{"id":5026,"date":"2025-05-05T19:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T19:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/gov-brian-kemp-says-he-wont-run-for-georgia-senate-seat\/"},"modified":"2025-05-05T19:57:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T19:57:01","slug":"gov-brian-kemp-says-he-wont-run-for-georgia-senate-seat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/gov-brian-kemp-says-he-wont-run-for-georgia-senate-seat\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Brian Kemp says he won’t run for Georgia Senate seat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will not seek the GOP nomination in next year’s Georgia Senate race, a key contest for control of Congress’ upper chamber as Republicans look to unseat vulnerable Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.<\/p>\n

In a post on X<\/a>, Kemp said, “Being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.”<\/p>\n

He added that he spoke with Senate GOP leadership and President Trump and “expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November.”<\/p>\n

Kemp led Ossoff 49%-46% in a hypothetical Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll<\/a> of the 2026 Senate race taken last month, within the 3.1-point margin of error.<\/p>\n

The Georgia Senate race is one of next year’s most closely watched contests, and retaining the seat could prove essential to Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elections in Georgia \u2014 once a consistently red state \u2014 are perennially close. Ossoff won his Senate seat by under two points<\/a> in a 2021 runoff against GOP Sen. David Perdue, driven by strong performance<\/a><\/span> in the Atlanta suburbs and among Black voters \u2014 helping to cinch the Democrats’ narrow Senate majority. And Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock was reelected<\/a> by fewer than three points in 2022, beating Trump-backed ex-football star Herschel Walker.<\/p>\n

Kemp’s plans for the Senate race were closely watched due to his popularity in the state. The term-limited governor defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams by just 1.4 points<\/a> in 2018, but improved his margin to 7.5 points<\/a> in a 2022 rematch against Abrams. Kemp also easily staved off a Trump-backed primary challenge<\/a><\/span> by Perdue in 2022, beating him by over 50 points<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kemp and Mr. Trump have a rocky relationship, dating back to the governor’s refusal to help the president overturn his narrow 2020 election loss in Georgia. Mr. Trump endorsed Perdue’s primary election, calling Kemp the “WORST Governor in the Country on Election Integrity.” Kemp later endorsed<\/a><\/span> Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign, and Mr. Trump won back Georgia.<\/p>\n

With Kemp out of the race, it’s unclear who will seek to run against Ossoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mr. Trump said in 2023<\/a> he would “fight like hell” for Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene if she runs for Senate. The firebrand lawmaker said earlier this year<\/a> she’s “considering all possibilities” when asked if she will run for statewide office in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Candidates other than Kemp could face a tougher path: In last month’s Journal-Constitution poll, Ossoff led Greene 54%-37%. The incumbent senator also led Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King 51%-38%, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger \u2014 another Trump foe \u2014 48%-39%.<\/p>\n

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