(NewsNation) — In a rematch of the 2018 race for Georgia governor, NewsNation/ Decision Desk HQ has called the race in favor of Brian Kemp.
Democrat Stacey Abrams took on incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for the same seat he won over her four years ago. This time around, Kemp prevailed in the GOP primaries despite repeated attacks from former President Donald Trump for not overturning the Georgia election results in 2020 when the state went for President Joe Biden. Kemp’s win in the primaries was pivotal as one of the few Republicans to withstand Trump’s indignation.
In their first debate of the 2022 election cycle, Abrams and Kemp came armed with the other’s record — Abrams attacking Kemp’s policies as governor including a strict 6-week abortion ban that went in effect in July, Kemp focusing on her comments as a candidate, including her stance on policing and crime.
Beyond abortion, Kemp and Abrams rekindled their long-standing feud over voting rights. Abrams accused Kemp of trying to make it harder for some Georgians to vote as both governor and secretary of state, the position he held prior.
More than 4 million people could vote in the state’s elections this year, and more than half are likely to cast ballots before Election Day. More than 200,000 people requested mail-in ballots in the state and early, in-person voting ran through Nov. 4. Despite record early voter turnout, Abrams doubled down on her claims of voter suppression in the state just two weeks before Election Day.
Abrams suffered a narrow loss to Kemp in 2018 for the same seat, but the gap she was hoping to close in the 2022 midterms seemed out of reach just weeks before the election with polls showing the Democrat trailing the governor by several points.
After making waves in 2018, Abrams drew big-name support during the campaign, including from former President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and actress Kerry Washington. Meanwhile, in an effort to drum up GOP support, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin made his way to Georgia to indicate his support of Kemp.
Georgia is one of 36 states electing their top executive officials during the 2022 midterm elections. Before the election, there were 28 Republican governors and 22 Democratic governors.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.