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Brian Kemp
27th Secretary of State of Georgia
In office January 8, 2010 – November 8, 2018
Governor	Sonny Perdue Nathan Deal
Preceded by	Karen Handel
Succeeded by	Robyn Crittenden
Member of the Georgia Senate from the 46th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Doug Haines
Succeeded by	Bill Cowsert
Personal details
Born	Brian Porter Kemp (1963-11-02) November 2, 1963 (age 61) Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Marty Argo
Children	3
Education	University of Georgia (BS)

Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 27th Secretary of State of Georgia from 2010 to 2018. Kemp was appointed by then Governor Sonny Perdue to succeed Karen Handel when she stepped down to run in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. He was later elected to the position in 2010 and reelected in 2014.

He is currently the Republican nominee for Governor of Georgia in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Early life and education

Kemp's grandfather, Julian H. Cox Sr., was a member of the Georgia Legislature. Kemp graduated from Athens Academy in 1983. He later graduated from the University of Georgia, where he majored in agriculture.

Career

Kemp was a home builder and developer before entering politics.

Political career

Kemp served as a Georgia State Senator from 2003 to 2007 after defeating the Democratic incumbent, Doug Haines. In 2006, Kemp ran for Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia. He came second in the primary, but he lost the runoff to Gary Black. Kemp initially declared intent to run for State Senate District 47 when incumbent Ralph Hudgens planned to run for Congress in Georgia's 10th congressional district. Hudgens withdrew and ran for reelection, changing Kemp's plans.

Georgia Secretary of State

In early 2010 Kemp was appointed to Georgia Secretary of State by then-Governor Sonny Perdue. Kemp won the 2010 election for a full term as Georgia Secretary of State with 56.4% of the vote, to 39.4% for his Democratic opponent, Georganna Sinkfield. In 2014, Kemp was reelected.

2018 gubernatorial campaign

Primary campaign

In March 2017, Kemp announced his candidacy in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. In a field of six candidates, Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle came in the two top places in a six-way Republican primary in May 2018, advancing to a runoff election.

During the runoff campaign, Cagle sought to portray Kemp as an incompetent Secretary of State, whereas Kemp sought to portray Cagle as scandal-prone and corrupt. During the primary and primary runoff campaigns, Kemp ran sharply to Cagle's right, benefiting from provocative campaign advertising (with a tag line "Yep, I just said that"), as well as by a endorsement from President Donald Trump late in the campaign, which Trump made at the request of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. In the runoff election, Kemp was endorsed by the GeorgiaCarry.org and the Family Research Council as well as by Republican candidates who were eliminated in the primary, Michael Williams, Clay Tippins, and Hunter Hill. Many believe Perdue's support for Kemp was in response to Governor Nathan Deal's endorsement of Cagle.

In the runoff election, Kemp defeated Cagle by a broad margin, receiving 408,595 votes (69.45%) to Cagle's 179,712 (30.55%).

General election campaign

Kemp is running against Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams, the minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, in the general election. During the gubernatorial campaign, Kemp has embraced conservative policies and themes. Kemp is running on a policy of imposing a state spending cap, opposing Medicaid expansion, and implementing the "strictest" abortion laws in the country. Kemp favors repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), describing it as "an absolute disaster,".

Personal life

Kemp is married to the former Marty Argo of Athens; they have three daughters. The family belongs to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens. Kemp's father-in-law was Bob Argo (1923–2016), an Athens insurance executive and longtime member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

In October 2018, Atlanta television station WAGA-TV reported that companies owned by Kemp owed more than $800,000 in loans to a community bank where he is a founding board member and stockholder. Such "insider loans" are legal, so long as they are on the same terms as the bank would extend to any other lender. Kemp's campaign declined to make public the terms of the loan.

Electoral history

References

1. http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/general/secretary_kemp_tenders_resignation_to_governor_deal
2. ^ Jennifer Brett (October 13, 2018). "'Solid': Republican Brian Kemp plays up rural roots, business bonafides". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
3. Ford, Wayne. "Athens Academy observes 50th anniversary". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
4. "Alums Kalupe Booze '11 and Joe Tillman '87 Lead Middle School Spartans to Championship". Athens Academy. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
5. "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
6. "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
7. "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
8. "Peachpundit.com". peachpundit.com. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
9. "georgiatrend.com". Georgiatrend.com. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
10. "GA – Election Results". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
11. Georgia 2018: Brian Kemp enters race for governor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (March 31, 2017).
12. Sean Sullivan, Cagle and Kemp advance to Republican runoff for Georgia governor, Washington Post (May 22, 2018).
13. "'My enemy is not a man': Ex-gubernatorial candidate has 'mission' to damage Cagle". McClatchyDC. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
14. ^ Donald Trump on Brian Kemp pick: 'I did that for Sonny Perdue' (September 5, 2018). "Perdue-Kemp-Trump Endorsement". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
15. ^ Bluestein, Greg (July 18, 2018). "Trump endorses Brian Kemp in Georgia GOP gov race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
16. Georgia Secretary of State 2018 runoff election results
17. Curt Devine and Drew Griffin (August 14, 2018). "6 million Georgia voters' records exposed: 'Could have easily been compromised'". CNN. Trump-style Republican candidate for governor Brian Kemp
18. Greg Bluestein, Kemp was asked what he’d tell voters 'struggling with Trump.' Here’s what he said, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (September 25, 2018).
19. James Salzer, New Georgia governor will work with a far different economy than Deal, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (July 9, 2018).
20. Medicaid expansion question fuels Georgia governor’s race, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (September 5, 2018).
21. Greg Bluestein, Kemp vows to outdo Mississippi and sign nation’s ‘toughest’ abortion law, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (March 20, 2018).
22. "Brian P. Kemp". Office of the Secretary of State of Georgia.
23. "Robert 'Bob' Argo, 92: Lawmaker was 'all Georgian, all the time'". Atlanta Journal Constitution. July 13, 2016. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
24. Dale Russell (October 24, 2018). "Brian Kemp owes more than $800,000 in insider loans to bank he helped start". WAGA-TV.

External links

• Biodata
• Campaign website
• Brian P. Kemp
• Brian P. Kemp
• Appearances on C-SPAN

• 1963 births
• 21st-century American politicians
• Christians from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Georgia (U.S. state) Republicans
• Georgia (U.S. state) state senators
• Living people
• People from Athens, Georgia
• Secretaries of State of Georgia (U.S. state)
• University of Georgia alumni