction, Associated Press (July 13, 2020).
  130. ^ a b c d Surana, Kavitha (September 16, 2024). "Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother's Death Was Preventable". ProPublica.
  131. ^ "Georgia Governor Signs Law Addressing Some Criticisms of Contested 2018 Election". NPR. April 4, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  132. ^ Niesse, Mark (May 7, 2024). "Georgia voter challenge and election security bills signed into law". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  133. ^ "Gov. Brian Kemp visits Swainsboro to announce rural strike team". WTOC-TV. September 12, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  134. ^ Tony Pugh (July 19, 2018). "Will Southern voters be swayed by Democrats' health care attacks on GOP?". McClatchydc. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  135. ^ "Georgia pushes back on reevaluation of health plan". AP News. July 10, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  136. ^ Bunch, Riley (June 29, 2021). "State Tangles With Feds In Medicaid Showdown". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  137. ^ Cameron, Chris (December 24, 2021). "Biden Administration Rejects Medicaid Work Requirements in Georgia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  138. ^ Bluestein, Greg (December 4, 2019). "Kemp taps Kelly Loeffler, financial exec, to US Senate seat". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  139. ^ Katheryn Tucker (April 6, 2020). "Is the Pandemic Overshadowing Historic Judicial Appointments?". ALM.
  140. ^ Bill Rankin (March 27, 2020). "Kemp appoints first Asian-American woman to Georgia Supreme Court". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  141. ^ Millhiser, Ian (May 19, 2020). "Georgia Republicans cancel election for state Supreme Court, so governor can appoint a Republican". Vox.
  142. ^ Chris Cillizza (May 20, 2020). "How Georgia Republicans canceled an election to get what they wanted". CNN.
  143. ^ a b Blake, Aaron (April 2, 2020). "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who resisted strict coronavirus measures, says he just learned it transmits asymptomatically". The Washington Post.
  144. ^ a b Eric Bradner (April 21, 2020). "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp faces resistance over move to reopen economy".
  145. ^ Kevin Liptak (March 13, 2020). "Trump declares national emergency -- and denies responsibility for coronavirus testing failures". CNN. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  146. ^ Budryk, Zack (April 2, 2020). "Georgia governor says he didn't know asymptomatic people could spread coronavirus". The Hill.
  147. ^ Hauck, Grace. "Late to shut down, first to reopen, Georgia reports its highest daily death toll". USA Today. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  148. ^ "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp explicitly voids local mask mandates, as other states order face coverings to fight pandemic". ABC News. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  149. ^ Wayne Drash, Georgia Hospital Worker Sounds Alarm: 'I Have Never Ever Seen Anything Like This', NPR (July 16, 2020).
  150. ^ a b Bluestein, Greg; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Squeezed from both sides, Kemp tests 2022 reelection appeal". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  151. ^ Greg Bluestein, AJC poll: Kemp's job rating rises, The Atlanta Constitution (April 12, 2019).
  152. ^ "The Jolt: Among 50 governors, Brian Kemp ranks No. 22 in popularity, new poll shows". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. July 18, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  153. ^ Aaron Blake, 49 of 50 governors have better coronavirus poll numbers than Trump, The Washington Post (May 19, 2020).
  154. ^ Scott Clement & Dan Balz, Many governors win bipartisan support for handling of pandemic, but some Republicans face blowback over reopening efforts, The Washington Post (May 12, 2020).
  155. ^ "IAG/Fox 5 Poll: Senate Races locked up, Kemp approval sags". Insider Advantage. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  156. ^ "Voters show little enthusiasm for GOP, Trump". The Atlanta Constitution. January 31, 2021.
  157. ^ Greenwood, Max (May 5, 2021). "Georgia governor's job approval rating ticks up to 45 percent: poll". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  158. ^ Yokley, Eli (April 28, 2022). "Most Governors Up for Re-Election in November Are Popular". Morning Consult. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  159. ^ Bluestein, Greg (October 12, 2022). "Warnock, Walker race remains close". The Atlanta Constitution.
  160. ^ Bluestein, Greg (January 25, 2023). "AJC poll: As Kemp readies State of the State address, he's never been stronger". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  161. ^ Williams, Ross; Dunlap, Stanley (January 25, 2023). "Kemp pushes to get tough on crime, add more worker housing in 2023 State of the State speech". Georgiarecorder.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  162. ^ "Trump 'ashamed' to have endorsed Republican Georgia governor". ABC News. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  163. ^ "Gov. Kemp, Lt. Gov. Duncan say no to special session over election, explain why". 11Alive.com. December 7, 2020.
  164. ^ Greenwood, Max (December 30, 2020). "Trump calls on Georgia Gov. Kemp to resign". The Hill. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  165. ^ Kephart, Tim (December 15, 2020). "Trump retweets Lin Wood's message Kemp/Raffensperger are going to jail". CBS46 News Atlanta. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  166. ^ Solender, Andrew. "Trump Encourages Primary Challenge Against Georgia's Pro-Trump Governor". Forbes. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  167. ^ Castronuovo, Celine (September 25, 2021). "Trump says Stacey Abrams 'might be better than existing governor' Kemp". The Hill. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  168. ^ Bluestein, Greg. "Trump intensifies war with Georgia GOP leaders at Perry rally". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  169. ^ Warren, Michael (December 6, 2021). "David Perdue officially announces run for governor in Georgia, setting up primary challenge to Brian Kemp". CNN. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  170. ^ "Mike Pence Breaks With Trump, Will Campaign With Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp". HuffPost. May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  171. ^ Bluestein, Greg. "Kemp backs Trump: 'He'd be better than Joe Biden.'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  172. ^ Rose, Rashard (June 27, 2024). "Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp didn't vote for Trump in the state's Republican primary | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  173. ^ Bluestein, Greg (July 16, 2024). "What Brian Kemp's olive branch says about Donald Trump's Republican Party".
  174. ^ Mock, Eric (August 4, 2024). "Trump-Kemp feud bubbles over at Atlanta rally". FOX 5 Atlanta. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  175. ^ News, A. B. C. "Trump, Georgia Gov. Kemp make rare appearance together to survey Hurricane Helene damage". ABC News. Retrieved November 3, 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  176. ^ Gringlas, Sam (October 29, 2024). "In a razor-thin race, Trump's complicated ties with Georgia's governor could matter". NPR. Retrieved November 3, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  177. ^ "Robert 'Bob' Argo, 92: Lawmaker was 'all Georgian, all the time'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. July 13, 2016. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  178. ^ Brian Kemp Official Facebook (January 8, 2020). Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  179. ^ "Brian P. Kemp". Office of the Secretary of State of Georgia. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  180. ^ "Lawsuit pending in Gwinnett against Brian Kemp, agriculture business over loan". May 4, 2018. Archived from the original on May 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  181. ^ "Kentucky Canola Crusher Struggling to Cover Payment on Last Year's Crop". DTN Progressive Farmer. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  182. ^ "At company Brian Kemp backed, unpaid debt and possible 'felony'". October 4, 2018.
  183. ^ Alan Judd. "At company Brian Kemp backed, unpaid debt and possible 'felony'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  184. ^ Bluestein, Greg (January 23, 2019). "Brian Kemp settles lawsuit over bad loan in company he backed". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  185. ^ Dale Russell (October 24, 2018). "Brian Kemp owes more than $800,000 in insider loans to bank he helped start". WAGA-TV. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Brian Kemp.
Georgia State Senate
Preceded by
Doug Haines
 Member of the Georgia State Senate
from the 46th district
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State of Georgia
2010–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Georgia
2019–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Secretary of State of Georgia
2010, 2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Georgia
2018, 2022 		Most recent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Vice President Order of precedence of the United States
Within Georgia 		Succeeded by
Mayor of city
in which event is held
Succeeded by
Otherwise Mike Johnson
as Speaker of the House
Preceded byas Governor of New Jersey Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Georgia 		Succeeded byas Governor of Connecticut
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brian_Kemp&oldid=1255105186"