September 20, 2024
ATLANTA – Republican Gov. Brian Kemp won a second term in office Tuesday in a rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial race.
Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams called Kemp late Tuesday to concede the race, before going on stage and congratulating the governor.
“I appreciate the strong grassroots supporters we have had, literally from Claxton to Calhoun,” Kemp told a cheering crowd at the Coca-Cola Roxy across from Truist Park. “We would not be here without you. Thank you so much.”
Throughout the campaign, Kemp stressed his record of leading Georgia’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. He credited the rebound to his decision to reopen businesses shut down by the virus sooner than governors in other states.
Kemp also touted his record on crime, including the creation of a multi-agency Crime Suppression Unit last year in the wake of a crime wave spawned by the pandemic and, more recently, the formation of a Gang Prosecution Unit in the attorney general’s office to target criminal street gangs.
On the campaign trail, Kemp reminded voters he was the driving force behind the 2019 “heartbeat” bill banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Kemp pledged to double down on his tax-cutting agenda if he won a second term as governor by asking lawmakers to approve $2 billion in income and property tax rebates on top of the $1.6 billion tax rebate Georgians received this year.
Republicans were headed toward sweeping the races for Georgia’s constitutional offices, leading all seven down-ballot contests from lieutenant governor down to insurance and labor commissioner.
In the race for lieutenant governor, state Sen. Burt Jones, R-Jackson, was ahead of Democrat Charlie Bailey and Libertarian Ryan Graham.
Republican Attorney General Chris Carr was on his way to winning a second full term as Georgia’s top lawyer, leading Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan, D-Atlanta, and Libertarian Martin Cowen.
GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had built up a solid lead over Democratic state Rep. Bee Nguyen, D-Atlanta, and Libertarian Ted Metz.
In the race for state School Superintendent, Republican Richard Woods was leading Democratic challenger Alisha Thomas Searcy. Woods was first elected superintendent in 2014.
Incumbent state Insurance Commissioner John King was headed toward winning a first full term in that office, leading Democratic challenger Janice Laws Robinson. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed then-Doraville Police Chief King to the post in 2019 after then-Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck was indicted for fraud and money laundering.
State Sen. Tyler Harper, R-Ocilla, was leading the race for agriculture commissioner over Democrat Nakita Hemingway and Libertarian David Raudabaugh.
And state Sen. Bruce Thompson, R-White, was on his way to being elected labor commissioner over Democratic state Rep. William Boddie of East Point and Libertarian Emily Anderson.
If all of the Republicans hold their margins of victory above 50%, they would avoid runoffs next month. No Democrat has won a constitutional office in Georgia since 2006.
