Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) endorsed a candidate Sunday in Georgia’s close gubernatorial election, less than 48 hours before voters head to the polls.Kemp followed in President Donald Trump’s footsteps with his decision to endorse Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the Republican gubernatorial primary runoff. Jones is facing businessman Rick Jackson on Tuesday, after neither GOP candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in last month’s primary election. Kemp called his No. 2 “a strong, trusted ally” in a lengthy statement explaining his endorsement, as polls indicate another razor-thin outcome.Jones “worked hard alongside me and my administration to return over $9 billion back to taxpayers, raise pay and retirement benefits for state law enforcement, and he never wavered when we took on the special interests to pass meaningful tort reform for the first time in twenty years,” the Georgia governor wrote. “The hardest part about being governor is making decisions that aren’t always popular or easy. I’ve worked alongside Burt for nearly fifteen years and I’m confident that he will always put hardworking Georgians first.”
Kemp’s move echoed Trump’s decision last year to back Jones, whom the president described at the time as “a WARRIOR, a successful Businessman, [and] former SEC Championship winning Georgia Bulldogs football player (Known for his toughness!).” Kemp’s endorsement announcement marks a blow to Jackson, who had sought to appeal to the governor, including through ads.
