Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is gaining the support of a high-profile Republican from neighboring South Carolina as he seeks re-election this year in a rematch with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, whom he narrowly defeated four years ago.
Kemp was endorsed on Tuesday by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during former President Trump’s administration.
“Governor Brian Kemp knows how to win. He’s a fighter who kept Georgia open for business, cut income taxes, suspended the gas tax, and brought record new jobs into the Peach State. Governor Kemp beat Stacey Abrams once, and he’ll do it again in November,” said Haley.
Kemp added that he is “honored to have the support of Ambassador Nikki Haley as we work to stop the Biden-Abrams agenda from taking hold in Georgia. As a former governor, Ambassador Haley knows that state leadership is the last line of defense against the failed liberal policies that have created record inflation, high gas prices, and economic recession.”
“With her support – and the support of conservatives across the country – Marty, the girls, and I will wake up every day from now through Election Day and fight to keep our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” Kemp boasted.
Kemp’s campaign says Haley will most likely join him on the campaign trail in the coming weeks.
In an average of the most recent public opinion polls in the race, the governor has a mid-single-digit lead over Abrams, a former state Democratic legislative leader and voting rights champion who is a rising star in the Democratic Party.
A Fox News poll conducted late last month indicated Kemp holding a three-point edge over Abrams. But Abrams, who is known as a ferocious fundraiser, enjoys a sizable campaign cash advantage over the governor.
Kemp easily defeated a Republican challenge from former Sen. David Perdue — who was endorsed and heavily supported by Trump — in the state’s May 24 GOP gubernatorial primary. Kemp was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence during the primary campaign and Pence headlined a rally for Kemp on the eve of the primary, on the same night that Trump held a tele-rally for Perdue.
