Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia exploited Stacey Abrams’ attack on the state in a new ad ahead of their rematch for the governorship in November.
The commercial starts with a highly panned video of Abrams labeling Georgia the “worst” place to live.
‘I am tired of hearing about how we’re the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live,’ Abrams said in a speech at Gwinnett Democrats’ Bluetopia Gala in Norcross, Georgia on May 21.
‘Bless her heart,’ a narrator in the commercial said. ‘Georgia leads the nation in economic recovery. Georgia leads the nation because Brian Kemp is governor.’
‘He reopened Georgia first, brought thousands of jobs and Kemp’s cut taxes to help families deal with Biden’s inflation,’ the commercial went on.
Abrams made the statement in response to Kemp’s frequent claims that Georgia is the best location to do business.
The gubernatorial candidate and voting rights crusader went on to say that she believed the state could do better on matters where it is towards the bottom of the country.
‘Let me contextualize,’ she said. ‘When you’re number 48 for mental health, when we’re number one for maternal mortality, when you have an incarceration rate that’s on the rise and wages that are on the decline, then you are not the number one place to live.’
‘Georgia is capable of greatness, but we need greatness to be in our governor’s office. We need someone who actually believes in bringing all of us in there together,’ she added.
‘For too many, Kemp’s Georgia doesn’t include them. Why? Because #KempDoesntCare. As Governor, I’ll lead #OneGeorgia that’s #1 for all of us.’
Abrams was also critical of Kemp’s handling of the pandemic and issues related to climate.
‘You don’t have to be a Democrat to know that climate change is real. You don’t have to be a Democrat to understand that criminal justice reform is the way forward,’ she said. ‘Brian Kemp just doesn’t care.’
Kemp responded on Twitter Saturday night, saying Georgia ‘is the best state to live, work, and raise a family.’
Kemp easily defeated Trump-backed David Perdue, Georgia’s former senator who lost to Democrat John Ossoff in 2021, in a primary last month.
In 2018, the former president aided Kemp’s election to the Governor’s Mansion by endorsing the then-Georgia Secretary of State for the position.
Kemp, on the other hand, has become one of Trump’s most frequent targets after refusing to alter his state’s 2020 electoral count, which helped President Joe Biden win the White House.
According to RealClearPolitics’ polling average, Kemp leads Abrams by around 5.2 points in Georgia.
Kemp has used Abrams’ apparent national ambitions against her in other assaults, accusing her of exploiting the governorship as a stepping stone into national politics. Abrams made it apparent she wanted the job when Biden stated he would pick a black woman vice president, telling Elle Magazine she would make a “great running mate.”
‘Stacey Abrams’ far-left governorship candidacy in 2022 is really a warm-up for her presidential campaign in 2024,’ Kemp stated after the primary battle. ‘Her extreme views are supposed to suit the folks who are sponsoring her campaign in New York, California, and Chicago, so she can go directly to Iowa or New Hampshire next year,’ he added, referring to the states that hold the first primaries and caucuses in presidential years.