Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) has been endorsed by former two-term South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as he seeks re-election against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, who he narrowly beat four years ago.
Haley, also the ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration, endorsed Kemp on Tuesday (August 16).
Announcing her endorsement of Kemp, Haley wrote, “Governor Brian Kemp knows how to win. He’s a fighter who kept Georgia open for business, cut income taxes, suspended the gas tax, and brought record new jobs into the Peach State. Governor Kemp beat Stacey Abrams once, and he’ll do it again in November.”
In 2018, during the another Kemp-Abrams match-up, former President Donald Trump’s endorsement helped Kemp clinch the Governor’s mansion.
Now, Kemp is hoping his conservative policies will be enough to sway voters despite only holding a mid-single digit lead over Abrams, according to recent polls.
In a statement thanking Haley for her support, Kemp said he, his wife, and their daughters “will wake up every day from now through Election Day and fight to keep our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
He also noted that as a former Governor, Haley recognizes that “state leadership is the last line of defense against the failed liberal policies that have created record inflation, high gas prices, and economic recession.”
It’s not just Haley who’s endorsed South Carolina’s neighboring Governor. Sen. Tim Scott, another nationally recognized South Carolina Republican, also backed Kemp a few weeks ago.
But while Kemp holds a narrow lead against Abrams, Abrams has used her unopposed gubernatorial candidacy and subsequent nomination to surpass Kemp in fundraising, making the race in the swing state too early to call.
