Republican Brian Kemp's attempt to soften his image ratcheted up Tuesday with a new ad that features his wife Marty recounting their 24-year marriage.
Speaking direct to camera, Marty Kemp flashes pictures of the couple’s three daughters as she praises his “steady as a rock” approach to family life and politics.
“When Brian decided to run for governor, I told him he was too honest for politics. It turns out, that’s what people like about him,” she says.
It's the Republican's second ad since locking up his party's nomination for governor and, like the first, it distances himself from the more provocative messages that helped fuel his rise to the GOP nomination for governor.
In those spots, he pointed a shotgun toward a young "Jake" attempting to date his daughter, revved up a chainsaw to demonstrate his promise to cut regulations and vowed to "round up criminal illegals" in his pickup truck.
In this one, Marty Kemp - a former pre-K teacher - sits at a living room table sharing pictures through a photo album before she ends the 30-second spot with this line:
“Brian’s a wonderful husband and a great dad. Take it from me: If you give him a chance, he’ll make you proud.”
Kemp’s campaign hopes this new round of ads broadens his appeal to suburban women who felt alienated by his scramble to the party’s flanks during the primary.
Kemp has raced to recalibrate both his image and his message as he tries to broaden his appeal ahead of the November matchup against Democrat Stacey Abrams.
Along with sunnier TV spots, Kemp has also tweaked his position on the "religious liberty" debate and retooled how he casts his support for illegal immigration crackdowns.
Watch the ad here:
Read more recent AJC stories about the Georgia race for governor here:
About the Author
