Republican Brian Kemp inextricably tied himself to Donald Trump from the moment he launched his campaign with a "Georgia First" mantra that echoed the president's slogan, a link that only deepened with a late endorsement that fueled the secretary of state's soaring GOP runoff victory.
As some GOP leaders are urging candidates in competitive races to distance themselves from Trump as the sweeping federal investigation escalates, Kemp is stressing his loyalty to the president while steering clear of the corruption saga.
“I’m running for governor to put Georgians first ahead of the special interests, the status quo, the politically correct,” said Kemp. “That’s what I’m going to continue to do. I have no idea about what all is going on in Washington. You may ask Stacey Abrams that, because I hear she’s traveling there soon.”
He added: “I was proud to have the president’s endorsement, and I know they’ll obviously going to be helping us in this race, as are a lot of other people from different backgrounds.”
His comments came a day after ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen implicated the president in payoffs to a pair of women before the 2016 vote and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted of eight felony charges.
Kemp’s opponent, Democrat Stacey Abrams, has not directly seized on the issue or made her opposition to the White House a central part of her campaign. At a Tuesday event with business leaders, she didn’t mention Trump and instead focused on Medicaid expansion and economic policies.
The fallout from Tuesday's proceedings is already having an effect on competitive U.S. House districts, with several imperiled incumbents around the nation criticizing the scandals surrounding Trump.
In Georgia, U.S. Reps. Karen Handel and Rob Woodall have focused on tried-and-true issues in their conservative-leaning districts while also stressing support for Trump policies, such as the $1.5 trillion package of tax cuts. Kemp has tried to strike his own balance.
“I feel like I know the state as good as anybody else,” said Kemp. “I’m not going to speculate on the president. I have no idea what’s happening on the inside. I’m focused on being the governor of Georgia.”
Other recent AJC coverage of the governor’s race:
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