Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp Losing Ground Among His Party’s Voters: Survey

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Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp may be losing ground among his party’s voters amid his struggle to win reelection next year.

Kemp presently leads former state Rep. Vernon Jones (R), who is challenging him for the GOP’s nomination, 39-35 percent among the party’s voters, according to the survey, which was conducted by Republican polling firm Remington Research Group on behalf of Jones’ campaign. Another 26 percent said they were undecided, despite Kemp’s long track record in the state. He served for eight years as Georgia’s Secretary of State before winning election as Governor in 2018.

Jones, who served in the state House as a Democrat, outspokenly supported former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, which won him a speaking slot at last year’s Republican National Convention. Kemp, by contrast, has served as a punching bag for Trump since the election, with Trump criticizing him for certifying President Joe Biden’s victory in the state.

Eighty-seven percent of Georgia Republicans hold a favorable opinion of Trump, according to the poll, with nearly half — 43 percent — identifying as “Trump Republicans.” Another 22 percent said they viewed themselves as “evangelical Republicans,” while 17 percent said they were “traditional Republicans.”

And if the former president opts to publicly endorse Jones, the survey suggested, he will gain a narrow lead over Kemp, 38-36.

The survey was based on responses from 1,040 likely Republican primary voters. Its margin of error was plus or minus 3 percent.