MARCO ISLAND, FL – EXCLUSIVE -Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the new chairman of the Republican Governors Association, says one of the top jobs for Republican governors will be helping President-elect Trump.
Kemp noted in an interview on Fox News Digital that Republican governors have spent the last four years “pushing back” against President Biden’s administration.
And speaking to the media for the first time after being elected president of the RGA at the group’s annual winter meeting – held this year at a southwest Florida resort – the conservative governor popular two-term president said Wednesday that “we need to focus on getting the Trump administration off to a good start.”
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Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, speaking at the podium, is joined by (from left) the governors. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Glenn Younkgin of Virginia and Doug Burgum of North Dakota, at a news conference to criticize President Biden’s energy policies , on June 3, 2024 at an oil refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
For two years after his 2020 election loss to President Biden, Trump heavily criticized Kemp for refusing to help him overturn his narrow defeat in Georgia.
Trump urged, then supported, a 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary challenge against Kemp by former Sen. David Perdue. But the former president toned down his criticism of the governor after Kemp trounced Perdue to easily secure re-nomination before winning re-election.
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But Trump, at a rally in Atlanta in August, unexpectedly launched into a tirade against the Georgia governor – only to publicly congratulate Kemp a few weeks later, in a major about-face for the president. former president. And the two politicians teamed up in October – for the first time in four years – to assess hurricane damage in Georgia.
Former President Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, shakes hands with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp after speaking at a temporary relief shelter as he tours areas affected by Hurricane Helene, the Friday, October 4, 2024, in Evans, Georgia (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Kemp, looking forward to working again with a Republican White House administration, said that “from the governors’ perspective, we have two years to make them successful and help them succeed up there, and to undo what the ‘Biden-Harris administration has done’. did.”
Republicans maintained a 27-23 gubernatorial advantage in this month’s election, thanks in part to the RGA’s efforts.
“We are prepared to continue working as we enter what will be a difficult cycle for us in Virginia and New Jersey. [the only two states to hold elections for governor in 2025] then have 36 races in 2026.”
Kemp emphasized that “my goal is for us to continue to raise enough money to be competitive. The Democrats are spending us because they have big checks, but we have a lot of really dedicated donors. under the tent, make sure we have good candidates and that we win because our policies are better. »
Republican Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia is interviewed by Fox News Digital, September 27, 2022 in Alpharetta, Georgia, during his re-election campaign. (Fox News)
Kemp said his comfortable 2022 re-election and Trump’s victory in Georgia earlier this month in the presidential election “give us a lot of confidence, a lot of hope, but we also know that the 2026 midterms It’s going to be difficult.”
Kemp is term limited and cannot seek another term in 2026. The race to succeed him will be a primary gubernatorial election in two years.
“I’m going to be very committed, you can rest assured, to making sure that my [successors] are Republicans. I have every interest in doing that,” Kemp said. “We will work with the Trump administration and many others to ensure that this happens not only in Georgia, but in other states across the country, in places like in Kansas, where we currently have a Democratic governor, in places like Arizona, where we have a very good chance of winning gubernatorial elections. So we are going to be offensive. »
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Georgia will also see a high-profile showdown in the Senate, as Republicans aim to defeat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026.
Asked if he would be courted by national Republicans to take on Ossoff, Kemp said, “Well, I can.”
But he quickly reversed course, emphasizing that “my focus right now, as I’ve just been elected chair of the Republican Governors Association, is to raise money so that we can be competitive in 2025 and 2026.” I made a commitment to do so, and I will fulfill that commitment. We’ll see what happens with anything else. »
When asked if he wasn’t ruling out a possible run for the Senate in 2026 or even a run for the White House in 2028, the governor responded diplomatically: “I try to keep all doors open in politics.” .
