Brian Kemp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brian Kemp
David Perdue and Brian Kemp (cropped).jpg
83rd Governor of Georgia
Assumed office
January 14, 2019
LieutenantGeoff Duncan
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 57)
Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Marty Argo Kemp
​
(m. 1994)​
Children3
ResidenceGovernor's Mansion
EducationUniversity of Georgia (BS)
Signature

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

Born in Athens, Georgia, Kemp is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Prior to entering politics, Kemp owned several agribusinesses, financial services, and real estate companies.[2] In 2002, he was elected to the Georgia State Senate. In 2010, Kemp was appointed Secretary of State of Georgia by Governor Sonny Perdue following the resignation of Karen Handel to run for the governorship. Kemp was subsequently elected to a full term as Georgia Secretary of State in 2010; he was reelected in 2014.

In 2015, Kemp's office erroneously distributed the Social Security numbers and dates of birth of registered Georgia voters. During the 2016 election, Kemp was the only state official to reject help from the Department of Homeland Security to guard against Russian interference. Kemp also encountered criticism from voting rights advocates; from 2012 to 2018, Kemp's office cancelled more than 1.4 million voter registrations, and during the 2018 election, Kemp held up more than 53,000 voter registration applications, with nearly 70% of the voter registrations belonging to African Americans.[3] In 2018, Kemp was a candidate for governor where he faced Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams. Kemp refused to resign as secretary of state while campaigning for governor, which stirred controversy and accusations of abuse of power. Following the general election on November 6, Kemp was declared the winner with 50.2% of the vote. Abrams suspended her campaign on November 16 while maintaining that she believed he engaged in voter suppression.[4]

As governor, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kemp forbade cities and counties from implementing face mask mandates in spite of public health guidance that supported such mandates.[5][6]

After the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, Kemp faced criticism from President Donald Trump for following the state law which required him to certify the results, in spite of Trump's repeated false claims of fraud in the election.[7][8] In 2021, he signed into law the Election Integrity Act of 2021, legislation that limited voting rights, including allowing the state government to replace local elections boards, limits on absentee voting, reductions in the number of drop boxes for ballots, and prohibitions on anyone other than election workers giving food or water to individuals standing in lines outside of polling places.[9] He is currently being challenged in the Republican primary of the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election by former Georgia State Representative Vernon Jones.[10]

Early life[]

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, and his eighteenth-century ancestor James Habersham successfully lobbied to institute slavery in Georgia, becoming the colony's governor and building a fortune from the family's slave-worked rice plantations of Silk Hope, Forest Dean, and Beverley.[11][12]

Kemp went to the private Athens Academy until the ninth grade, when he transferred to Clarke Central High School to play football for Billy Henderson; he graduated in 1983.[13][14] He later graduated from the University of Georgia, where he majored in agriculture.[11]

Early career[]

Kemp was a home builder and developer before entering politics.[11]

He served as a Georgia State Senator from 2003 to 2007 after defeating the Democratic incumbent Doug Haines.[15] In 2006, Kemp ran for Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia. He ran second in the primary,[16] but lost a runoff to Gary Black.[17] Kemp initially declared intent to run for State Senate District 47 when incumbent Ralph Hudgens planned to run for Congress in Georgia's 10th congressional district. Hudgens instead ran for reelection, changing Kemp's plans.[18]

Georgia Secretary of State[]

In early 2010, Kemp was appointed to Georgia Secretary of State by then-Governor Sonny Perdue.[19] Kemp won the 2010 election for a full term as Georgia Secretary of State with 56.4% of the vote, to 39.4% for his Democratic opponent, Georganna Sinkfield.[20] Four years later, Kemp was reelected.

Kemp rejects the conclusion by the United States Intelligence Community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.[21] Amid Russian interference in the 2016 election, Kemp denounced efforts by the Obama administration to strengthen the security of election systems, including improving access to federal cybersecurity assistance.[21] He denounced the Obama administration's efforts, saying they were an assault on states' rights.[21]

After narrowly winning in the 2018 gubernatorial election, he resigned his office of Secretary of State in anticipation of becoming Governor.[22][23]

Federal efforts to secure state voting systems[]

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 who declined the help.[24] In a 2017 interview, Kemp denounced the effort as an assault on states' rights, stating, "I think it was a politically calculated move by the previous administration," adding "I don't necessarily believe" Russia had attempted to disrupt the elections.[25][26] 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.[27]

Georgia is one of fourteen states which uses electronic voting machines which do not produce a paper record, which election integrity experts say leaves the elections vulnerable to tampering and technical problems.[28] 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.[24]

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."[29][28]

Exposure of personal voter data[]

In October 2015, the Georgia Secretary of State's office, under Kemp's leadership, erroneously distributed personal data (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 following month and did not publicly acknowledge the mishap until The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the class action lawsuit against the office as a result of the data breach.[30] 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.[31]

Kemp drew criticism again in 2017 when it was revealed that a flaw in the State voting system exposed the personal information of all of Georgia's 6.7 million voters, as well as passwords used by county election officials to access voter files, and went unfixed for 6 months after it was reported.[32][33] After a lawsuit was filed, a server at the center of the controversy was wiped, preventing officials from determining the scope of the breach.[34] 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.[35]

Voter suppression controversies[]

Kemp has frequently been accused of voter suppression during the election between him and Stacey Abrams, his opponent.[36][37][38] Emory University professor Carol Anderson has criticized Kemp as an "enemy of democracy" and "an expert in voter suppression" for his actions as Secretary of State.[39] Political scientists Michael Bernhard and Daniel O'Neill described Kemp's actions in the 2018 gubernatorial election as the worst case of voter suppression in that election year.[40] Stacey Abrams, a voting rights advocate and Kemp's 2018 gubernatorial opponent, has called Kemp "a remarkable architect of voter suppression."[41] Critics say that voter suppression tactics in subsequent elections have been considerably lessened after Kemp resigned his position as Secretary of State in anticipation of becoming Governor.[42] Kemp denies that he engages in voter suppression.[43]

Kemp introduced a controversial "exact match" policy during his first year as Secretary of State in 2010.[44] 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."[39] 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."[45] The policy was initially rejected by the Department of Justice, but allowed to go into place with additional safeguards, though a later lawsuit claimed "it is not apparent that the Secretary of State ever followed the safeguards."[46] The process was halted after a lawsuit in 2016,[46] but the State legislature passed a modified form of the policy in 2017 and the process began again.[46]

These types of "exact match" laws are considered by critics to be a form of voter suppression designed to disproportionately target minorities,[47] and African-American, Asian, and Latino voters accounted for 76.3% of the registrations dropped from voter rolls between July 2015 and July 2017.[46][43][48] 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.[49] In a 2018 ruling against Kemp, District Judge Eleanor Ross said the system places a "severe burden" on voters.[50]

After changes to the Voting Rights Act in 2012 gave states with a history of voter suppression more autonomy,[51] Kemp's office oversaw the closing of 214 polling locations, or 8% of the total number of locations in Georgia.[52] The closings disproportionately affected African-American communities.[53] In majority minority Randolph County, a consultant recommended that 7 of the 9 county polling locations be closed ahead of the 2018 midterm election for failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.[54] After the plan was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union the locations were allowed to remain open.[55] Kemp denied knowledge of the plan, but a slide from a presentation given by the consultant stated "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."[56] Officials claim the locations were closed as a cost-saving measure.[52]

Georgia has been the most aggressive state in removing registered voters from voter rolls for not voting in consecutive elections.[57] Between 2012 and 2018, Kemp's office cancelled over 1.4 million voters' registrations, with nearly 700,000 cancellations in 2017 alone.[58][43] On a single night in July 2017, half a million voters, or approximately 8% of all registered Georgia voters, had their registrations cancelled, an act described by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as what "may represent the largest mass disenfranchisement in US history."[59] Kemp oversaw the removals as Secretary of State, and did so eight months after he declared that he was going to run for governor.[60]

By early October 2018, more than 53,000 voter registration applications had been put on hold by Kemp's office, with more than 75% belonging to minorities.[46][43] The voters are eligible to re-register assuming they still live in Georgia, and they have not died.[61][43][60][62] 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.[62] The voters were given no notice that they had been purged.[63] Palast ultimately sued Kemp, claiming over 300,000 voters were purged illegally.[64] 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."[65]

Kemp's office was found to have violated the law before and immediately after the 2018 midterm elections.[66] In a ruling against Kemp, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg found that Kemp's office had violated the Help America Vote Act and said an attempt by Kemp's office to expedite the certification of results "appears to suggest the Secretary's foregoing of its responsibility to confirm the accuracy of the results prior to final certification, including the assessment of whether serious provisional balloting count issues have been consistently and properly handled."[67][68] Kemp said the expedited certification was necessary to facilitate his transition to the role of Governor.

After Totenberg's ruling thousands of voting machines were sequestered by local election officials on Election Day in 2018, an action that critics say was designed to increase wait times at polling locations.[69] The sequestration of machines disproportionately affected counties that favored Kemp's opponent[70] and caused voters in some locations to have to wait in line for hours in inclement weather in order to vote.[71][72] Other locations suffered delays because machines had been delivered without power cords.[73] Kemp himself experienced technical problems attempting to vote in the election.[74]

Kemp opposes automatic voter registration,[75] a change that advocates say would help make voting easier for eligible citizens and help prevent voter suppression.[76] In a leaked 2018 recording Kemp can be heard saying that attempts to register all eligible voters "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote."[77] In a separate 2018 recording made by a progressive group he can be heard saying "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."[39][78][79]

On November 4, 2018, 48 hours before his gubernatorial election, Kemp's office of Secretary of State published the details of a zero day flaw in the State registration website,[80][81] accusing Democrats of attempted hacking for investigating the problem but providing no evidence.[82] Critics say the announcement was further evidence of voter suppression and gave hackers a window of opportunity during which voter registration records could be changed.[83] In response to criticisms of the announcement, Kemp said "I'm not worried about how it looks. I'm doing my job."[84] In a ruling on the matter, Judge 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."[85] In December 2018, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that Kemp made the hacking claims without any evidence to support the allegations.[86] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that Kemp may 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."[86]

As a result of the controversies surrounding the 2018 Georgia midterms Kemp's gubernatorial victory has been referred to by critics as illegitimate,[87] with others, such as Senator Cory Booker, going so far as to say the election was "stolen."[88]

Massage Envy controversy[]

On September 5, 2018, an attack ad was released[89] 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.[90][91] The offenders were able to renew their Board licenses after the accusations.[92] 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."[93] Kemp said that he had done nothing illegal.[94]

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.[95][96] In response, Unterman said she would not be "intimidated, blackmailed, belittled, or sexually harassed" into silence by Kemp's campaign.[97] The campaign did not apologize for the remarks.[95][96]

2018 gubernatorial campaign[]

Main article: 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election

Primary campaign[]

In March 2017, Kemp announced his candidacy in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.[98] In a field of six candidates, Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle came in the two top places in a six-way Republican primary in May 2018, advancing to a runoff election.[99]

During the runoff campaign, Cagle sought to portray Kemp as an incompetent Secretary of State, whereas Kemp sought to portray Cagle as scandal-prone and corrupt.[100] Cagle frequently criticized Kemp's behavior during the campaign, and accused him of "dirty tricks" and of launching a "sexist attack" against one of Cagle's supporters.[101]

During the primary and primary runoff campaigns, Kemp ran sharply to Cagle's right, benefiting from provocative campaign advertising (with a tag line "Yep, I just said that"), as well as by an endorsement from President Donald Trump late in the campaign, which Trump made at the request of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.[102] In the runoff election, Kemp was endorsed by the GeorgiaCarry.org and the Family Research Council as well as by Republican candidates who were eliminated in the primary, Michael Williams, Clay Tippins, and Hunter Hill.[103] Many believe Perdue's support for Kemp was in response to Governor Nathan Deal's endorsement of Cagle.[102]

In the runoff election, Kemp defeated Cagle by a broad margin, receiving 408,595 votes (69.5%) to Cagle's 179,712 (30.6%).[104]

General election campaign[]

Kemp ran against Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams, the minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, in the 2018 general election. During the gubernatorial campaign, Kemp embraced Trump-like policies and themes.[103][105][106] Kemp ran on a policy of imposing a state spending cap,[107] opposing Medicaid expansion,[108] and implementing the "strictest" abortion laws in the country.[109] Kemp favors repealing the Affordable Care Act, describing it as "an absolute disaster," and supports litigation seeking to eliminate the law's protections for persons with a pre-existing condition.[110] He has said he would sign a bill of "religious freedom and restoration", vetoed twice by governor Nathan Deal, which would allow refusal of contraception to women or services to LGBT couples on the basis of religious beliefs.[111]

Kemp provoked controversy with a series of video campaign ads in which he set off an explosive device,[112] posed surrounded by rifles equipped with assault-style vertical forward grips,[113] made threats of kidnapping illegal immigrants,[114] and held a shotgun in the direction of a young man playing someone interested in dating one of Kemp's daughters.[115] 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 that 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.[116][117] Kemp's supporters, by contrast, viewed the campaign ad as a "lighthearted portrayal of a protective, gun-wielding Southern father vetting a potential suitor" and Kemp dismissed the criticism, telling critics to "Get over it."[116] Members of Kemp's family spoke out against the ads, but also said that the ads do not accurately reflect their experiences with Kemp.[118]

During the 2018 campaign, former President of the United States Jimmy Carter,[119] as well as a number of Georgia-based organizations, such as the Georgia NAACP and Georgia Common Cause, called upon Kemp to resign as Secretary of State while running for governor, thus ensuring that he would not be overseeing his own election. Kemp declined to do so.[120]

Almost a week before election day, Kemp canceled a scheduled debate so that he could instead attend a Trump rally in Georgia. Kemp blamed Abrams for the cancellation, saying that she was unwilling to reschedule it. The date of the debate had been agreed upon since mid-September.[121]

Two days before the election, Kemp's office announced that it was investigating the Georgia Democratic Party for unspecified "possible cybercrimes"; the Georgia Democratic Party stated that "Kemp's scurrilous claims are 100 percent false" and described them as a "political stunt."[122] A 2020 investigation by the Georgia Attorney General's office concluded that there was no evidence for Kemp's claims.[123] Later that year, it was revealed that the supposed cybercrime that his office had been the victim of was in fact a planned security test that Kemp has himself signed off on three months prior.[124]

Congressional investigation[]

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.[125][126][127] "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.[128]

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 as chairman of the committee. Kemp was given until March 20, 2019 to comply with document requests or face a subpoena.[129]

Governor of Georgia[]

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.[130]

Abortion[]

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.[131] The legislation was blocked by the federal courts, which held the legislation unconstitutional: a preliminary injunction entered in October 2019 blocked the legislation from going into effect,[132] and a permanent injunction entered in July 2020 permanently voided the law.[133]

Election law[]

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.[134]

In March 2021, Kemp signed SB 202, which expanded early in-person voting, enacted a ban on no-excuse 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.[135]

Economy[]

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.[136]

Key appointments[]

After Johnny Isakson announced that he would resign from the U.S. Senate on December 31, 2019, Kemp chose businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to fill Isakson's vacancy on December 4.[137] Loeffler was sworn into office on January 6, 2020, but lost the seat to Democrat Raphael Warnock in the January 2021 runoff to the special election held for it.

State judiciary[]

Kemp appointed Carla Wong McMillian to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court of Georgia caused by the retirement of Robert Benham.[138][139]

Despite a regular election to the Supreme Court of Georgia being scheduled for November 2020, Kemp cancelled the election when Judge Keith R. Blackwell announced he would retire between the scheduled election and the end of his term.[140][141]

COVID-19 pandemic[]

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.[142] Kemp was among the last governors to issue a stay-at-home order,[143][144] 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.[142][146] At the end of April, Kemp lifted the stay-at-home order, doing so over the opposition of mayors[143] and against the advice of public health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[144]

While many other states were implementing face mask mandates, Kemp prohibited localities from implementing stricter public health measures than the state.[6][147] In response, localities filed lawsuits against Kemp.[6] In July, Kemp prohibited cities and counties in Georgia from requiring face masks to halt the spread of the coronavirus.[6] At the time, coronavirus cases were surging in many states, and other states were implementing statewide face mask mandates.[5][6] By mid-July 2020, more than 127,000 COVID-19 cases had been reported in Georgia, with 3,000 deaths.[148]

In March 2021, Kemp expressed opposition to a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress.[149]

Public opinion[]

A July 2019 poll showed that Kemp had a 52% job approval rating among Georgians, ranked as the 22nd most popular governor in the United States.[150] A May 2020 Ipsos poll showed that Kemp's job approval rating had declined to 39% among Georgians, making him among the nation's least popular governors; Kemp's low popularity was attributed to his handling of the coronavirus crisis.[151][152] As of November 2020, Kemp's approval ratings have fallen further, to 37% approval and 44% disapproval, according to a IAG/Fox 5 Poll.[153]

Donald Trump[]

After the 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia in December 2020 his honorary family member Harrison Deal died on the way to attend an event with Vice President Mike Pence.

In January following the calling of the election for President-elect Joe Biden, he faced criticism from outgoing President Donald Trump for certifying the results.[7][154] This had resulted in speculation he would face a Trump-backed Republican primary challenge with Kemp running for reelection in 2022.[155]

In an interview on Fox News in November 2020, Trump said that he was "ashamed" for having supported Kemp during his 2018 run for governor. Trump added that Kemp had "done absolutely nothing" to challenge the final result of the November 2020 election in Georgia in which Biden defeated Trump by 11,779 votes, the first time Georgia voted for the Democratic nominee for president since 1992.[156] 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.[157]

In December 2020, Trump called for the resignation of Governor Kemp.[158] That same month, attorney Lin Wood, acting separately from the Trump campaign, called for the imprisonment of Kemp along with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.[159]

In March 2021, Kemp said he would back a campaign by Trump to run for the presidency again in 2024.[149]

Personal life[]

Kemp married Marty Argo, daughter of longtime Georgia House of Representatives member Bob Argo,[160] on January 8, 1994;[161] they have three daughters. The family belongs to Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens.[162]

In May 2018, Kemp was sued for failure to repay $500,000 in business loans.[163] The suit was related to Kemp having personally guaranteed $10 million in business loans to Hart AgStrong, a Kentucky-based canola crushing company.[164] The company was under investigation after making guarantees using assets it did not own and repaying suppliers using proceeds from insurance settlements.[165] An attorney for the Georgia Department of Agriculture said these actions "may be a felony under Georgia law."[166] No charges were filed, and Kemp and the plaintiff reached a settlement agreement shortly before he became governor.[167]

In October 2018, Atlanta television station WAGA-TV reported that companies owned by Kemp 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, so 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.[168]

Electoral history[]

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 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 57,813 16
Republican 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 361,304 59.2
Republican 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 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 74,053 12.2
Republican Michael Williams 29,554 4.9
Republican 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 37,235 1.0

References[]

  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. ^ "Voting Rights Become A Flashpoint In Georgia Governor's Race". Associated Press. July 15, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  4. ^ Krieg, Gregory (November 17, 2016). "Stacey Abrams says 'democracy failed' Georgia as she ends bid for governor". CNN. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp explicitly voids local mask mandates, as other states order face coverings to fight pandemic". ABC News. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Jeremy Redmon, J. Scott Trubey & Willoughby Mariano (July 15, 2020). "Kemp bans cities, counties from mandating masks". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Georgia election: Trump voter fraud claims and others fact-checked". BBC News. January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  8. ^ "Georgia Code Title 21. Elections § 21-2-499". Findlaw. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "Georgia Gov. Kemp signs GOP election bill amid an outcry". AP NEWS. March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  10. ^ "Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones to challenge Gov. Brian Kemp in GOP primary".
  11. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  12. ^ Frank Lambert (2005). James Habersham: Loyalty, Politics, and Commerce in Colonial Georgia. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820325392.
  13. ^ Ford, Wayne. "Athens Academy observes 50th anniversary". Athens Banner-Herald. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  17. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  18. ^ "Peachpundit.com". peachpundit.com. February 19, 2007. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  19. ^ "georgiatrend.com". Georgiatrend.com. July 31, 2012. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  20. ^ "GA – Election Results". Georgia Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  21. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "Secretary kemp tenders resignation to governor deal". Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b "Was Georgia's Election System Hacked in 2016?". POLITICO Magazine. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ "U.S. Says Russia Directed Hacks to Influence Elections". Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  27. ^ "Is Georgia's voting system safe from hackers?". politics.myajc. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  28. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ "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.
  31. ^ "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.
  32. ^ "Georgia Secretary of State Moves to Review Voting Machines". Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  33. ^ 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.
  34. ^ 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.
  35. ^ Salzer, James. "Kemp's office concludes election data not lost in server wipe". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  36. ^ "Ga. election official off base on election interference". PolitiFact. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  37. ^ "Georgia secretary of state fighting accusations of disenfranchising minority voters". mcclatchydc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  38. ^ "Brian Kemp's Lead in Georgia Needs an Asterisk". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  39. ^ Jump up to: a b c 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.
  40. ^ Bernhard, Michael; O'Neill, Daniel (2019). "Trump: Causes and Consequences". Perspectives on Politics. 17 (2): 317–324. doi:10.1017/S1537592719000896. ISSN 1537-5927.
  41. ^ "Opinion | Georgia's voter suppression problem goes much deeper than Brian Kemp". October 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  42. ^ "With Brian Kemp Gone, Georgia Holds Runoff Elections Without Widespread Voter Suppression". News One. December 5, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  43. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  44. ^ "Georgia Knew Its Voter Roll Practice Was Discriminatory. It Stuck With It Anyway". HuffPost. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  45. ^ "Lawsuit: Georgia voter registration process violates the law". Associated Press. 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
  46. ^ Jump up to: 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
  47. ^ "Georgia's 'exact match' law could potentially harm many eligible voters". October 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  48. ^ "More Than 380,000 Georgia Voters Receive 'Purge Notice'". Rewire. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  49. ^ "A new lawsuit claims thousands of Georgia voters could be disenfranchised". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  50. ^ "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.
  51. ^ "Supreme Court Invalidates Key Part of Voting Rights Act". nytimes.com. June 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  52. ^ Jump up to: a b "Voting precincts closed across Georgia since election oversight lifted". Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  53. ^ "Polling Places in Black Communities Continue to Close Ahead of November Elections". governing.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  54. ^ "Georgia County Rejects Plan to Close 7 Polling Places in Majority-Black Area". nytimes.com. August 23, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  55. ^ "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.
  56. ^ "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.
  57. ^ "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.
  58. ^ "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.
  59. ^ "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
  60. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  61. ^ "The Georgia Smear". November 9, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  62. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  63. ^ Palast, Greg. "Here's how Brian Kemp is stealing the Georgia election". Greg Palast. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  64. ^ Palast, Greg. "We Sued Brian Kemp This Morning". Greg Palast. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  65. ^ "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.
  66. ^ Bluestein, Greg; Mark Niesse, Mark. "Abrams gains ground as judges order more Georgia votes to be counted". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  67. ^ "Federal judge delays certification of Georgia election results, citing concerns over provisional ballots". Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  68. ^ Niesse, Mark. "Judge orders review of provisional ballots in Georgia election". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  69. ^ 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.
  70. ^ 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.
  71. ^ "Long Lines in Rainy Weather, Technical Problems Frustrate Voters in Georgia". Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  72. ^ "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.
  73. ^ "Georgia Voting Machine Issues Heighten Scrutiny on Brian Kemp". Wired. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  74. ^ "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.
  75. ^ Malloy, Daniel. "Lewis-backed bill would automatically register most to vote". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  76. ^ "Automatic Voter Registration". Brennan Center for Justice. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  77. ^ 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.
  78. ^ Anderson, Carol (October 31, 2018). "A threat to democracy: Republicans' war on minority voters". Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  79. ^ Jim Galloway, Political Insider blog. "What Brian Kemp really said about Democratic voter registration efforts". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  80. ^ "Researcher Finds Georgia Voter Records Exposed On Internet". June 15, 2017. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  81. ^ Gregory Krieg; Kaylee Hartung; Veronica Stracqualursi; Joe Ruiz. "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.
  82. ^ "Brian Kemp's office orders 'hacking' probe of Georgia Democrats on eve of election he's competing in". Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  83. ^ violetblue. "How Brian Kemp hacked Georgia's election". Engadget. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  84. ^ Gregory Krieg; Donie O'Sullivan; Kaylee Hartung. "Kemp turns election worries into a weapon". CNN. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  85. ^ 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.
  86. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  87. ^ Leonhardt, David (November 19, 2018). "Opinion - Was Georgia's Election 'Legitimate'?". Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  88. ^ "Democrats are now going there on 'stolen' elections". Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  89. ^ Bluestein, Greg. "New TV attack claims Kemp failed to stop massage parlor 'abuser'". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  90. ^ Edwards, Johnny; Norder, Lois. "When massage therapists cross the line, state board rarely acts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  91. ^ "Kemp under fire for Massage Envy owner's donations". www.gainesvilletimes.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  92. ^ "Kemp donor tangled in scandal". Morgan County Citizen. July 19, 2018. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  93. ^ McKee, Don. "Massage therapists, campaign donations become issue in Kemp/Cagle race". MDJOnline.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  94. ^ Bluestein, Greg; Hallerman, Tamar. "The jolt: Kemp now faces calls for criminal investigation". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  95. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  96. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  97. ^ "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.
  98. ^ Georgia 2018: Brian Kemp enters race for governor Archived October 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (March 31, 2017).
  99. ^ Sean Sullivan, Cagle and Kemp advance to Republican runoff for Georgia governor Archived October 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post (May 22, 2018).
  100. ^ "'My enemy is not a man': Ex-gubernatorial candidate has 'mission' to damage Cagle". McClatchyDC. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  101. ^ Bluestein, Greg; Hallerman, Tamar. "The Jolt: A fiery Cagle ad blasts 'dirty tricks and fake news'". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  102. ^ Jump up to: a b Donald Trump on Brian Kemp pick: 'I did that for Sonny Perdue' (September 5, 2018). "Perdue-Kemp-Trump Endorsement". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  103. ^ Jump up to: a b Bluestein, Greg (July 18, 2018). "Trump endorses Brian Kemp in Georgia GOP gov race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  104. ^ "Redirecting..." results.enr.clarityelections.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019. Cite uses generic title (help)
  105. ^ Curt Devine and Drew Griffin (August 14, 2018). "6 million Georgia voters' records exposed: 'Could have easily been compromised'". CNN. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018. Trump-style Republican candidate for governor Brian Kemp
  106. ^ Greg Bluestein, Kemp was asked what he'd tell voters 'struggling with Trump.' Here's what he said Archived October 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (September 25, 2018).
  107. ^ James Salzer, New Georgia governor will work with a far different economy than Deal Archived October 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (July 9, 2018).
  108. ^ Medicaid expansion question fuels Georgia governor's race Archived October 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (September 5, 2018).
  109. ^ Greg Bluestein, Kemp vows to outdo Mississippi and sign nation's 'toughest' abortion law Archived October 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (March 20, 2018).
  110. ^ 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.
  111. ^ "Kemp says he would sign anti-gay legislation". December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  112. ^ "Brian Kemp pro gun commercial #2". youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  113. ^ Stracqualursi, Veronica (May 2, 2018). "GOP gubernatorial hopeful stands by ad of him pointing shotgun at young man". CNN. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  114. ^ "Republicans just nominated a guy who threatened to abduct undocumented immigrants with his truck". Mother Jones. July 24, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  115. ^ "This Republican Politician Jokingly Threatens a Teen With a Gun in His New Campaign Ad". Time. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  116. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  117. ^ "Georgia gubernatorial candidate takes heat for ad where he points shotgun toward teen". USA Today. May 1, 2018.
  118. ^ "This Georgia Progressive Is Going to Vote Against Her Trumpist Uncle". Vice. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  119. ^ Eli Watkins, Jimmy Carter calls for Brian Kemp to resign as GA secretary of state Archived November 1, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, CNN (October 30, 2018).
  120. ^ Vanessa Williams (August 8, 2018). "Georgia groups call on GOP gubernatorial nominee Brian Kemp to step down as the state's elections chief". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  121. ^ "Final Debate in Georgia Governor's Race Canceled as Republican Breaks Schedule". Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  122. ^ Samuels, Brett (November 4, 2018). "Kemp's office opens investigation into Georgia Democrats for 'possible cybercrimes'". The Hill. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  123. ^ Mark Niesse. "Investigators find no evidence for Georgia Gov. Kemp's hacking claim". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  124. ^ Niesse, Mark; Gillum, Jack (July 15, 2020). "Case files discredit Kemp's accusation that Democrats tried to hack Georgia election". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Associated Press. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  125. ^ Blumenthal, Paul (December 3, 2018). "Elijah Cummings Wants Brian Kemp to Testify in Washington About Voter Suppression". Huffington Post.
  126. ^ "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.
  127. ^ "Cummings: Kemp should testify about voter suppression allegations". December 3, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  128. ^ "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.
  129. ^ Astor, Maggie (March 6, 2019). "Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Faces Investigation by House Panel". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  130. ^ Greg Bluestein, Kemp takes office with a vow: Georgia will become a 'state united', Atlanta Journal-Constitution (January 15, 2019).
  131. ^ 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".CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  132. ^ Samantha Schmidt, Federal judge blocks Georgia abortion ban from taking effect, The Washington Post (October 1, 2019).
  133. ^ Jeff Amy, Federal judge voids Georgia 'heartbeat' abortion restriction, Associated Press (July 13, 2020).
  134. ^ "Georgia Governor Signs Law Addressing Some Criticisms of Contested 2018 Election". National Public Radio. April 4, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  135. ^ 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.
  136. ^ "Gov. Brian Kemp visits Swainsboro to announce rural strike team". WTOC-TV. September 12, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  137. ^ Bluestein, Greg (December 4, 2019). "Kemp taps Kelly Loeffler, financial exec, to US Senate seat". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  138. ^ Katheryn Tucker (April 6, 2020). "Is the Pandemic Overshadowing Historic Judicial Appointments?". ALM.
  139. ^ Bill Rankin (March 27, 2020). "Kemp appoints first Asian-American woman to Georgia Supreme Court". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  140. ^ Millhiser, Ian (May 19, 2020). "Georgia Republicans cancel election for state Supreme Court, so governor can appoint a Republican". Vox.
  141. ^ Chris Cillizza (May 20, 2020). "How Georgia Republicans canceled an election to get what they wanted". CNN.
  142. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  143. ^ Jump up to: a b Eric Bradner (April 21, 2020). "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp faces resistance over move to reopen economy".
  144. ^ Jump up to: a b Alan Judd & Greg Bluestein (May 1, 2020). "Lifting stay-at-home order, Kemp shifts focus to economic recovery". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  145. ^ Kevin Liptak. "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. ^ Wayne Drash, Georgia Hospital Worker Sounds Alarm: 'I Have Never Ever Seen Anything Like This', NPR (July 16, 2020).
  149. ^ Jump up to: a b Bluestein, Greg; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Squeezed from both sides, Kemp tests 2022 reelection appeal". ajc. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  150. ^ "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.
  151. ^ Aaron Blake, 49 of 50 governors have better coronavirus poll numbers than Trump, The Washington Post (May 19, 2020).
  152. ^ 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).
  153. ^ "IAG/Fox 5 Poll: Senate Races locked up, Kemp approval sags". Insider Advantage. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  154. ^ "Georgia Code Title 21. Elections § 21-2-499". Findlaw. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  155. ^ Solender, Andrew. "Trump Encourages Primary Challenge Against Georgia's Pro-Trump Governor". Forbes. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  156. ^ "Trump 'ashamed' to have endorsed Republican Georgia governor". ABC News. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  157. ^ "Gov. Kemp, Lt. Gov. Duncan say no to special session over election, explain why". 11Alive.com.
  158. ^ Greenwood, Max (December 30, 2020). "Trump calls on Georgia Gov. Kemp to resign". The Hill. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  159. ^ Kephart, Tim (December 15, 2020). "Trump retweets Lin Wood's message Kemp/Raffensperger are going to jail". CBS46 News Atlanta. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  160. ^ "Robert 'Bob' Argo, 92: Lawmaker was 'all Georgian, all the time'". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. July 13, 2016. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  161. ^ Brian Kemp Official Facebook (January 8, 2020). Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  162. ^ "Brian P. Kemp". Office of the Secretary of State of Georgia. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  163. ^ "Lawsuit pending in Gwinnett against Brian Kemp, agriculture business over loan". Archived from the original on May 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  164. ^ "Kentucky Canola Crusher Struggling to Cover Payment on Last Year's Crop". Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  165. ^ "At company Brian Kemp backed, unpaid debt and possible 'felony'". October 4, 2018.
  166. ^ 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.
  167. ^ Bluestein, Greg (January 23, 2019). "Brian Kemp settles lawsuit over bad loan in company he backed". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  168. ^ 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.

External links[]

Georgia State Senate
Preceded by
Doug Haines 		Member of the Georgia State Senate
from the 46th district
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Bill Cowsert
Political offices
Preceded by
Karen Handel 		Secretary of State of Georgia
2010–2018 		Succeeded by
Robyn Crittenden
Preceded by
Nathan Deal 		Governor of Georgia
2019–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Karen Handel 		Republican nominee for Secretary of State of Georgia
2010, 2014 		Succeeded by
Brad Raffensperger
Preceded by
Nathan Deal 		Republican nominee for Governor of Georgia
2018 		Most recent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Kamala Harris
as Vice President 		Order of precedence of the United States
Within Georgia 		Succeeded by
Mayor of city
in which event is held
Succeeded by
Otherwise Nancy Pelosi
as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Phil Murphy
as Governor of New Jersey 		Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Georgia 		Succeeded by
Ned Lamont
as Governor of Connecticut
Retrieved from ""