Brian Kemp is a Republican politician currently serving as the 83rd governor of Georgia. Prior to becoming the leader of the state, Kemp served as Georgia's Secretary of State from 2010 until he took the governor's mansion in 2018. He also was a prominent Senator for the state from 2003 through 2007. Kemp is considered one of the countries leading Republican governors. In 2018 he defeated Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams by a slim majority. However, Kemp defeated Abrams in a second race during 2022 midterm elections.
He won reelection by 53.4% of the vote with over two million votes, according to the Fox News Decision Desk. In January 1994, Kemp married Marty Argo, and the couple shares three daughters together. Kemp is a native of Georgia and graduated with a bachelor's from the University of Georgia. Before entering politics two decades ago, Kemp owned real estate and financial consulting companies.
As Secretary of State, Kemp was originally appointed by former Sonny Perdue and elected later that year and again in 2014 before launching his bid for the governorship. During his first election against Abrams, Kemp refused to officially resign as secretary of state. After Kemp narrowly won the election with 40.2% of the vote, Abrams refused to concede and accused the governor of suppressing votes. Kemp became a controversial figure amongst Republicans in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump criticized Kemp for certifying the votes that showed him losing to Joe Biden and for not endorsing his claims of election fraud. During the 2021 Republican gubernatorial primary in Georgia, Trump endorsed Kemp's opponent, former U.S. Senator David Perdue. Kemp went on to defeat Perdue in a landslide victory. Kemp's victory in the 2022 midterm election ensures that he will leave the governor's office by 2026.
