Kemp rallies supporters in Columbus, vows to stop Abrams and her ‘socialists’ backers

Nearly 200 local Republicans stood in an old plumbing supply company parking lot Monday afternoon on River Road to listen to Georgia gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp rally the troops as the Nov. 6 general election nears.

And Kemp, who faces Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams in a race that has implications far from the Georgia borders, was clear what needed to happen for him to win.

“We have got to work harder than we ever have because this is a national race,” said Kemp, who has been Secretary of State for the last eight years. “Literally the socialists — the socialists believe it or not from California — billionaires, are throwing millions and millions of dollars to my opponent. Thankfully, they don’t vote here. But you all do.”

There was loud applause and people shouting, “You got my vote” and “Right on.”

With early voting starting Oct. 15, Kemp urged his supporters to work hard to get out the vote.

“Double down on the phone calls, double down on the doors you are knocking on, double down on texting your friends in your network,” he said. “... We got to get our folks out and we got to get them out early.”

The crowd was estimated at between 175 and 200 people.

State Rep. Richard Smith, who has been a Kemp supporter throughout the primary and runoff landslide defeat of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in July, was impressed with the turnout on short notice.

“It shows you that there is an excitement,” Smith said. “It is 90 degrees and there are 175-200 people here. That tells you a lot. It tells me they are going to the polls.”

Kemp had a three-stop visit in Columbus on Monday. He participated in a 30-minute Facebook live interview at the Ledger-Enquirer, stopped at the Muscogee County Republican headquarters on River Road, then attended a private fundraiser at Green Island Country Club.

Muscogee County Republican Party Chairman Alton Russell said it was important for Kemp to participate in the public event at the county campaign headquarters. Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams has made multiple appearances in Columbus since late August, most recently as the speaker for a local function last week.

“I think that is really important that Secretary Kemp appear here,” Russell said. “Stacey Abrams has been on the front page of the Ledger-Enquirer multiple times in the last four weeks. It is important for the people of Columbus to understand that Brian Kemp is running for governor and he’s the conservative voice. We need to see him here in Columbus.”

In late August, when Abrams appeared at a job forum at the Columbus Public Library, she packed the auditorium and had an overflow crowd. The total number of people to hear her was estimated 250.

Despite the local support for Abrams and the history of Muscogee County voters backing the Democratic candidate in the governor’s race, Russell believes that Kemp is poised to do well in Columbus.

“My thinking is if the Republicans turn out statewide, we will win and if the Republicans turn out in Muscogee County, he will carry the county,” Russell said. “We are going to do well here, if we can turn out the vote. We will use our money, time, the resources to make phone calls and walk the neighborhoods to get out the Republican vote in Muscogee County. The only way Stacey Abrams wins in Muscogee County is if the Republicans stay home.”

The last time a Republican gubernatorial candidate carried Columbus was 2006 when Gov. Sonny Perdue won his second term.

Kemp was campaigning as the Abrams camp released a fund-raising email that claimed an internal poll had her with a 6-point advantage. Kemp dismissed that poll.

“I am not worried about polls right,” Kemp said during the Facebook live interview. “This race is close and it is going to be close for a long time. .... I am not worried about that. We have to get our voters out.”

The event at Green Island was a fundraiser designed to help Kemp compete against Abrams, said John Stacy, a Columbus campaign consultant who works primarily with Republicans. More than 100 people were expected at the event, Stacey said.

“It is a fundraiser for Kemp because he needs to raise millions of dollars because of all the out-of-state money that is coming in for Stacey Abrams,” Stacy said Monday afternoon prior to the event. “This is a fundraiser and we are raising money for Brian Kemp’s campaign.”

There are more than two dozen people who are part of the host committee, Stacy said. The list includes Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos, retired Synovus Chairman Jimmy Yancey, businessman Jack Pezold and retired W.C. Bradley Co. executive Mat Swift, Stacy said.

This story was originally published September 24, 2018 at 8:06 PM.