History of Brian Kemp in Timeline
Brian Kemp is the current governor of Georgia, serving since 2019. A Republican, he previously served as Georgia's Secretary of State from 2010 to 2018 and as a state senator from 2003 to 2007. Kemp's election as governor marked a notable shift in Georgia politics, as he was the first Republican elected to the position since Reconstruction without a prior history as a Democrat.
1950: Georgia's First Gubernatorial Rematch Since 1950
In 2022, Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams had Georgia's first gubernatorial rematch since 1950.
November 2, 1963: Brian Kemp's Birth
On November 2, 1963, Brian Porter Kemp was born. He would later become a politician and the 83rd governor of Georgia.
1983: Graduated from Clarke Central High School
In 1983, Brian Kemp graduated from Clarke Central High School after transferring there to play football.
January 8, 1994: Kemp Marries Marty Argo
On January 8, 1994, Brian Kemp married Marty Argo, daughter of Georgia State Representative Bob Argo, marking an important personal life event.
2002: Elected to Georgia State Senate
In 2002, Brian Kemp was elected to the Georgia State Senate, marking his entry into politics.
2003: Elected as Georgia State Senator
Brian Kemp was elected as a Georgia State Senator in 2003, defeating the Democratic incumbent Doug Haines.
2006: Lost Runoff for Agriculture Commissioner
In 2006, Brian Kemp ran for Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia, finishing second in the primary and losing the runoff to Gary Black.
2006: Lost Republican Primary for Agriculture Commissioner
In 2006, Brian Kemp ran for Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture but lost the Republican primary.
2007: End of Term as State Senator
Brian Kemp's term as a Georgia State Senator ended in 2007.
2010: Implemented "Exact Match" Policy
In 2010, Brian Kemp introduced a controversial "exact match" policy during his first year as secretary of state.
2010: Appointed Secretary of State
In 2010, Brian Kemp was appointed as the Secretary of State for Georgia.
2010: Appointed and Won Election for Secretary of State
In early 2010, Brian Kemp was appointed Georgia Secretary of State by then-Governor Sonny Perdue, and subsequently won the election for a full term.
2012: More Autonomy
In 2012, after changes to the Voting Rights Act, Kemp's office oversaw the closing of 214 polling locations, 8% of the total in Georgia.
2014: Reelected as Secretary of State
In 2014, Brian Kemp was reelected as Secretary of State, securing another term in the position.
July 2015: Registrations Dropped from Voter Rolls
From July 2015 and July 2017, African-American, Asian, and Latino voters accounted for 76.3% of the registrations dropped from voter rolls.
October 2015: Data Breach of Voter Information
In October 2015, the Georgia Secretary of State's office, under Brian Kemp's leadership, illegally disclosed the personal information of 6.2 million registered Georgia voters.
2015: Criticized for Data Breach
In 2015, Brian Kemp faced criticism following a data breach that exposed the personal information of over six million voters to 12 organizations.
August 2016: Dismissed Russian Interference Threat
In August 2016, Brian Kemp dismissed the likelihood of Russian hackers disrupting voting systems and accused federal officials of exaggerating the threat of Russian interference.
December 2016: Accusation Against Department of Homeland Security
In December 2016, Brian Kemp accused the Department of Homeland Security of attempting to hack his office's computer network, including the voter registration database.
2016: Rejected Help from Department of Homeland Security
During the 2016 election, Brian Kemp rejected assistance from the Department of Homeland Security to protect against Russian interference.
2016: Rejected Russia Interference Conclusion
In 2016, Brian Kemp rejected the conclusion of the United States Intelligence Community that Russia interfered in the election and criticized efforts to strengthen election security.
2016: Electronic Voting Machines
In 2016, Georgia was one of the 14 states using electronic voting machines with no paper record.
2016: Process Halted After Lawsuit
In 2016, a lawsuit halted the "exact match" process, but the state legislature passed a modified form of the policy.
July 2017: Registrations Dropped from Voter Rolls
From July 2015 and July 2017, African-American, Asian, and Latino voters accounted for 76.3% of the registrations dropped from voter rolls.
July 2017: Voter Registration Cancellations
In July 2017, as Secretary of State, Brian Kemp oversaw the cancellation of approximately half a million voter registrations in Georgia, which amounted to about 8% of all registered voters. This action was described by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as potentially "the largest mass disenfranchisement in US history."
2017: Denounced Obama Administration Efforts
In 2017, Brian Kemp denounced the Obama administration's efforts to strengthen election system security as an assault on states' rights.
2017: Purged Inactive Voters
In 2017, Brian Kemp purged 668,000 inactive voters from voter rolls.
2017: Voter Information Exposed
In 2017, it was revealed that a flaw in the state voting system exposed the personal information of over six million Georgia voters.
2017: Modified Policy
In 2017, the state legislature passed a modified form of the policy and the "exact match" process began again.
May 2018: Kemp Sued over Business Loans
In May 2018, Brian Kemp was sued for failure to repay $500,000 in business loans related to his guarantee of loans to Hart AgStrong, a Kentucky-based company, potentially creating legal and political challenges.
May 22, 2018: Republican Primary Election
On May 22, 2018, Brian Kemp participated in the Republican primary election. He later prevailed in a primary runoff held on July 24, 2018.
July 24, 2018: Primary Runoff Victory
On July 24, 2018, Brian Kemp won the Republican primary runoff against Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, securing his nomination for the gubernatorial election.
September 5, 2018: Attack Ad Released
On September 5, 2018, an attack ad was released claiming that Brian Kemp chose not to pursue accusations of sexual assault due to campaign donations.
October 2018: Report on Kemp's Insider Loans
In October 2018, WAGA-TV reported that companies owned by Brian Kemp owed over $800,000 in loans to a community bank where he was a founding board member and stockholder, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
October 2018: Voter Registration Applications on Hold
In early October 2018, Brian Kemp's office had placed over 53,000 voter registration applications on hold, with over 75% of these belonging to minority voters. Those voters were eligible to re-register if they still lived in Georgia and had not died.
November 4, 2018: Accusations of Attempted Hacking
On November 4, 2018, just 48 hours before the gubernatorial election, Brian Kemp's office, as Secretary of State, publicized details of a zero-day flaw in the state's voter registration website. Kemp accused Democrats of attempted hacking for investigating the problem but did not provide any evidence.
December 4, 2018: Cummings Calls for Kemp Testimony
On December 4, 2018, U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings announced that he would like to call Brian Kemp before Congress to testify about the fairness of his actions during the 2018 elections.
December 2018: Unsubstantiated Hacking Allegations
In December 2018, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Brian Kemp made unsubstantiated hacking accusations against Democrats before the election. The Journal-Constitution suggested Kemp used his office to protect his campaign, as the claims came at a pivotal moment before the election.
2018: Resigned as Secretary of State
After winning the 2018 gubernatorial election, Brian Kemp resigned as secretary of state in anticipation of becoming governor.
2018: Previous Election Against Abrams
Brian Kemp defeated Abrams in the 2018 election
2018: Accusations of Voter Suppression
During the 2018 gubernatorial election, Brian Kemp was accused by Democrats of voter suppression due to his actions as secretary of state.
2018: Ran for Governor and Won
In 2018, Brian Kemp ran for governor and narrowly won the general election against Stacey Abrams, amidst controversy regarding his role as Secretary of State during the campaign.
2018: Gubernatorial Election Victory
In 2018, Brian Kemp won the gubernatorial election, defeating Stacey Abrams by 54,723 votes. The 2018 gubernatorial election was the closest governor's race in Georgia since 1966.
2018: Ruling Against Kemp
In 2018, District Judge Eleanor L. Ross said the system places a "severe burden" on voters.
2018: Polling Locations
In 2018, The American Civil Liberties Union challenged the plan.
2018: Voting Machine Sequestration and Delays
In 2018, following a court ruling, thousands of voting machines were sequestered by local election officials on Election Day. Critics argued this action was designed to increase wait times at polling locations, disproportionately affecting counties that favored Kemp's opponent. Some locations experienced delays due to missing power cords, and Kemp himself encountered technical issues while attempting to vote.
2018: Russian Hackers Targeted Georgia County Websites
In 2018, the indictment against Russian hackers stated that they had targeted county websites in Georgia.
2018: Opposition to Automatic Voter Registration
In a leaked 2018 recording, Brian Kemp expressed his opposition to automatic voter registration, stating that attempts to register all eligible voters "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote."
2018: Controversies Surrounding Gubernatorial Victory
The 2018 Georgia midterms were surrounded by controversies calling Kemp's Gubernatorial victory illegitimate.
January 14, 2019: Inauguration as Governor
Brian Kemp was inaugurated as governor of Georgia in a public ceremony in Atlanta on January 14, 2019.
March 6, 2019: House Investigation into Voter Suppression
On March 6, 2019, it was revealed that Brian Kemp and his successor as secretary of state were under investigation by the House Oversight and Reform Committee for alleged voter suppression in the 2018 elections.
March 20, 2019: Deadline for Document Compliance
In March 2019, Brian Kemp was given until March 20, 2019, to comply with document requests from the House Oversight and Reform Committee regarding alleged voter suppression or face a subpoena.
April 2019: Signing Legislation Addressing Election Criticisms
In April 2019, Brian Kemp signed legislation into law addressing some criticisms that arose from the contested 2018 election. The new law included provisions to prevent polling place changes 60 days before an election and to protect voters from being removed from voter rolls due to mismatched information.
April 2019: Job Approval Rating
In an April 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) poll, Brian Kemp had a 46 percent job approval rating among Georgians.
May 2019: Signing of Abortion Ban Bill
In May 2019, Brian Kemp signed into law a controversial bill prohibiting abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy.
September 2019: Announcement of Rural "Strike Team"
In September 2019, Brian Kemp visited Swainsboro to announce the creation of a rural "strike team" focusing on economic development in rural areas of the state.
October 2019: Preliminary Injunction Against Abortion Law
In October 2019, a preliminary injunction blocked the abortion legislation signed by Brian Kemp in May 2019 from going into effect, deeming it unconstitutional.
2019: Became Governor of Georgia
In 2019, Brian Kemp became the 83rd Governor of Georgia. He is a member of the Republican Party.
December 31, 2019: Isakson Resignation
After Johnny Isakson announced that he would resign from the U.S. Senate on December 31, 2019, Kemp appointed businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to complete Isakson's term on December 4.
January 6, 2020: Loeffler Sworn into Office
Kelly Loeffler was sworn into office on January 6, 2020, after being appointed by Brian Kemp to complete Johnny Isakson's term in the U.S. Senate.
April 1, 2020: Statewide Stay-at-Home Order
On April 1, 2020, Brian Kemp announced a statewide stay-at-home order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, making him one of the last governors to issue such an order.
May 2020: Decline in Job Approval Rating
A May 2020 Ipsos poll showed that Brian Kemp's job approval rating had declined to 39 percent among Georgians, making him among the nation's least popular governors.
July 2020: Prohibition of Local Mask Mandates
In July 2020, Brian Kemp prohibited Georgia cities and counties from requiring face masks to halt the spread of the coronavirus, even as cases were surging in many states.
July 2020: Permanent Injunction Against Abortion Law
In July 2020, a permanent injunction was entered, permanently voiding the abortion law that Brian Kemp had signed. This injunction was later overturned with the 2022 Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
November 2020: Cancellation of Supreme Court Election
Brian Kemp canceled the Supreme Court of Georgia election scheduled for November 2020 after Judge Keith R. Blackwell announced his retirement.
November 2020: Further Decline in Approval Rating
In November 2020, Brian Kemp's approval rating fell to 37 percent, according to an IAG/Fox 5 poll.
November 2020: Trump's Criticism and Disapproval
In a November 2020 Fox News interview, Donald Trump said he was "ashamed" of having supported Brian Kemp's 2018 gubernatorial campaign and criticized Kemp's response to the 2020 election results in Georgia.
December 2020: Calls for Resignation and Imprisonment
In December 2020, Donald Trump called for Brian Kemp's resignation. The same month, attorney Lin Wood called for both Kemp's and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's imprisonment.
2020: Criticism from Donald Trump
After the 2020 presidential election, Brian Kemp faced criticism from President Donald Trump for certifying the results, as required by state law.
2020: Refusal to Overturn 2020 Election Results
In 2020, Brian Kemp refused to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Subsequently, he faced a primary challenge from David Perdue, who was endorsed by Donald Trump.
January 2021: Trump Criticizes Kemp
In January 2021, Donald Trump criticized Brian Kemp for certifying Georgia's election results, leading to speculation about a potential primary challenge in 2022.
January 2021: Rebound in Approval Rating
In January 2021, an AJC poll showed Brian Kemp's approval rating had rebounded to 43 percent.
March 2021: Opposition to COVID-19 Relief Bill
In March 2021, Brian Kemp expressed opposition to a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress.
March 2021: Kemp Supports Trump
In March 2021, Brian Kemp publicly stated that he would support Donald Trump if he were to run for president again in 2024.
March 2021: Signing of SB 202
In March 2021, Brian Kemp signed SB 202, which expanded early in-person voting but also enacted ID requirements for absentee voting, gave the legislature power over local election officials, and banned providing food or water to voters in line.
September 2021: Trump Implies Support for Abrams
In September 2021, at a rally in Perry, Georgia, Donald Trump suggested that Stacey Abrams would be a preferable replacement for Brian Kemp, increasing political tensions.
December 2021: Perdue Announces Candidacy
In December 2021, David Perdue announced his candidacy for governor of Georgia, with the endorsement of Donald Trump, setting the stage for a competitive primary.
2021: Signed Election Integrity Act of 2021
In 2021, Brian Kemp signed into law the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which altered election procedures in Georgia.
April 2022: Approval Rating Reaches 50 Percent
In April 2022, Brian Kemp's approval rating had reached 50 percent, according to a Morning Consult poll.
May 2022: Pence Endorses Kemp
In May 2022, Brian Kemp announced that he had received the endorsement of former Vice President Mike Pence, highlighting divisions within the Republican Party.
October 2022: Approval Rating Before Election
In October 2022, one month before the 2022 gubernatorial election, Brian Kemp's approval rating among Georgians stood at 54 percent.
2022: Defeated David Perdue and Stacey Abrams
In 2022, Brian Kemp defeated David Perdue in the Republican primary and Stacey Abrams in the general election.
2022: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
The 2022 Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned a previous injunction against an abortion law signed by Brian Kemp.
January 9, 2023: Second Term Inauguration
Brian Kemp was inaugurated for his second term as governor on January 9, 2023.
January 12, 2023: Second Term Swearing-In
Brian Kemp was sworn in for a second term as governor on January 12, 2023, after defeating Stacey Abrams in the general election.
2023: Approval Rating Surge
At the beginning of his second term in 2023, Brian Kemp's approval rating surged to 62 percent, according to an AJC poll.
March 2024: Kemp Endorses Trump's Presidential Campaign
In March 2024, Brian Kemp formally endorsed Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, signaling a shift in their relationship despite past disagreements.
May 2024: Signing of Election Bills
In May 2024, Brian Kemp signed three election bills into law.
2024: Deaths Due to Abortion Restrictions
By 2024, at least two women had died in Georgia after they were unable to access legal abortions and timely medical care due to the state's abortion ban.
