Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp (Republican Party) is the Governor of Georgia. He assumed office on January 14, 2019. His current term ends on January 11, 2027.

Kemp received a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia. Before entering politics, Kemp worked as a builder and developer. Kemp founded Kemp Properties, a property management and real estate investment business, was a founding director of First Madison Bank, and served on the St. Mary’s Hospital Board.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Kemp served in the Georgia State Senate from 2003 to 2007. He served as chairman of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, vice chairman of the Higher Education Committee, secretary of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, and member of the Appropriations Committee. Kemp ran for state agriculture commissioner in 2006 but lost in the Republican primary.

In 2010, then-Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) appointed Kemp to the Georgia Secretary of State office vacated by Karen Handel (R), who had resigned to run for governor. Kemp was elected to a full term in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Kemp was the second Republican since Reconstruction to hold the office in Georgia.^[4]

Kemp won the 2018 election for governor of Georgia against Stacey Abrams (D) 50.2%-48.8%. During Kemp's 2022 re-election campaign, former President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Kemp's primary challenger, former U.S. Sen. David Perdue (D), after Kemp opposed Trump's position on the validity of the 2020 presidential election results.^[5] Kemp advanced from the primary election and defeated Abrams again in the general election 53.4%-45.9%. Kemp's 2018 and 2022 victories maintained a Republican trifecta in Georgia.

As governor, Kemp signed legislation that aimed to reduce human trafficking and violent crimes, increase teacher pay, fund a school voucher program, and lower taxes.^[6]^[7]^[8] In May 2024, Kemp told reporters he would use over eight billion of the $10.7 billion budget surplus to reduce the state income tax.^[9]

During President Donald Trump's (R) first administration, Trump and Kemp disagreed on multiple policy issues. In April 2020, Trump said he believed Kemp allowed certain businesses to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic too soon, with Kemp saying that healthcare providers were "a lot better prepared for that now than we were [before March 2020]."^[10] Kemp also said he believed the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia were legitimate, after a judge in Georgia dismissed a lawsuit alleging that 147,000 illegitimate ballots were wrongly counted in Georgia, and the Georgia Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.^[11]

Kemp signed into law changes to election laws in Georgia, including SB202 in 2021 and SB189 in 2024. SB202 required voters to request and complete mail-in absentee ballots earlier, expanded polling precinct hours, prohibited non-poll workers from distributing water to voters near a polling site, and removed the secretary of state as the chair of the state's election board.^[12] SB189 defined probable causes for removing voters from rolls when their eligibility is challenged, required unhoused people to vote at determined precincts, and allowed for challenges to voter rolls up to 45 days before the election.^[13] For more on election laws in Georgia, click here.

In his 2024 state of the state address, Kemp said, "In an election year, I don’t expect us all to agree on every issue, but in the middle of all that, I ask that we also remember Georgia is different for a reason. That our success is not an accident, but the result of resilient people who elected their leaders to keep state government efficient, responsive and accountable."^[14]

On May 5, 2025, Kemp said he would not run for the Senate in 2026 to challenge incumbent Jon Ossoff (D). In an X post, Kemp wrote, "I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family. "^[15] The New York Times' Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman wrote, "Top Republicans... sought to woo Mr. Kemp into the Senate race... Polls had shown he would have been a formidable challenger to Mr. Ossoff, who narrowly won election in 2020."^[16]

Biography

Kemp was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. He graduated from Clark Central High School and received his B.S. in agriculture from the University of Georgia. Kemp owns Kemp Properties, a property management and real estate investment business. He was a founding director of First Madison Bank and St. Mary’s Hospital Board.^[2]^[3]

Before becoming secretary of state, Kemp served in the Georgia State Senate from 2003 to 2007. He served as chairman of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, vice chairman of the Higher Education Committee, secretary of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, and member of the Appropriations Committee. Kemp ran for state agriculture commissioner in 2006 but lost in the Republican primary election.

Political career

Below is a list of offices within Ballotpedia’s scope. Offices outside of that scope will not be listed. If an update is needed and the office is within our scope, please contact us.

Kemp's political career includes the following offices:

2019-present: Governor of Georgia
2010-2018: Georgia Secretary of State
2003-2007: Georgia State Senate District 46

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Governor of Georgia

Incumbent Brian Kemp defeated Stacey Abrams, Shane Hazel, David Byrne, and Milton Lofton in the general election for Governor of Georgia on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kemp (R)	53.4	2,111,572
		Stacey Abrams (D)	45.9	1,813,673
		Shane Hazel (L)	0.7	28,163
		David Byrne (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	18
	Submit photo	Milton Lofton (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	7

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 3,953,433
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Elbert Bartell (Independent)
President Boddie (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia

Stacey Abrams advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stacey Abrams	100.0	727,168

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 727,168
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Georgia

Incumbent Brian Kemp defeated David Perdue, Kandiss Taylor, Catherine Davis, and Tom Williams in the Republican primary for Governor of Georgia on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kemp	73.7	888,078
		David Perdue	21.8	262,389
		Kandiss Taylor	3.4	41,232
		Catherine Davis	0.8	9,788
	Submit photo	Tom Williams	0.3	3,255

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,204,742
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Vernon Jones (R)