Career Timeline of Brian Kemp: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Brian Kemp, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Brian Kemp is the current governor of Georgia, serving since 2019. A Republican, he previously held the position of Georgia's Secretary of State from 2010 to 2018. Before that, Kemp was a member of the Georgia State Senate from 2003 to 2007. Notably, he is the first Republican elected as governor of Georgia since the Reconstruction era without a prior history as a Democrat.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2002: Elected to Georgia State Senate

In 2002, Brian Kemp was elected to the Georgia State Senate.

2003: Elected as Georgia State Senator

In 2003, Brian Kemp was elected as a Georgia State Senator, defeating the Democratic incumbent Doug Haines.

2006: Failed Run for Agriculture Commissioner

In 2006, Brian Kemp ran for Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia, finishing second in the primary but 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 was defeated in the Republican primary.

2007: End of Term as Georgia State Senator

In 2007, Brian Kemp's service as a Georgia State Senator ended.

2010: Appointed Secretary of State

In 2010, Brian Kemp was appointed Secretary of State by Governor Sonny Perdue.

2014: Re-elected as Secretary of State

In 2014, Brian Kemp was re-elected as Secretary of State of Georgia.

May 22, 2018: Republican Primary Election

On May 22, 2018, Brian Kemp participated in the Republican primary election for governor of Georgia.

July 24, 2018: Primary Runoff Election Victory

On July 24, 2018, Brian Kemp won the Republican primary runoff election against Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, securing his nomination for governor. Stacey Abrams won the Democratic primary with over 75% of the vote, allowing her to avoid a runoff.

2018: Resigned as Secretary of State

After narrowly winning the 2018 gubernatorial election, Brian Kemp resigned as secretary of state in anticipation of becoming governor.

2018: Trump supported Kemp's gubernatorial campaign

Donald Trump supported Brian Kemp's gubernatorial campaign in 2018, a decision he later regretted.

2018: Gubernatorial Election Victory

In 2018, Brian Kemp defeated Stacey Abrams in the gubernatorial election by 54,723 votes (50.2–48.8%). The 2018 gubernatorial election was the closest governor's race in Georgia since 1966.

2018: Initial Election Against Abrams

In 2018, Brian Kemp initially ran against Stacey Abrams.

2018: Election Law Changes

In April 2019, Brian Kemp signed legislation into law addressing some criticisms that arose from the contested 2018 election. The new law provides that polling places cannot be changed 60 days before an election, that county election officials cannot reject absentee ballots because of mismatched signatures, and that a voter whose voter registration application information does not match other government databases will not be removed from the voter rolls for this reason.

January 14, 2019: Inauguration as Governor

On January 14, 2019, Brian Kemp was inaugurated as governor of Georgia in a public ceremony in Atlanta.

April 2019: Election Law Changes

April 2019: Job Approval Rating Poll

In an April 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) poll, Brian Kemp had a 46 percent job approval rating among Georgians.

September 2019: Creation 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.

2019: Becomes Governor of Georgia

In 2019, Brian Kemp assumed office as the 83rd Governor of Georgia.

December 31, 2019: Appointment of Kelly Loeffler

After Johnny Isakson announced that he would resign from the U.S. Senate on December 31, 2019, Brian Kemp appointed businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to complete Isakson's term.

January 6, 2020: Loeffler Sworn into Office

After Johnny Isakson announced that he would resign from the U.S. Senate on December 31, 2019, Brian Kemp appointed businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to complete Isakson's term. Loeffler was sworn into office on January 6, 2020, but lost the seat to Democrat Raphael Warnock in the special election held for it.

November 2020: Cancellation of Supreme Court Election

In November 2020, Brian Kemp canceled the scheduled election to the Supreme Court of Georgia after Judge Keith R. Blackwell announced his retirement between the scheduled election and the end of his term.

2020: Refusal to Overturn Election Results

During the primary election, Kemp was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence. He faced a primary challenge from former U.S. Senator David Perdue, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump after Kemp refused to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

December 2021: David Perdue announced candidacy for governor with Trump's endorsement

In December 2021, David Perdue announced his candidacy for governor, with Donald Trump's endorsement.

2021: Signed Election Integrity Act of 2021

In 2021, Brian Kemp signed into law the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which expanded early in-person voting and increased state control over local election officials.

May 2022: Kemp announced support of former Vice President Mike Pence

In May 2022, Brian Kemp announced that he had the support of former Vice President Mike Pence.

2022: Reelection Campaign and Victory

In 2022, Brian Kemp won the Republican primary against David Perdue and defeated Stacey Abrams in the general election by a wider margin than in 2018.

2022: Speculation of Trump-backed primary challenger

In 2022, there was speculation that Brian Kemp would face a Trump-backed primary challenger, due to Trump's criticism in January 2021.

January 9, 2023: Inauguration for Second Term

On January 9, 2023, Brian Kemp was inaugurated for his second term as governor of Georgia.

January 12, 2023: Sworn in for Second Term

On January 12, 2023, Brian Kemp was sworn in for a second term as governor of Georgia after winning reelection, defeating Stacey Abrams by 7.5%. Abrams conceded on election night.

March 2024: Kemp endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential campaign

In March 2024, Brian Kemp endorsed Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

May 2024: Signing of Election Bills

In May 2024, Brian Kemp signed three election bills into law.

2024: Limited joint appearances with Trump during elections

In 2024, apart from an event focused on the damage from Hurricane Helene, Brian Kemp and Donald Trump did not appear or campaign together in the US elections.