Major star power on final day before Georgia's Republican gubernatorial primary
COBB COUNTY, Ga - It was a big push on the last day of campaigning before Tuesday's primary election. The two men battling it out for the Republican nominee for Georgia governor had some real star power behind them.
In Cobb County, Brian Kemp supporters packed a hangar at McCollum Field. Former Vice President Mike Pence headlined a rally for Gov. Kemp. He talked about what Kemp has done for the economy, the pandemic, and voting.
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"No one has done more to create jobs, cut taxes, restore sanity to your schools, put criminals behind bars, protect the unborn, secure your elections or defend the God given rights we have enshrined in the Constitution, than Brian Kemp," said former Vice President Mike Pence.
In a one-on-one with FOX 5, the former vice president also talked about the Democrats.
"Stacey Abrams, just like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, wants to advance an agenda that is more taxes, more regulations, less liberties and a departure of values that make places like Georgia great," said Pence.
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"Vote to renominate Governor Brian Kemp for four more years!" said Mr. Pence.
"We cannot take tomorrow for granted we're doing this for a reason, we got more wood to chop the rest of tonight, all day tomorrow til the last poll closes," said Kemp.
While Kemp must first win Republican primary, both Kemp and Pence zeroed in on Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams.
"I heard Stacy Abrams played the role of president in a Star Trek series. We have to make sure that's the closest she ever gets to holding that title," said Pence.
Pence has described Kemp as a friend who is dedicated to faith, family and the people of Georgia.
"I can honestly say I was for Brian Kemp before it was cool, I was here four years ago," said Pence.
Back in 2018, Pence made a number of visits to Georgia to rally for Kemp. Of course back then former President Donald Trump was also supporting Kemp. Things have changed. Trump has since blamed Kemp for his loss in the 2020 election after Kemp refused to overturn the election results in Georgia. Mr. Trump is now backing David Perdue and held a tele-rally for Perdue Monday, while Mr. Pence was in Cobb County supporting Kemp.
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Trump tied Kemp to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and continued his baseless claims that the two oversaw a rigged and fraudulent presidential election in 2020. He called Kemp an "embarrassment to the Republican Party" and said he could not beat Stacey Abrams.
"David is the only candidate who can beat Stacey Abrams because I don’t believe Kemp can do it," Trump said. "He’s got too many people in the Republican Party that will refuse to vote."
Perdue has embraced Trump’s election lies, opening two debates between the candidates with the claim that the 2020 balloting was "rigged and stolen." He also joined a lawsuit meant to force a physical examination of ballots in Atlanta’s Fulton County. State and federal officials, including Trump’s own attorney general, have said there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
Trump conducted a rally in Georgia in March for Perdue and other candidates and kicked in more than $3 million for ads attacking Kemp. But Perdue has had trouble raising money and gaining traction against Kemp, and the Republican Governors Association has outspent Trump with its own ads aiding Kemp.
The Associated Press contributed to this report