Kemp Backs Jones, Cites Electability in Georgia GOP Runoff Push
Gov. Brian Kemp spent the final hours before Georgia’s GOP runoff stumping for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Derek Dooley — even as President Trump backed Dooley’s opponent.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Gov. Brian Kemp spent the final days before Georgia’s Republican primary runoff election actively campaigning for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the governor’s race and former football coach Derek Dooley in the U.S. Senate race, arguing that electability should guide Republican voters as they head to the polls.
Kemp Makes His Case at Northwest Atlanta Barbershop
On Monday morning, Kemp appeared at a barbershop in northwest Atlanta alongside several Republican officials to reaffirm his endorsement of Jones ahead of the June 16 runoff. Jones is competing against wealthy businessman Rick Jackson for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
Kemp said his support for Jones was rooted in his belief that Jones gives Republicans the best chance of defeating former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the November general election. He also pointed to the two men’s record of working together, with particular emphasis on their pandemic response.
“We’ve just done some incredible things, or you can go the way of the disaster of Keisha Lance Bottoms,” Kemp said, referencing that period of leadership. Kemp contrasted his administration’s pandemic approach with that of Bottoms during her time as Atlanta’s mayor.
Trump Endorsement Complicates Kemp’s Senate Pick
Kemp’s busy Monday came on the heels of a weekend setback in the Senate race. President Donald Trump issued a last-minute endorsement of Congressman Mike Collins, who is running against Kemp’s preferred candidate, Derek Dooley, according to the Georgia Recorder.
The Trump endorsement of Collins put Kemp in an awkward position, backing a Senate candidate without the president’s support while simultaneously championing Jones, who does carry Trump’s backing in the governor’s race. Jones is set to succeed Kemp, who is term limited and cannot seek another term.
Final Stretch of a Crowded Runoff Season
Candidates across both parties spent the weekend and Monday making final appeals to voters before the June 16 runoff ballots were cast. On the Republican side, the governor’s race pits Jones against Jackson, while the Senate contest features Dooley against Collins.
Kemp’s dual endorsements placed him at the center of intra-party dynamics heading into the runoff, standing behind Jones in a race where Trump and the governor are aligned, while splitting with the president over the Senate nomination. The governor maintained throughout that his endorsement decisions were driven by which candidates he believes can win in November.
