"For much of the past decade, Republican politics in the increasingly crucial swing state of Georgia has been dominated by two men whose relationship has been complex and fascinating: Donald Trump and Brian Kemp. Both the two-term president and the two-term governor are lame ducks who still dominate their domains like no one else. And their collision in 2020 over Trump's "stolen elections" claims, which Kemp refused to countenance, continues to have a major effect on the Georgia GOP"
"Kemp himself was the ideal contestant for Republicans, but he turned them down, and has instead devoted much of his political capital to the long-shot candidacy of lifelong friend and former pro and college football coach Derek Dooley (son of the legendary University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley). Two House members, Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, are running for the nomination as 1,000% MAGA candidates, and there are fears the Trump-Kemp rivalry, which culminated in a 2022 effort to purge Kemp that failed dismally,"
Donald Trump and Brian Kemp remain dominant, intertwined figures in Georgia Republican politics whose 2020 confrontation over "stolen elections" claims reshaped party dynamics. Kemp refused to support Trump's false election claims, creating a lasting rift that affects candidate recruitment and intra-party cohesion. Republicans target vulnerable Democratic senator Jon Ossoff, but Kemp declined to run and is supporting Derek Dooley, a long-shot candidate. Hardline MAGA contenders Buddy Carter and Mike Collins challenge for the Senate nomination, raising concerns that the Trump-Kemp feud could fracture the party. The gubernatorial succession is contested as former Kemp allies Geoff Duncan and Brad Raffensperger enter races.
Read at Intelligencer
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]