The rematch between Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) and Stacey Abrams (D-Inflated Ego) has been a hot one, and it’s essentially been going on for four years. Abrams refused to concede — election denier! — and she has milked every one of her 2018 grievances for cash and political capital.
This year’s contest has come down to Abrams’ far-left positions on abortion, gun control, defunding the police, and a host of other issues versus Kemp’s sterling record over the last four years. Kemp has protected the Second Amendment and the unborn and was the first governor in the country to reopen after the initial COVID-19 shutdowns.
The polls continue to look good for Kemp. The RealClearPolitics polling average has him with an 8.1-point lead over Abrams, and that lead doesn’t look to go down at all before Tuesday. But Kemp received even more good news on Friday when one of Georgia’s top Democrats endorsed him and GOP lieutenant governor nominee Burt Jones over Abrams and Democratic nominee Charlie Bailey.
Kwanza Hall spent a dozen years on the Atlanta City Council, and during his tenure, he spearheaded the city’s popular Beltline trail project. Hall ran for mayor in 2017 but lost to Keisha Lance Bottoms. He later won the special election to fill the 5th congressional district seat that the late John Lewis vacated when he passed away, but he only served for a month after Nikema Williams won the 2020 regular election for that seat.
Hall also ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor but lost to Bailey. And now he has turned the tables by endorsing Kemp and Jones.
“Over the last four years, I’ve witnessed Governor Kemp make tough decisions — ones that weren’t always popular at the time — in unprecedented circumstances,” Hall said in a statement. “While we don’t agree on every issue, it’s abundantly clear that Brian Kemp is a man of character, a strong leader, and someone who Georgians can trust to put them and their interests first.”
The statement echoes one that Kemp’s communications director, Cody Hall, said at an event last week: “You may not always agree with him, but he’s going to do the right thing with the information that he’s got.”
“Burt is the only candidate in the race with a plan to invest in our communities, lower costs, improve our K-12 education system and reduce crime,” Hall said about Jones.
Related: Gov. Brian Kemp Talks Conservative Victories, Stacey Abrams, and Fighting for Georgia
Naturally, both GOP candidates embraced the endorsement from Hall.
“I greatly appreciate Congressman Hall’s support in this campaign,” Kemp said in a statement to Fox News. “Kwanza has ably served our capital city and state for many years, and I look forward to working with him and other hardworking Georgians to put political differences aside and keep our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family for the next four years.”
Jones took to social media to express his thanks to Hall.
🚨 Former Democrat Congressman and Lieutenant Governor candidate Kwanza Hall has endorsed our campaign!
I'm proud to have his support, and look forward to continuing to work with leaders like Kwanza in a bipartisan way to create more opportunities for every Georgia family! pic.twitter.com/58WdWQ7cEu
— Burt Jones (@burtjonesforga) November 4, 2022
“I look forward to continuing to work with leaders like Kwanza and others in a bipartisan way to create more opportunities for hardworking Georgians and continue to make our state the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Jones said in an additional statement.
Hall isn’t the first prominent Georgia Democrat to endorse Kemp. Joe Frank Harris, Georgia’s governor from 1983 to 1991, endorsed Kemp late in October, calling the current governor a “proven leader” that he was “proud of.” The same week, Shirley Miller, widow of the late governor and senator Zell Miller, endorsed Kemp as well, referring to him as an “experienced leader who can answer the call when the phone rings in the middle of the night.”
Additionally, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and rapper Killer Mike have spoken well of Kemp, though they’ve both stopped short of officially endorsing him. With Democrats like Hall, Harris, Miller, Dickens, and Killer Mike reaching across the aisle to speak so well of a Republican governor, no wonder a majority of Georgians see him as the best choice to represent the Peach State for four more years.
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