Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp

Republican Party

Governor of Georgia

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

5

Predecessor

Nathan Deal

Prior offices

Georgia State Senate District 46

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Georgia Secretary of State

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Compensation

Base salary

$175,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

High school

Clark Central High School

Bachelor's

University of Georgia

Personal

Religion

Christian: Episcopalian

Profession

Businessman, Real Estate

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

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Brian Kemp (Republican Party) is the Governor of Georgia. He assumed office on January 14, 2019. His current term ends on January 11, 2027.

Kemp (Republican Party) ran for re-election for Governor of Georgia. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Kemp defeated former state Rep. Stacey Abrams (D) in the 2018 election by a margin of just over 1 percentage point, succeeding term-limited Gov. Nathan Deal (R).

Kemp first won elected office in 2012, when he unseated state Sen. Doug Haines (D). In 2006, Kemp ran for agriculture commissioner but was defeated in the Republican primary.

In 2010, then-Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) appointed Kemp to the Georgia Secretary of State office vacated by Karen Handel (R), who had resigned to run for governor. Kemp was elected to a full term in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Kemp was the second Republican since Reconstruction to hold the office in Georgia.

Before entering elected office, Kemp was a small business owner, managing Athens-based Kemp Properties.

Biography

Kemp was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. He graduated from Clark Central High School and received his B.S. in agriculture from the University of Georgia. Kemp owns Kemp Properties, a property management and real estate investment business. He was a founding director of First Madison Bank and St. Mary’s Hospital Board.

Before becoming secretary of state, Kemp served in the Georgia State Senate from 2003 to 2007. He served as chairman of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, vice chairman of the Higher Education Committee, secretary of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, and member of the Appropriations Committee. Kemp ran for state agriculture commissioner in 2006 but lost in the Republican primary election.

Political career

Governor of Georgia (2019-present)

Kemp was elected as the governor of Georgia in 2018.

Georgia Secretary of State (2010-2018)

Kemp was appointed secretary of state by Governor Sonny Perdue on January 8, 2010, filling the vacancy left by former Secretary of State Karen Handel (R). He won his first election to the office in November 2010. He was re-elected in 2014.

Georgia State Senate (2003-2007)

Kemp was elected to the Georgia State Senate representing District 46 (all of Oconee County and parts of Walton and Clarke counties) after defeating Democratic incumbent Doug Haines in November 2002.

Elections

2022

See also: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Georgia

Incumbent Brian Kemp defeated Stacey Abrams, Shane Hazel, David Byrne, and Milton Lofton in the general election for Governor of Georgia on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kemp (R)	53.4	2,111,572
		Stacey Abrams (D)	45.9	1,813,673
		Shane Hazel (L)	0.7	28,163
		David Byrne (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	18
		Milton Lofton (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	7

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 3,953,433
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Elbert Bartell (Independent)
• President Boddie (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia

Stacey Abrams advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stacey Abrams	100.0	727,168

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 727,168
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Georgia

Incumbent Brian Kemp defeated David Perdue, Kandiss Taylor, Catherine Davis, and Tom Williams in the Republican primary for Governor of Georgia on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kemp	73.7	888,078
		David Perdue	21.8	262,389
		Kandiss Taylor	3.4	41,232
		Catherine Davis	0.8	9,788
		Tom Williams	0.3	3,255

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,204,742
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Vernon Jones (R)

2018

See also: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018

See also: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (July 24 Republican primary runoff)

See also: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)

General election

General election for Governor of Georgia

Brian Kemp defeated Stacey Abrams and Ted Metz in the general election for Governor of Georgia on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kemp (R)	50.2	1,978,408
		Stacey Abrams (D)	48.8	1,923,685
		Ted Metz (L)	0.9	37,235

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,939,328 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Larry Odom (Independent)

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Governor of Georgia

Brian Kemp defeated Casey Cagle in the Republican primary runoff for Governor of Georgia on July 24, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kemp	69.5	406,703
		Casey Cagle	30.5	178,893

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 585,596
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia

Stacey Abrams defeated Stacey Evans in the Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stacey Abrams	76.4	424,305
		Stacey Evans	23.6	130,784

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 555,089
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Georgia

Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp advanced to a runoff. They defeated Hunter Hill, Clay Tippins, and Michael Williams in the Republican primary for Governor of Georgia on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Casey Cagle	39.0	236,987
✔		Brian Kemp	25.5	155,189
		Hunter Hill	18.3	111,464
		Clay Tippins	12.2	74,182
		Michael Williams	4.9	29,619

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 607,441
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Eddie Hayes (R)
• Marc Alan Urbach (R)

2014

See also: Georgia secretary of state election, 2014

General election

The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

Secretary of State of Georgia, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Brian Kemp Incumbent	57.5%	1,452,554
	Democrat	Doreen Carter	42.5%	1,075,101
Total Votes				2,527,655
Election results via Georgia Secretary of State

2010

See also: Georgia Secretary of State election, 2010

General election

2010 Race for Secretary of State - General Election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Republican Party	a Brian Kemp	56.4%
	Democratic Party	Georganna Sinkfield	39.4%
	Libertarian Party	David Chastain	4.2%
Total Votes			2,552,722

Republican primary

2010 Race for Secretary of State - Republican Primary
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Republican Party	a Brian Kemp	59.2%
	Republican Party	Doug MacGinnitie	40.8%
Total Votes			609,478

2006

Republican primary

2006 Race for Commissioner of Agriculture - Republican Primary Election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Republican Party	a Gary Black	42.3%
	Republican Party	Brian Kemp	26.8%
	Republican Party	Bob Greer	15.9%
	Republican Party	Deanna Strickland	15.0%
Total Votes			362,812

2004

General election

2004 Race for State Senate, District 46 - General Election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Republican Party	a Brian Kemp	51.6%
	Democratic Party	Becky Vaughn	48.4%
Total Votes			57,041

Kemp was unopposed in the Republican primary.

2002

General election

2002 Race for State Senate, District 46 - General Election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Republican Party	a Brian Kemp	50.7%
	Democratic Party	Doug Haines	49.3%
Total Votes			34,519

Kemp was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Brian Kemp did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Kemp's campaign website stated the following:

“	Brian P. Kemp is a husband, father, businessman, and public servant. On November 6, 2018, he was elected as Georgia’s 83rd Governor, earning more votes than any gubernatorial candidate in state history. Governor Kemp built his first business – Kemp Development and Construction Company – with a pick-up truck and a shovel. Over thirty years later, he is a successful entrepreneur with companies and investments in banking, farming, timber, manufacturing, and real estate. Brian Kemp ran for Governor on a bold, conservative plan to spur economic growth, reform state government, strengthen rural communities, lower healthcare costs, and protect Georgia families from violence. Since his inauguration on January 14, 2019, he’s worked tirelessly to turn those campaign promises into reality and build a safer, stronger Georgia for all who call the Peach State home. Under Governor Kemp, Georgia has remained the top state for business and led the nation in economic recovery as our state emerges from a global pandemic. Because Kemp prioritized both the lives and livelihoods of hardworking Georgians and kept the Peach State open, unemployment rates are at all-time lows, job creation and investment numbers are through the roof, and businesses of all sizes are thriving. The Governor, alongside First Lady Marty Kemp, their daughters, and the GRACE Commission, proposed bipartisan legislation to combat human trafficking, while also cracking down on gangs and violent crime across our state. Kemp championed the largest teacher pay raise in state history, invested record funds in our schools, and strongly supported legislation to keep partisan politics out of the classroom and off the ball field. Like he promised on the campaign trail, Governor Kemp also signed the strongest pro-life bill in the country, pushed reforms to our adoption and foster care systems, and led the effort to strengthen law-abiding Georgians’ constitutional right to defend themselves and their families. And when the woke mob came after our state, Governor Kemp stood up and signed the top-rated election integrity legislation in the country to restore voter confidence at the ballot box. Brian Kemp is running for re-election to continue putting hardworking Georgians first, and ensure Georgia remains the best state to live, work, and raise a family. Brian is married to the former Marty Argo of Athens. They are the proud parents of three daughters – Jarrett, Lucy, and Amy Porter – and members of Emmanuel Episcopal Church.	”
—Brian Kemp

2018

Campaign website

Kemp’s campaign website stated the following:

“	1. Make Georgia #1 for Small Business Take a chainsaw to burdensome regulations Work with business people – not bureaucrats - to cut red tape and streamline state government Champion common sense workforce development initiatives to meet job demands 2. Reform State Government Cap state spending Deliver real tax reform Audit all tax breaks to protect taxpayers 3. Strengthen Rural Georgia Expand access to High Speed Internet Improve access to healthcare Give rural communities the same opportunities as the rest of the state Promote economic development and investment Support farmers, agri-business, and small town start-ups 4. PUT GEORGIA FIRST Protect Georgia families by crushing street gangs Fully fund public school education, raise teacher pay Stop sanctuary cities Improve literacy with early childhood education Protect our Georgia values Lower healthcare costs	”
—Brian Kemp’s campaign website (2018)

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Brian Kemp

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Mark K. Robinson  source  (R)	Governor of North Carolina (2024)	General	Lost General
Donald Trump  source  (Conservative Party, R)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Won General

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Brian Kemp

Measure	Position	Outcome
Georgia Referendum A, Timber Equipment Exempt from Property Taxes Measure (2022)  source	Support	Approved
Georgia Referendum B, Merged Family-Owned Farms and Dairy and Eggs Tax Exemption Measure (2022)  source	Support	Approved

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Brian Kemp campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Governor of Georgia	Won general	$86,033,723	$0
2014	Georgia Secretary of State	Won	$484,184	N/A**
2010	Georgia Secretary of State	Won	$896,518	N/A**
2006	Georgia Agriculture Commissioner	Lost	$872,237	N/A**
2004	Georgia State Senate District 46	Won	$295,412	N/A**
2002	Georgia State Senate District 46	Won	$210,824	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Noteworthy events

Decision to self-quarantine for coronavirus on October 30, 2020 and March 29, 2021

See also: Politicians, candidates, and government officials diagnosed with or quarantined due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit

On March 29, 2021, a representative for Kemp said he had started a self-quarantine after being exposed to someone over the weekend who tested positive for COVID-19. He tested negative for the virus March 29. On October 30, 2020, Kemp began a self-quarantine after he and first lady came into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

Response to request for voter rolls (2017)

See also: State government responses to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity

On June 29, 2017, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which had been created by President Donald Trump on May 11, requested information on registered voters from all 50 states dating back to 2006. The states were given until July 14 to respond. Secretary Kemp announced that the state would provide only publicly available information to the commission.

Power to set presidential primary date transferred to secretary of state (2012)

In 2012, the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 454, which transferred the responsibility for setting the presidential preference primary date from the legislature to the secretary of state. Georgia's legislature adjourned earlier than some other states, and states with later legislative sessions could wait until after states like Georgia had set their dates in order to choose more strategic ones. Secretary of State Kemp supported transferring the responsibility for setting the date, arguing that this could give Georgia a strategic advantage and encourage candidates to campaign in the state.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Kemp and his wife, Marty, have three children. Kemp is a practicing member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

See also

2022 Elections

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Nathan Deal (R)	Governor of Georgia 2019-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Georgia Secretary of State 2010-2018	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Georgia State Senate District 46 2003-2007	Succeeded by -