Challenges Faced by Brian Kemp: Obstacles and Turning Points
Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Brian Kemp. A timeline of obstacles and growth.
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.
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.
2010: Implemented "Exact Match" Policy
In 2010, Brian Kemp introduced a controversial "exact match" policy during his first year as secretary of state.
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.
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.
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: 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: 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.
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: 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: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
