Kemp is already understated, aiming to steer the GOP past Trump

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ATLANTA Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is done underestimating.

After defeating a Republican challenger backed by Donald Trump and Democratic star Stacey Abrams to win re-election, Kemp is seeking to expand his influence in his second term, freed from the caricature of the country boy who carries of guns, picking up, catching migrants. who appeared in his first campaign for governor.

A new vision of Kemp to lead his party toward a non-Trumpian conservatism began in his victory speech in November after it became clear that he defeated Abrams by a larger margin in their rematch than in their close fight. in 2018.

This election proves that when Republicans stay focused on real-world solutions that put hardworking people first, we can win now, but also in the future, yes, Kemp said.

Kemp pledged that night to stay in the fight and followed through with concrete steps: He kept his political operation running and lent it to Herschel Walker’s unsuccessful Senate runoff campaign, while forming a federal political action committee. which allows the governor to influence races for Congress and president. He has not ruled out running for the US Senate in 2026 or even seeking the White House.

Beyond his own development, Kemps’ victory could provide a blueprint for Republicans in competitive states after voters reject many of Trump’s 2022 candidates. which aims to attract independents and moderates while still achieving conservative policy goals.

If Republican hopefuls were focused on winning, I think a lot of people would call Gov. Kemp and likes his advice, but also tries to replicate the things he did here, said Cody Hall, the Kemps’ political adviser.

Kemp, now 59, was a real estate developer and state senator before he was appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue as secretary of state in 2010. Eight years later, Kemp was on his way to defeating an establishment candidate for the GOP nomination for governor when Trump’s endorsement supercharged his campaign, which focused on gun rights and opposition to illegal immigration.

After Kemp defeated Abrams in the 2018 general election by just 1.4 percentage points, he accused him of using the secretary of state’s office to improperly purge likely Democratic voters. A federal court later rejected legal claims questioning the Kemps’ actions.

In his first term, Kemp scored several major conservative victories, including signing a strict abortion limit in 2019. He also made a diverse slate of appointments and kept his promise of a $5,000 raise for teachers in public school, moves aimed at bolstering his appeal amid an expected Abrams rematch.

Kemps’ relationship with Trump began to sour after the governor appointed Kelly Loeffler to the Senate instead of Trump’s choice. Trump later took shots at Kemp over his decision to reopen businesses early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the president’s anger boiled over when Kemp refused to help Trump and his allies overturn Joe Bidens narrow victory in Georgia in 2020 election efforts that are now the subject of investigations by state and federal prosecutors.

Trump vowed to retaliate against Kemp, but the governor pressed on. In 2021, Kemp signed into law a sweeping Republican-sponsored overhaul of state elections inspired by Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election. He also pushed a bill that loosened the gun laws.

Trump endorsed former Sen. David Perdue as the primary challenger to the governor. Kemp, who never publicly challenged Trump or even directly responded to his tirades, ended up crushing Perdue in the primary. Meanwhile, his distance from Trump has given Kemp credibility among independents and even some Democrats.

It just gave him a gravitas that you can’t buy, said Brian Robinson, a Republican political consultant.

Even some Democrats are acknowledging Kemps’ increased political power after his nearly 8 percentage-point victory over Abrams. State Rep. said. Al Williams, who has long been close to Abrams, said Kemp was at the height of his power for a second term. His inauguration is Thursday.

Williams and other supporters said Kemps’ tenure, along with billions in federal COVID-19 aid that he alone decides how to spend under Georgia law, were factors in his victory. He spent it very effectively and spread the net,” Williams said.

As the Senate race went into overtime, Kemp was called upon to help Walker in his runoff against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Kemp, who has secured GOP donors and built his own political organization independent from a state party run by Trump acolytes, turned his voter data operation around to allow the Walker campaign to tailor the messages to different factions of Republican voters.

However, Kemp has largely maintained his distance from Walker, whose campaign has been dogged by accusations that he paid for abortions, acted violently toward women and lied about his education, work history and personal background. Shortly before the runoff, Kemp agreed to appear in a television ad endorsing Walker but ensured that his own political team wrote the script.

Steven Law, who chairs the political action committee aligned with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, said Kemp did what smart political heavyweights do: He helped his party while building and protecting his own brand.

We had a party where Trump had a decisive gravitational pull, and here’s a guy in Brian Kemp who just stayed out of that orbit, made his own calls, decided things his way not in opposition to Trump , but at the same time not following him, Law said, calling Kemps’ balancing act remarkable.

Kemps’ future political path remains unclear, but he has options.

In Georgia, he was never known as having open national ambitions, for the presidency or the Senate, and Robinson notes that Kemp never mentioned Washington.

Law demurred when asked whether McConnell or his team had attacked the possibility of Kemp running for Senate in 2026, when Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

There is also the possibility of a vice presidential bid or a future Cabinet position. A bigger role is likely at the Republican Governors Association: He is now on the RGAs executive committee and could become chair in 2025 or 2026.

Hall said Kemp wants to help other states elect conservatives who promote freedom and liberty and personal responsibility while promoting education, a strong economy and good jobs. Whatever he can do to help more people like him get elected, I’m sure he will, Hall said.

At home, Kemp was the main party leader and the unchallenged boss of state government in a way that was new to him. With a new House speaker and lieutenant governor leading the General Assembly, Kemp is unlikely to encounter opposition from GOP majorities.

For now, though, he’s offered a minimalist second-term agenda: income tax and property tax rebates, some criminal justice measures and minor education changes. His biggest promise is continuity, adding four more years to the 20 years of Republican rule in Georgia.

The governor could also take tighter control of the GOP machinery if he backs an effort to oust Georgia Republican Chair David Shafer, a Trump ally.

He carries bags of political capital like a Monopoly man, Robinson said, marveling at what he called Kemps’ clear and overwhelming mandates from the primary and general election. Go ahead and put a monocle and a top hat on him.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, reproduced or distributed without permission.

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