advertisement

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp defeats David Perdue in GOP primary

ATLANTA (AP) - Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams will face each other once again in a rematch of the 2018 race that is likely to be one of the nation's most expensive and closely watched.

Kemp easily turned back a GOP primary challenge Tuesday from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who was backed by former President Donald Trump as retribution for Kemp not going along with Trump's effort to overturn his defeat in Georgia's 2020 election.

Perdue embraced Trump's election lies, opening two debates between the candidates with the claim that the 2020 balloting was 'œrigged and stolen.'ť Georgia election officials found no evidence of fraud. The presidential vote was counted three times, with each tally confirming Democratic President Joe Biden's win.

Kemp, in his victory speech said conservatives 'œdidn't listen to the noise.'ť

'œThey didn't get distracted,'ť Kemp said. "They knew our record of fighting and winning for hardworking Georgians and tonight because of your support, Georgia Republicans went to the ballot box and overwhelmingly endorsed four more years of our vision for this great state.'ť

The incumbent continued to swing the spotlight to his quest to defeat Abrams, who told reporters Tuesday morning that she's ready to take on Kemp and wants to talk about the governor's failures.

'œFour years ago, I warned about the failure that Kemp was going to be. And four years later I am going to prove he was the wrong choice for Georgia,'ť Abrams said earlier Tuesday.

Kemp, in turn, was quick to cast a potential Abrams victory as a looming disaster for Georgia, saying Abrams was out of step with Georgia voters and that the contest would be a "fight for the soul of our state.'ť

'œShe has embraced the disastrous Biden agenda at every single turn," Kemp said. "You can see the choice at the ballot this November is crystal clear.'ť

Abrams narrowly lost the governorship to Kemp in 2018 but became a leading national Democratic voice as a voting rights activist. She also cast the rematch as a stark choice, saying she was seeking to improve problems including a lack of health care, poor education and lagging wages.

'œThe challenge I have is that the answer from Republicans, from our former senator to our current governor, is to fight me instead of fighting the problems that are facing Georgia,'ť Abrams said. 'œAnd I urge everyone to pay less attention to rhetoric and more attention to the record and to the results.'ť

Abrams has been running for months, seeking to burnish her image among Georgia voters with more than $7 million in advertising, despite the lack of primary opposition.

The centerpiece of her platform remains a call to expand Medicaid to all adults, but Abrams is also highlighting her support for abortion rights and opposition to a law allowing the permitless carry of concealed handguns in public.

The Democratic star has shown the ability to raise millions. Meanwhile, Republicans have raised the specter of her becoming governor to try to unify a party fractured by Trump's attempts to unseat Kemp.

Kemp tossed off Perdue's challenge in part by using the power of his incumbency to push a raft of legislation through Georgia's Republican-controlled legislature. He signed measures that cut taxes, allowed people to carry concealed handguns without permits and helped ban transgender girls from high school sports.

The governor also tapped bountiful state coffers to give pay raises for public employees and announced two large electric vehicle factories.

Kemp's focus on Georgia issues won over Will Parbhoo, a 22-year-old dental assistant.

'œI'm not really a Trumper,'ť Parbhoo said. 'œI didn't like him to begin with. With all the election stuff, I was like, '~Dude, move on.''ť

Perdue's loss became obvious quickly. He appeared 90 minutes after polls closed to announce that he had called Kemp to concede, and quipped, 'œWell, I hope everybody made dinner reservations in a few minutes.'ť

Perdue told his supporters that he would not sulk, but instead do everything he could to help Kemp beat Abrams.

'œThere is nothing they can ask me to do that I won't do," he said. 'œWe're going to do everything we can to make damn sure Stacey Abrams doesn't take over this state.'ť

Although Perdue said the results of the primary are 'œcounter to what I saw around the state," he seemed to reject Trump's lies that he was defrauded out of the 2020 election. When two supporters shouted 'œ2000 Mules,'ť the title of a film that pushes the idea that the 2020 election was stolen. he replied, 'œI'm sorry, but what we're going to do right now is make sure Stacey Abrams is not governor of this state.'ť

Trump conducted an in-person rally for Perdue, sent more than $3 million to two political action committees to pay for ads attacking Kemp on election issues, and kept up a steady stream of rhetorical fire against the incumbent. But Trump has not returned to Georgia since March, and Perdue's ads have been missing from Georgia television stations for much of the crucial early-voting period.

___

Associated Press writer Jeff Martin in Woodstock, Georgia, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp waves to supporters during an election night watch party, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. Kemp easily turned back a GOP primary challenge Tuesday from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Associated Press
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams greets a supporter during Georgia's primary election on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The Associated Press
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams talks to the media during Georgia's primary election on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The Associated Press
FILE - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a gubernatorial republican primary debate on May 1, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, Pool, File) The Associated Press
FILE -- Republican candidate for Georgia governor and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue speaks Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Rutledge, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Associated Press
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at a get-out-the-vote rally on Saturday, May 21, 2022, in Watkinsville, Ga. Kemp is seeking to beat former U.S. Sen David Perdue and others in a Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, May 24. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy) The Associated Press
FILE -- Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to reporters on May 5, 2022, in Spartanburg, S.C. Pence is scheduled to speak on behalf of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in Monday, May 23, 2022. Pence is opposing former President Donald Trump and his preferred Republican candidate for Georgia governor, former U.S. Sen. David Perdue. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) The Associated Press
FILE - Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a fundraiser for Carolina Pregnancy Center on Thursday, May 5, 2022, in Spartanburg, S.C. Pence will campaign with Georgia's incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp the day before this month's GOP primary in his most significant political beak with former President Donald Trump to date. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File) The Associated Press
Former Vice President Mike Pence, second from left, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, center, pose for a photo with a supporter after a Get Out the Vote Rally, on the eve of gubernatorial and other primaries in the state, on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Kennesaw, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The Associated Press
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp makes notes before giving a speech on Saturday, May 21, 2022, in Watkinsville, Ga. The Republican Kemp is seeking to beat former U.S. Sen David Perdue and others in a Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 (AP Photo/Jeff Amy) The Associated Press
Republican candidate for Georgia governor and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue speaks in Dunwoody, Ga. on Monday, May 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Sudhin S. Thanawala) The Associated Press
Republican candidate for Georgia governor and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue speaks in Dunwoody, Ga. on Monday, May 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Sudhin S. Thanawala) The Associated Press
FILE -- Former President Donald Trump dances as he leaves the stage during a rally for Georgia GOP candidates at Banks County Dragway in Commerce, Ga., March 26, 2022. Trump is scheduled to speak by telephone on Monday, May 23, 2022, to support former U.S. Sen. David Perdue's challenge to Georgia Republican incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) The Associated Press
FILE - Georgia gubernatorial Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams talks to the media after qualifying for the 2022 election on March 8, 2022, in Atlanta. Abrams will face the winner of the state's May 24, 2022, GOP primary. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) The Associated Press
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams talks to the media during Georgia's primary election on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The Associated Press
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams talks to the media during Georgia's primary election on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The Associated Press
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams talks to the media during Georgia's primary election on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The Associated Press
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp embraces a family member during an election night watch party, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. Kemp easily turned back a GOP primary challenge Tuesday from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Associated Press
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp speaks to supporters during an election night watch party, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. Kemp easily turned back a GOP primary challenge Tuesday from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Associated Press
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp holds his fingers out denoting four more years in front of supporters during an election night watch party, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. Kemp easily turned back a GOP primary challenge Tuesday from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Associated Press
Amy Porter Kemp, introduces her father, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp during an election night watch party, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. Gov. Kemp easily turned back a GOP primary challenge Tuesday from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Associated Press
David Perdue concedes the primary Republican governor's race to Brian Kemp during his election party on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (Jenni Girtman/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.